So I had conquered my instructors exam and was now a PADI Scuba Instructor, so what next? Well now it was time to fine tune my training and pick my specialities in the Master Scuba Diver Trainer program. The MSDT allows an instructor to chose from a wide array of specialities, each with different skills requirements, that they would like to be able to certify people in. I was lucky enough that there were only two people on my MSDT, both of us technical divers. My MSDT was also run by the head of Ban’s Technical Diving (and one of my oldest friend’s) Craig Werger. So what better way to take the MSDT but in full technical equipment?
Craig Tec Teaching Theory
I chose to become a speciality instructor for wreck, deep, search and recovery, navigation, peak performance buoyancy, underwater digital photography, night, nitrox, and cavern instructor.
Craig decided to make the challenge especially tough for us and insisted that we be able to do the skills associated with each speciality while in perfect trim and hovering. Hehe. Sneaky challenge but so much fun, and a good test of your skills as a diver.
At the same time that my MSDT was happening the island decided to sink the HTMS Sattakut, a 30 m Thai naval vessel. The ship went down on her starboard side with a bottom depth of 33 meters with the port side at 28 meters. Since her sinking they have righted the vessel and it now looks as depicted in the video below.
[vimeo][/vimeo]
The HTMS Sattukut provided an excellant place to learn the deep and the wreck specialties, which we accomplished the first day.
Primary tie off on the HTMS Satakut
After that we moved on to the others. Navigation was a fun endeavor as the Bans Tec crew had me do a 20 kick cycle hexagon.
Headed to do navigation. Thanks for the hexagon boys. . .
The MSDT was a great experience and a chance to hone my skills as a diver while marrying them with my newly acquired skills as an instructor. Many thanks to Craig Werger and Tim Hunt of Ban’s Tec for their patience and expertise over the week. I hope that while teaching my next wreck speciality I do them proud.
