Weeks 6,7 and 8

It's been a while since i've written about my life in Playa and Xpu-Ha so this entry might be longer than most!

As week 8's drawing to a close time is going faster then ever (you know time flies when your having fun!) I'm still ejoying it so much that leaving is going to be so hard. Not only to leave the friends i've made but to leave such an awesome country. But lets not think about that yet, i've still time to enjoy myself!

So it's starting to get a little quieter at the shop now but there's always plenty of work to be done so there's rarely a dull day.

We've started having time to complete divemaster exams and stuff.. though some were a little tough all are passed so now it's just the practical assessments to be done..It's a nice to think that soon.. I'll be a certified Divemaster- which is essentially a ticket to travel the world some more!

So work at the shops been cool.. we've had all sorts of clients.. i actually had my first English clients a weeks or so ago.. which was nice..They done a good job of informing me about the latest goings on back home.

I feel like diving was what i was born to do.. leading dives is always different..sometimes very challenging.. sometimes relaxing. but always different.
I still thrive off seeing new fish and new coral and am forever trying to share this passion with the clients from the shop! The kids love the fish so it's always fun diving with them!

We've met with the new crew from Pez Maya a few times in Playa Del Carmen- It's always nice to meet like minded people and share the experiences.

Life in Playa is getting easier for me now..making a few local friends helps.. I just feel totally settled..Besides spending too much money i love it here.. Could do with a few more things to do..but escaping to the beach for a few hours is never a bad thing.. i look forward now to more diving, more socialising and more traveling

Weeks 6,7 and 8

Weeks 4 and 5

Weeks 4 and 5: (Busier then the last few!)
First news is bad I suppose- We had to release Clive back onto the beach for fear he wasn’t getting food while living in the dunk tank!
It was hard realising we were already a month in (time definitely flies out here!) We’ve been reading through our Dive master books (it’s quite a lot to take in!) and I’m sure we’ll be racing through the exams before we know it!
We’ve had groups of clients as big as 16 this week as well as having other day to day clients which means a lot of work and tank shifting! It’s been fun though- even when the groups speak a language you can’t they’re all very friendly as they are doing something they love and it’s awesome to be a part of that!
A lot of things at the shop now have become routine and it’s nice to feel like we’re helping run the shop almost. I’ve been involved in a lot of taxi pickups from hotels which is quite cool- It was nerve wracking at first knowing you were the first impression the clients had of the company. But within a few times of doing it, it seems fine! I quite enjoy getting to know a little bit about the customers during the taxi ride to Xpu- ha and there are always some interesting stories about diving to be shared amongst us all.

Weeks 4 and 5

Weeks 2 and 3

Weeks 2 and 3
Again the weather had been interrupting ocean dives lately but many clients had been taken to the cenotes and the weather began to pick up again.
I also finally had my first ocean dive at Xpu-ha and it felt awesome to be back into the swing of things. We also dug out the dive shop as it was partially buried in sand (A disadvantage of being so close to the sea during hurricane Alex- It’s worth it though for such a beautiful location.
These two weeks were also a chance to get to know the other staff that make things happen at Bahia divers, such as the boat captains and the free lance instructors (and the local dogs =] ) everyone is a big happy family and I’m grateful to be a part of it.
Besides a ‘spring clean’ and some dives I’ve observed a DSD (Discover scuba diving) skills session and shifted a lot of tanks!!
Our location is lovely and there seems to be a nice little beach community around the shop such as the maintenance guys and the masseuses. We have also recently discovered a crab that seems to live in our dunk tank, I named him Clive and it seems to have stuck!
I’ll let you know how the next few weeks go unless anything major happens in the meantime!

Weeks 2 and 3

Week 1

Week 1
The weather had been bad at the start of the week, and as we had no diving or work to do at the shop, our instructors gave us a few days to settle in. This was welcomed with open arms by both of us as it gave us chance to unpack, clean the place up and most importantly; stock the fridge (after of course settling in to Playas lifestyle!!)
So our first working day was a Sunday and i got thrown in at the deep end. I was picked up at 8.20am to be told my ‘mission’ for the day was to take to clients to Cozumel and accompany them and a guide on a dive. So my job was to buy their tickets, take them on the ferry, take them to the guide, dive with them, bring them home safely and of course be a helpful and friendly representative of Bahia divers. Although i was pretty apprehensive at first, it turns out I had nothing to worry about, the day ran smoothly and they were a lovely couple. They seemed to have a lovely day and my efforts were appreciated and rewarded (much to my surprise!)
The second day was pretty similar for me, the only difference being I had to take a taxi to pick them up from their hotel. Again the day went well and the couple went home pleased despite the torrential rain in the morning!
The next few days consisted of some visits to some of the local cenotes to observe our instructor teach an open water course. (We are lucky to have the cenotes as it means even when the sea is to rough to dive we can still certify divers =] )
The week ended with a few days learning how the shop worked and assisting with equipment preparation (I’m working on the tank arms!) and general jobs around the shop. The instructors all seemed friendly and a great laugh- a good sign for the next 3 months

Week 1

Before Placement

After several 'base mates' had flown home and the two week break drew to a close it was time for the hard work to begin! The previous 10 weeks hadn't exactly been a walk in the park in terms of workload but we were blissfully unaware of what the next 3 months had in store for us.

We met with a couple of our instructors in town, in the official meeting place- The chocolate cafe! This was our opportunity to introduce ourselves, learn a little about them and ask any questions we had. It was then the excitment and anticipation really started to kick in- But they seemed AWESOME!

The next step was to drive to our house where Liv and I would be spending the next 3 months. First impressions were good and that's all that mattered at the time! (We were exhausted after a brilliant but very tiring two week break)

Before Placement