Diving into the confessions of a DMT
- Charlotte Scanlan
- Aug 25, 2016
- 7 min read
As the end of my trip to Nepal loomed closer I knew where I had to go next, Thailand was calling me to it's perfect sandy beaches, great tropical diving spots and CHEAP BEER! After an emotional goodbye to my favourite swedish sisters I set off to Bangkok, not entirely sure where I was going or what I was going to do when I got there.
I arrived in Bangkok at 3pm and made my way through the usual hustle and bustle of Koh San Road trying my hardest to dodge through the crowds with my 75L backpack. I settled at Lucky Beer, with a trusty Chang and my laptop and thought I've always wanted to be a divemaster... why not do it now? I started looking up dive schools, having completed my advanced course at Koh Tao I was excited to try somewhere new. I emailed schools in Phuket, Koh Samui and finally Koh Phi Phi with my interest in completing my divemaster internship. I sipped on my cold beer which was refreshing against the city heat and got in contact with my friend Levi. She was on Koh Samui with her friends from wales and so at 6pm I booked a ticket to Koh Samui for an hour later. I took two overnight coaches and a ferry to reach Koh Samui and met some lovely ladies on the way (one of whom - Sam came to visit me on Phi Phi). After a long night of travelling and broken sleep I met Levi and the girls at a pool party (well deserved after my trek!). We partied the night away in good auld Irish/Welsh fashion with buckets of Samsung and coke. The next morning while lazing on the beach I eagerly checked my emails - Result! I had an email back from Flo - the manager of Sea Frog dive shop on Koh Phi Phi asking when I could start! I replied letting him know I would be on the first ferry over.
Arriving on Phi Phi I paid a 20 baht clean up fee before I am allowed on the island, I let one of the many locals waiting for us at the pier book me into a 10 bed dorm and carry my bag there in a metal cart shouting 'BEEP BEEP BEEP' to get the tourist out of his way. Little did I know 'BEEP BEEP BEEP' would become a way of life.
On getting myself settled in I went to check out my new dive shop and met my mentor Serge, along with the other instructors and my fellow divemasters in training. The shop was awesome! In true Thai fashion, shoes were left outside (for those who even wore them!). Everyone was sitting outside the open plan room with chang's chatting with potential and confirmed customers on high stools. The regulators hung in racks at the back, with a few 'silly hats' sprung on top, dive gear was displayed on clean shelves. Books and charts on the different type of fish found in these waters were skillfully placed around the shop. Instantly I loved it here.
Scotty, one of the other DMT's and I packed the bags for the next mornings boat and brought the food orders down to a small trinket shop where the lady's there would prepare the food. The packing room was very hot, noisy (compressor), narrow and wet, this would be my life for the next 5 months. At 10pm it was time to shut up shop, all outside furniture was brought inside and we all headed to Banana bar for a beer (or more).
The next morning at 7am I was at the shop, ready to get in the water. I was a customer for the day and was lucky enough to go on a fun dive with a divemaster from Canada; Shay. We had a great dive and as soon as we got back to the shop I signed my contract with Flo. The next month consisted of a lot of assisting the instructors... Mainly me Julie - my crazy little french diving barbie who would soon become my closest friend on the Island and Serge - my mentor, the hilarious lebanese guy whom I would quickly form an intense bond with and will always have the highest respect for. A lot of packing bags - like a huge amount! A lot of setting up the boat and customer equipment, A lot of labelling food and a serious amount of learning. Within the first month I had learned that you must wear a silly hat when you mess up - like when I forgot to bring the food order or when I dropped a reg cap into the ocean on my second day! I learned how to navigate a divesite, recognise a panicked diver, reassure a panicked diver and completed my first aid and CPR react right course and I had taken part in my first eco dive and phi phi clean up.
I was now able to take customers on dives.
This opened a whole new world to me, depending on the experience and of course the interests of my customers I could now explore freely, search for the shy black tip reef sharks and leopard sharks, follow the blue spotted sting ray's and hang out with the turtles during our safety stops. Every day was a new adventure and soon I was given the Kled Gaow wreck and King Cruiser wreck to explore. Around this time, I was diving up to four times a day, with wreck dives in the morning and reef dives in the afternoon. I was in my element! But I was also busy studying and when I was not diving I was in the confined area of the beach doing stress and rescue skills.
When I passed stress and rescue I could move onto Science of Diving. This by far was the hardest part of the course for me as it was all study and not much practical... I like to be in the water! But with some group discussions and study sessions with my other DMT's and the help and patience of Serge, and a little help from a few other instructors - John, Mick, Chris and from the Barracuda dive shop - Stef. I managed to get through it and all that was left was my equipment exchange, stress test and snorkle test!
The day of my equipment exchange and stress test was upon me. I nervously walked for the very last time down to confined with my fellow DMT and buddy Kaari. We had discussed all our tactics at length and knew exactly what we were going to do. We would take three breaths each from the regulator and then pass it over.
I can't breath. Water is engulfing me. I'm fighting the urge to take a breath. For the first time I feel panic.
I'm halfway through my equipment exchange. I'm at 7m. I have Kaari's BCD and fins on and we are both taking off our weight belts to swap them. I've ran out of air and Kaari is only on her second breath. I can't wait. My eyes are wide with fear desperately seeking Kaari's gaze. I signal to her that I need air, she passes me the regulator and as she does it begins to freeflow in my face, forcing the strap from her slightly larger BCD against my mouth. bubbles swarm around my already dizzy head and the bcd strap flaps relentlessly into my mask. I can no longer see Kaari or the regulator, I'm reaching out but make no connection. I bolt.
At the surface I regain control and realise what I have done. I start to cry silent tears rapidly filling my mask. I look down at Kaari and Serge waiting patiently on the sand and I know I have to conquer this. I let myself sink back down to their level and signal my apologies. We start again. Slower this time. Taking only two breaths each. After a few minutes each item of dive gear has been removed and replaced with our buddys and we are at the surface high fiving and laughing.
Now for our stress test. Serge is reassuring me that the stress test is not compulsory I don't have to do it. But I know I have to do it. We remove our equipment, turn off the tanks and let it fall to the bottom and wade back to the shore. On one breath we swim 10 metres, sink to our equipment, turn the air on and breath again. PHEW. Now we just put our equipment back on. Easy. I focus on Kaari the whole time as I put my equipment back on, Serge pulls our mask's off, turns off our tanks, unclips our BCD's, purges air into our faces but the whole time we stay calm and redo our equipment and re-turn on our tanks over and over. Done!
We are now Divemasters! Just one more test to make it 'official'.
My last night on Phi Phi is also my Snorkle test. I feel all kinds of emotions, I'm sad to be leaving behind this magical island and dreamy way of life. I'm devastated to be leaving behind these group of friends who have now become my family. I'm nervous for the final test and I am exhilarated that after the best 5 months of my life I am finally a divemaster. At 10pm there is a crowd outside our dive shop. All waiting to see the spectacle. Kaari and I must drink a bucket of alcohol through a snorkle while wearing a mask, deliver dive briefings with inappropriate words, race each other while wearing fins and a weight belt to run ten times around a broom and then manually inflate a BCD with our mouths.
What a thrilling end to my DMT.
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