Rumors are upon my birth into this earthly existence, instead of crying as most newborns, do I blew bubbles!
I’ve always been a water lover. As a child, much of my time was spent in the pool, often reliving episodes of Mike Nelson’s Sea Hunt. When it came to scuba and adventure, Mike Nelson always saved the day and got the pretty girl! Rest assured it is only by coincidence that I am the proud owner of 100 episodes of Sea Hunt on DVDs. And yes, I also have a two-hose regulator!
My closet is full of water related “been there, done that” t-shirts. I li feguarded and taught swimming for many years. My first scuba certification was through Aquasports with Don Peterson “several” years ago.
Instead of studying at Mizzou, I became one of the (in)famous “Bush Divers”, was a teaching assistant for scuba, obtained two additional scuba certifications, a scuba instructor certification…..and even graduated with a degree in Fisheries and Wildlife, finding my niche as an “Aquatic Tree Hugger”.
I returned to Springfield, started on my career path in Nursing and completed my NASDS Scuba Instructor. The next row of t-shirts in my closet are EMS/Fire Service, including Search & Recovery/Public Safety Diving, and Swiftwater Rescue. And as NASDS evolved into SSI, I crossed over to SSI as a Dive Control Specialist Instructor.
As a scuba educator, I believe we, as educators, need to provide safe courses to help divers expand their individual diving experience. Therefore, I am currently developing on a Dive Specialty in “Hot Tub Diving”. So far I have been able to design the “snorkeling” portion of the specialty, but I am finding several safety concerns in developing safe hot tub entries while wearing scuba gear……
Smiling underwater is natural. Keeping water out of your mask and your regulator in your mouth while smiling underwater is an acquired skill! Let me teach you how!
