By PADI Divemaster Daniel Kinasz
A Divemaster’s day starts well before the sun comes up!
The weather needs to be checked to determine which sites will be suitable and best for the next day.
After a quick check that my tanks are full, they are packed into the car with the dive tub!
Drying the camera housing helps prevent fogging inside the camera which would be terrible for taking photos.
After arriving at the store, I let myself in and grab some tanks, make sure that they are full (along with double checking my own) and load them into the company van. I also load up my tub, towel and enough lead to sink an airship. I then usually have some spare time so fill some empty tanks, read or catch up on a uni lecture.
Soon after comes an exciting moment in the day, I get to meet my client(s) for the day! After an introduction and everyone’s favourite thing to do, paperwork :P ! The hire gear is tried on and loaded into the van and we are off! While travelling to the dive site there is always interesting conversation as there are some pretty amazing people that choose to come diving with us (from people that learned to dive last week to veteran divers that have been breathing underwater much longer than I have been breathing in general). Some have never heard of nitrox while others regularly dive on a rebreathers with trimix. From people that have never left SA to people who work in exotic jungles helping third world countries further develop. These are just a few of the exciting characters I have had the honour of meeting and diving with.
As the busy roads give way to the stunning rolling hills of the Fleurieu I hear of unforgettable dives in places I’ve never heard, tales of sharks and whales and even manta rays, fish that glow, seals that play and wrecks deep deep down below. And after what seems like just five minutes we have arrived at the office for the day!
After gearing up, a safety briefing and a proper buddy check we descend into the dragon’s lair to see what beauty awaits us.
After all of that we have normally worked up a proper appetite and a stop at the famous Yankalilla bakery is usually in order.
On days when we finish early, we usually stop into one of the many places that produces stunning food from the blue berry patch to the delicious Alexandrina dairy.
After a fun filled day we make it back to the store, where Ron and Denise are always excited to hear about what we’ve seen. With the van unloaded I fill my tanks and ponder what adventure they will bring me next time.
Once home I spend some time on the photos of the day
After all of this is done its time to rinse, eat, sleep, repeat!! :)
