Well that was harder than I thought :-)
Back from 16 days 'holiday'.
As some of you know I'm a keen diver and at the moment working
toward my Instructor.
I spent the time away actually working for the dive center for the first
time, rather than being a 'customer' or on a course.
This was a bit of an eye-opener!
I've always said that anyone who hits their 18th birthday ought to spend a week
working in a pub before they are allowed to drink, just to give them an idea of
what it's like to do the job and get a pub clear at 23:30.
This could also apply to the dive trade.
Jellyfish aside (They hurt) being on the operations / logistics side was well worth it.
In 15 days I had one day off and was quite happily working 10+ hour days (WTD what's that?)
For the first time however I appreciated:
a) The amount of work
and
b) The amount of skill and judgement
that goes into making it safe and enjoyable for everyone.
It seems odd that this time I did less diving than on any holiday
before, I did spend alot of time talking to customers, planning dived and days and
generally working (I actually felt like I'd done a days work for a change).
Highlights include.
Driving across the island with 3 'J's' of Diving grade Oxygen in 30 degree heat. BOOM :-)
17 French divers who spoke no english and only Antoine and myself who spoke
any French (I got better rapidly).
19 Danish 'Try Divers' with only 3 of us to run the try dives.
Both groups arriving back at the shop at once (fun)
A rather 'interesting drive back across the island jammed in a van with a HUGE
Polish guy shouting at his friends in the seat behind, covered in suntan oil and
wearing black speedos, (Good job I hadn't had lunch)
So what did I learn?
There's more to ANY job than meets the eye.
It's hard being nice ALL the time.
It's their holiday not yours.
It's intimidating suddenly being responsible.
I need more practice before going for my Instructor.
Jellyfish hurt
What were the plus points?
Antoine turning round on day one and saying 'You've got this group tomorrow'
Bringing the try divers back up and seeing the look on their faces.
The thank you from the French Group at the end.
The fact I fee so much more confident taking the responsibility now,
if someone had said after the course last October I'd be briefing and taking
groups out on my own I'd probably have laughed. Not now.
Conclusions
I'll probably not ever want to do this for a living but it's done wonders for my self
confidence in the water.
Jellyfish hurt
You only ever see the finished product (Good or Bad), never the work that goes into it.
All training is good :-)
Coments anyone?
DaveA
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