Survial Swimming

Introducing a new class- Emergency Swimming.

We conducted this class for the first time this weekend. This is designed to help people stay alive after having to enter the water while in the back country, after falling out of a boat, or any other activity that might take you near still or moving water.

We covered how water moves, hypothermia and other medical problems, proper safety equipment, PFD use, throw rope use, self rescue, survival swimming, and rescuing panicked swimmers.

This class went great with a mix of classroom, pool work, and the last few exercises in a slow moving river.

PADI Rescue Diver Certification

Since completing my dive certification in November 2009, I have had abundance of opportunities to continue my in-water education.

This was a two weekend course teaching the skill necessary to rescue myself or my partner given an emergency. For me this is a prerequisite to becoming a public safety course but is a class all divers should take.

The class was held both in confined water (pool) and open water. Skills included towing a tired diver, assisting with out of air emergencies, locating a lost diver, helping a panicked diver and culminated with having to tow an unconscious diver a quarter mile with doing rescue breathing.

I know I am much more confident and ready to start organizing dive trips as part of our possible activities.

Guatemala City, Guatemala

Although it was not a company trip, I spent the last week on a mission trip to Guatemala. I have been involved in different aspects of search and rescue since I was 15 years old. This trip was a chance to give back. Searching for missing persons, rescuing flood victims, and so many other things are due are considered community service but this was a chance to teach the firefighters, USAR workers, and military of Guatemala how to conduct rescue operations. For more information see my fitness blog fatlete.blogspot.com.

Fathers Day Dive trip

Happy Fathers Day!!

I hope everyone enjoys this day with their families. I will be meeting up with two of my friends who decided to spend their fathers day by letting their wives stay with the kids while we go deep.

This will be first recreational dive. Although I have logged over 20 dives this year, it is the first one that is not a part of a a dive class (as a student or assisting the instructors).

More coming soon I promise!

Finaly got all of my notes together from my last few trips. We lost all the notes and picutre do to a computer crash recently. They will be posted soon. In the meantime, new blog fatlete.blogspot.com.

White Water Rafting

With the spring in full gear it is starting to get warm. What better way to cool down than spend some time in the water. The French Broad River in western North Carolina is a perfect river with a warm temperature for the unexpected ejection from the raft.

I used a rafting company I have never used before and was not disappointed. I met two river guides that will become future associates for us. This was a fun trip lasting a few hours and covering many class 2, 3, and 4 rapids.

After the river trip I had the opportunity to meet up with some friends and camp in the area and take part in a river rescue course with both rescue personnel and kayakers.

Open Water Dive Refresher

Today was another chance for me to take advantage of maintaining my outdoor skills.

With two of my friends teaching an open water dive class, I was invited to tag along and assist. With hit and miss weather it was a good day to sit with the new divers and practice my own skills. I also got some swim around time and explored Fantasy Lake Quarry.

Camping 101 class

This weekend brought a great a chance to travel to the NC coast and meet some beginner campers. During this class we taught very basic fire craft, camp selection and set up, and how to choose equipment. This was paired with some basic boating and swimming in a local lake.

Fun and simple just like a introductory class should be.

Emergency Camping Class

This weekend we spent some time in Medoc Mountain State Park. This park is often used for search and rescue training and therefore is a great place for the emergency camping class. The day started with a quick overview of equipment and weighing of all of the students packs. This class keeps the student on his feet constantly moving, the student learned that weight and equipment choices are important.

After this was a quick hike to an area to learn the basics of improvised shelters and basic fire craft. Next was another hike down to a local creek where we met some contract associates for a lesson on how to obtain fish in an emergency. Then we hikes to the local ranger station where students got a chance to sit down while a NC Park Ranger gave a lecture on food and dangers in the back country. After the lecture students were given a quick course on GPS use and a few maps, then assigned to teams and sent on a hike involving several way points that ended at the location of the next class.

Once the student arrived at the end of their hike an opportunity to ask questions and share learning lessons from their adventure. Once questions were answered teams were assigned the task of collecting firewood and upon their return were given a surprise assignment. The students were informed that the evening was not complete and were given new maps and GPS coordinates. Students were sent out and told to carry their firewood with them. At the end of their course they were greeted with the area they were to set up improvised shelters and man a fire for the night.

When the morning came, students were given a lesson on emergency rope techniques and a given a much earned breakfast.

In my opinion, when you truly love the outdoors there are two constant truths. First, you want to teach and share your love with others. Secondly, you want to strive to continue to build your skills and experiences. With that in mind last weekend I took a trip to Florida in order to grow my skills as a diver and experience nature underwater by completing my PADI Advance Open Water Diver certification, as well as Adventure Diver and AWARE Coral Reef Conservation.

With 30 degree highs in North Carolina it was a great time to escape to Florida and dive Ginnie Springs, Blue Grotto, and Devil's Den with Florida Highs in the 70's. Nothing like good weather, good fun, and good friends!

Stone Mountain Day Hike Trip 2

Just like after Thanksgiving dinner, a great way burn off Christmas dinner was to return to stone mountain for a day hike. The planned hike was to complete the majority of the trail in this park by hiking Wolf Rock Trail, Black Jack Ridge Trail, and Cedar Rock Trail with an out and back to Lower and Middle Falls if time allowed. Although a great time as always conditions made this trip hairy. The temperature at the beginning of the hike was 36 degrees, the snow from December 18th that was a fond memory in the low lying lands was still present, and due to stops to take photos of picturesque skies and wildlife plus the moving of clouds it got dark well before the forecast predicted. This hike was not for beginners due to the combination of low temps., snow and ice, and hiking the last 1.25 miles in the dark; but as always we were prepared and everyone arrived to the trailhead safely. Highlights for the trip included seeing deer, a variety of animal prints preserved in the snow, and my personal favorite a lone tree growing out of the rock reminding me of a bonsai which I have had a love of for many years.

Stone Mountain Day Hike

In order to burn off the turkey, today I escorted one customer up to Stone Mountain State Park for a day hike. Although a little chilly it was a beautiful day so the Wife and Holly joined us. Completed the Stone Mountain Loop from the upper parking lot via the .3 mile mile extension to the loop, the 4.5 mile loop starting with the trail to the summit, down to Hutchinson farm, to the Stone Mountain Falls, and then back to the parking lot. As we exited the trail there were four deer in the field grazing, great way to end the hike. The temp was 53f going in and 47f when we got out and we completed the trail in 2 hours 45 minuted. We traveled most of the loop at decent pace but made many photo stops. Steady pace with no long stops until we hit the stairs at the waterfall this slowed us all down. An additional highlight as we left the park were the additional 14 deer grazing in a field on the side of the road who one by one crossed the road and jumped the wooden fence.Looking forward to returning soon to take a day hike to Wolf Rock and the other side trails off of Stone Mountain Loop. May even throw in some rappelling!!