The Gallagher Centre waterpark hosted a SCUBA class over the weekend. The diving certification course, instructed by master SCUBA diver trainer Kevin Bowes, is offered periodically in Yorkton.
The complete course consists of three components, classroom, pool and finally open water certification. The eight hours classroom and eight hours of pool components were conducted over the weekend. These teach the fundamentals and safety aspects of diving, says Bowes.
The certification dives are completed at a later date to complete the course. Successful participants are then certified as entry level divers. The course takes people from their current level of proficiency to the point where they can go out and safely dive under the direct or indirect supervision of an instructor.
There is a swimming requirement for the course, though typically many participants have swimming and snorkeling experience. Swimming requirements are minimal. "It's much more important that you're comfortable in the water than an Olympic calibre swimmer," Bowes notes.
Formerly with the RCMP on the federal/provincial recovery team, Bowes is currently with the Regina City Police on their recovery team. He is certified to teach from entry level and introduction courses through to assistant instructor level program. He also teaches a number of specialty programs such as night diving, wreck diving, ice diving, navigation and all sorts of facets of diving.
The majority of people who take the course in Saskatchewan are interested in diving on a vacation destination trip. Once they've complete the classroom and pool portions of the training, students receive a letter of referral which they take with them on a holiday. Bowes certifies his students through the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), the largest, most accredited program in the world. Basically that means no matter where one travels, they will find a receiving instructor who will go out and complete the course using the same standardized program used worldwide, Bowes reports. "The program you would receive there is the same program taught in the States, Mexico, or in Central America. The completion of the course would be exactly the same no matter where you did it," he claims.
Periodically when he conducts a course he lets former students in the area know. They can come in to complete refresher courses in the pool with him. "The interesting thing about doing dive training is even though we're in a confined environment such as a pool it's exactly the same skills and techniques. All the safety techniques are the same so we're not simulating anything diving in the pool," Bowes states.
He travels a lot to offer dive training. He spends a lot of time in Blue Lake in the Duck Mountain Provincial Park about an hour and a half from Yorkton. Whenever he's there doing training, he tells people they can come out to train with him.
Bowes also dives at Kenora, Ontario every summer as well as both Banff and Waterton Parks in Alberta and other lakes in Northern Saskatchewan. There are many opportunities to dive in the province, though maybe not the same level of diving as there might be in the Caribbean, he suggests.
Diving is a growing sport because there are more people travelling to more resort destinations around the world, says Bowes. "A lot of the areas people are travelling to, one of their claims to fame is the turquoise water which is warm and inviting with activities to participate in," he explains.
With the advent of the internet much of the theory part of the course can be completed online through self study and working with an instructor on the internet, Bowes notes. Then all one needs to do is arrange for a pool for the course completion. That opens the sport up to more people like shift workers.
Maximum class size is eight. Bowes prefers a group of six in order to offer more personalized instruction. He runs course several times a year. There is information at the Gallagher Centre kiosk. There are also training materials for the self study courses.
Bowes can be reached by email at [email protected] or by telephone at 306 541-5424.
Dining is an excellent individual or family activity. The program is designed to be safe and fun. "It opens up an entire new world, especially for those who are travelling," Bowes closes.
