The Final Two Dives on the Fish Camp Rocks

The 3 students, Luis, Dianne and I swam on the surface to the Eastern edge of the reef and descended to 33 feet to make the ascents. I paired the students up to make the alternate air ascents and the buddy breathing ascents, then took each of them up on a Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent. Chris had some trouble as did Juliana, but they each successfully completed a CESA from 33 feet. Then we swam back underwater exploring the reef. We encountered a little coral knoll to the SE of the Fish Camp Rocks. Its a knoll we used to see frequently when we first started diving here, but have lost as we were better able to locate the Fish Camp Rocks and the Big Coral Knoll. I need to come back and try to get a bearing on this knoll.

During the surface interval, I administered the final written exam in the course. Zahra was the only one to pass, though Chris only missed by one question. The tables are a big stumbling block, but I continue to think it is worth the effort.

The parents came on our fourth and final dive. To begin with, Dianne had trouble blowing up her BCD and then found that she could not tread water effectively. She asked for help. Laura and Luis swam over to her and helped her out. In doing so, Laura did something to her BCD so that it would no longer hold air. She swam back to the beach to drop her weights and then returned to make the dive. Then as we descended, Zahra discovered that she had no air. Rather than just surface or reach behind her and turn on her air, she swam down to her father and ripped his regulator from him. They ascended safely together and turned on her air, but she was too panicked to make the dive, so Mamoud, her father, swam back to the beach with her. We caught up to the flag at one of the Mountainous coral rocks NW of the Fish Camp Rocks and SW of the Big Coral Knoll. We went to the Knoll and explored for several trips around the knoll. I spotted two French Grunts in a dispute over a coral head. They went mouth-to-mouth several times and I tried to get pictures. Then Dianne swam over and they separated. From the Knoll, we swam to the Fish Camp Rocks, where I spotted a Nurse Shark's tail under my marker rocks. She swam off, but I got some good pictures. We did the grand tour and saw a lot of reef fish, but nothing special. So we swam to the Pillar Coral we call the Furry Rock. I also stopped by the Giant Anemone in the rock to the NE. Then we returned to the Fish Camp Rocks and to the Coral Knoll. From there we headed West to the beach. Allison and Juliana got separated and Luis went after them. Dianne, Laura, Chris and I went to the beach, though Chris spotted a turtles and swam away. I gave Laura one of my weight packets as she was really light and having trouble staying down. We rejoined Luis, Allison and Juliana along the way and we all returned to the beach as if we had been together for the entire dive.