Sharing of FGF Recipients: CHEUNG Tsz Ki
FGF Activity: Advanced Open Water Diver Course
CHEUNG Tsz Ki (Pharmacy in Chinese Medicine)
Open Water Diver is the first scuba certification level. The Open Water certification allows to rent equipment and dive worldwide. The course consists of 2 confined water dives and 4 open water dives and basic diving theory. Skills and knowledge such as assembling and using scuba gear, managing my buoyancy, respectfully approaching marine life, handling common problems etc. are taught in this course.
I learnt basics skills to dive with scuba under water during the dive. First I learnt how set up scuba kit. It is hard to remember all the steps at first but it is finally okay with practice. Then, I learnt to deflate and inflate my BCD for ascend and descend as well as use a regulator to breathe with a scuba. Since this is the first time i try scuba dive, courage is needed to deal with the ear squeeze and breathe different air. My first breath under water is a little bit uncomfortable and it is easily to give up at this stage but I have overcome it. After that, I learnt regulator clearing, regulator recovery and mask clearing. It is scared without regulator or mask! But I learnt to be calm, overcome the scare and do actions to deal with the problems. Learn to dive is somehow learnt to being calm to solve problems. There are skills protecting myself when there are accidents under water which supposed to back the water surface immediately, for example emergency weight drop and cesa (Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent) which normally we can't ascend too fast to surface to prevent decompression sickness. There are too many skills I have learnt in the course to introduce but I'm sure I learnt much more than the skills but also the attitudes of facing difficulties and the brand new things. Exploring the new world under water is the best thing in this course!
Diving gave me a view that the world is so huge! Study tour gave me insights of cultural exchange while diving broaden my horizon that life did not limited on grounds! There are possibilities when you really try to step out your comfort zone. I am trying to reach different things and gain more life experiences in my university life. When I first pop up the thought to learn open water diving course, I am just trying to explore another world under the water, developing a new skill. But after I finished the open water diving course, I felt I am falling in love with the sea and I want to dive more to explore things under water so as to accumulate experiences- I want to be a diving coach- although it is still a long way to go but I know I am really loving it! Although it may not be my full-time job but it can be a volunteer work of marine services or a sideline. There are more opportunities when you know more things!