PADI IDC Update - Gas Blender course fully complete
Well, it’s currently 5pm on Tuesday 25th July, and I’ve just got back from the compressor area/workshop. Completed my Gas Blender course by filling 5 tanks and by cleaning a regulator first stage part so that it is oxygen clean. We couldn’t get any Simple Green (what the hell is that stuff, by the way?! Need to get to the PX on base and try to get some) but made do with oven cleaner and a white vinegar/water solution. The tank filling was pretty straightforward too. I didn’t manage to blow up half of Koh Samui, which was an initial fear I had when opening up the filling valves! I was aiming for a 32% blend of Nitrox and was hitting it pretty much, so was pretty pleased with that. One thing I didn’t know was that although you study trimix blending in the Gas Blender manual and get tested, I would not be certified as a trimix blender. That’s not a huge deal though as the number of DSAT Trimix facilities are rare, Trimix blender instructors even rarer, and Trimix blender instructor trainers… well if you find Lord Lucan and Nijinski, you might just find one of those too!
I also managed to do part of my Mares Equipment Specialist course too, while the tanks were filling. I was dismantling, checking, and reassembling some Mares inflators. They are surprisingly simple to do, once you know what you are supposed to be doing. I managed to figure out why one of the BCDs wasn’t inflating - it was missing a part inside! God knows where it had gone, but I fitted a new spring and all was well again. This will be handy speciality course to have, and I might try to get the Scubapro Equipment Specialist certification once I get back to Okinawa. Yet more strings to add to my bow. I’ll finish that course on Thursday afternoon I think, once I’ve done my EFR: Care For Children course in the morning. I’ve also found somewhere that will do me a medical check very cheaply, so everything will be in order for my IDC, starting on the 3rd.
In other news, I went south of Lamai this morning with Camille and his family and attended a school event for all of the primary schools on Samui. They were taking part in this big parade and Camille’s daughter was marching in the event. I like to see these non-touristy things, so that was really cool to see. Very few foreigners around, and it was good to get in amongst the natives. I’m used to standing out completely, so was fine with a few of the stares as a blonde haired gaijin walked past!
That’s about it from this report, but I’ll be back online with some more entries soon. I’ll try and get online tomorrow (Wednesday) after my boat dives. I’m taking my camera and will hopefully get some decent shots of the water in Thailand. I’ll then be able to give an initial comparison between Okinawa and Koh Samui. Until then, this is Dave signing off. Take care and dive safely.
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