Pool Sessions

If you want to try scuba or refresh your skills we strongly encourage you to come to our scuba pool sessions. We run Discover Scuba programs, skill reviews, challenging activities, and underwater scenarios.

• January 21st, 2012, 4 – 6 pm
• February 11th, 2012, 4 – 6 pm
• March 24th, 2012, 4 – 6 pm
• April 14th,  2012, 4 – 6 pm

Pool sessions this year are at the Van Vliet West Pool at the University of Alberta.

Discover Scuba Diving

Discover Scuba is a short introductory course we run during our pool sessions. This course takes up to two hours, during which you have a chance to learn the basics about scuba diving from a certified instructor in the pool! If you are looking to try scuba out but aren’t sure if you want to register for a full course just yet, this is a perfect opportunity.

What to expect

This introductory course, as any other dive course, is composed of theory and practice. You are going to learn the necessary basics to go underwater, which usually takes around one hour.  After this short introduction an instructor will help you don the scuba gear and get into the pool.

Once in the pool, you’re going to learn basic skills such as clearing your mask and clearing and recovering your regulator.  All this is done in the shallow water, so if you have any trouble you can simply stand up. With time you’ll get accustomed to the underwater environment, and you’ll be enjoying scuba in no time!

Certified Diver Programs

During pool sessions, certified members are given an opportunity to refresh your scuba skills and participate in a variety of fun underwater activities to push your skills even further. We have a variety activities for our pool sessions so each one is varied and challenging. We are always trying to come up with new games and skills to practice within each theme to keep things fun and interesting for divers of all levels.

Pool session activities

Skills Review

Hovering

Tips: Remember the fin pivot?  First become neutrally buoyant, then, take a deep breath, cross your legs under you and hold the tips of your fins. Once you’ve achieved the correct buoyancy, take slow, small breaths to hover.
REMEMBER Don’t hold your breath.

Hovering Upside-down

Tips: So you’re already hovering, try hovering upside down now to get a different perspective of things. Flip yourself so you are head-down and straighten your body. Use your hands initially so you don’t bump your head on the bottom and then try hovering without touching the bottom once you’ve achieved neutral buoyancy.
REMEMBER Don’t hold your breath.

Remove BCD Relay Race

Tips: You’ll be with your buddy and in a straight line with the other buddy teams with your back against the wall. On your mark, get set, go!  Remove your BCD, remember to undo all your straps and loosen your shoulder strap so it’s easier. Remove your BCD from your left side first since your regulator comes around your right side. Now lie on top of your BCD, swim to the other end of the pool and back and replace your BCD. Now it’s your buddy’s turn!  Watch as he/she fumbles with the buckles trying to hold make up for lost time. Lots of laughs and fun.
REMEMBER Loosen shoulder strap and take the BCD off your left side first.
Skills: Familiarity with dive gear, ability to act under stress in the water.

Mask / BCD / Weight Belt Exchange

Tips:  You’ll be exchanging the mask, BCD and the weight belt with your buddy in the water.  You’ll likely want to exchange weight belts first so you won’t float away.  Then the BCD, and the mask last.
REMEMBER Stay calm and do this one step at a time.

Assemble Gear at the Bottom of the Pool

Tips:  At the surface remove your gear (mask, BCD, fins) and sink it to the bottom of the pool.  Dive down, put your mask on, find your regulator, replace your BCD and put your fins on.  Sound hard?  It’s a lot easier then you think.
REMEMBER Don’t hold your breath and do not ascend with your lungs full of air.