April – Training Update
Open Water – We have four new Open Water Certified divers who completed their course in March. Congratulations to Instructor Sal and Dive Master JD who used creative thinking to get the job done. They had a minor problem with a boat trip cancellation but quickly found a solution and made it to Catalina.
Training in the pool 
Checking the conditions at the Avalon dive park 
Successful completion, it’s tradition to take a class photo at the veterans memorial
Dive Master – Our Dive Master Candidates are continuing their training. The first phase was classroom, then they advanced to in-water training in the pool where they will demonstrate their underwater skills. They also learn to do a briefing of the dive site as if they were leading a group of certified divers.
Great group of Dive Masters in training 
Briefing on how to do a briefing
Instructor and Assistant Instructor Training – WAVES Veterans and Volunteers are training to be SCUBA Instructors and Assistant Instructors. We have two women in the course who will be our first female instructors and will lead our women’s diving programs. Jeff is a veteran who started diving with WAVES and will soon be an instructor leading our newest location in the Houston, Texas area.
Pre-dive briefing 
Instructor and Assistant Instructor Candidates 
Demonstrating Rescue Skills in the pool
Loma Linda Study – 23 WAVES Participants took part in a study done by Loma Linda University Health to study how SCUBA diving aids in recovery of service connected injuries. There were four boat dives over two days, great fun and camaraderie among the two groups who made the dives.
The Occupational Therapy group held and some classes to teach breathing and stretching techniques.
