Diving Students Gain Skills near Catalina Island for Break [PHOTOS]

Mar 17, 2023

REC 362 (Master Diver) class group photo including REC 472 (Leadership Diving) TAs, and Diving instructional staff.

REC 362 (Master Diver) students after being dropped off for their first boat dive on Catalina Island.

REC 362 students ascending using a surface marker buoy after conducting a navigation practice scuba dive.

Happy divers Kezia Letzin and Liza Dreesmann during their “safety stop”, after deploying a surface marker buoy indicating to surface viewers that there are divers ascending.

REC 362 student Sienna Tubridy swimming through giant kelp on Catalina Island after practicing neutral buoyancy skills.

Students deploying a surface marker buoy during their safety stop after a navigation practice dive.

REC 362 students exhibit neutral buoyancy in the giant kelp forest offshore from the Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies on Catalina Island.

Lights glow from beneath the surface of the water, while REC 362 students conduct their first night dive on Catalina Island.

Over spring break, Cal Poly Humboldt’s Master Divers in training had the opportunity to visit Catalina Island, hosted by USC Wrigley Institute, to work toward their certification. On this trip, divers were able to work on their buoyancy control, buddy awareness, and situational awareness. This experience was unique as they got to embark on dive experiences that cannot be so easily replicated closer to Humboldt such as night diving, deep diving, and kelp forest exploration.

Totaling eight dives across three days, the students are now only four dives away from achieving their Advanced/Master Diver certification. With this certification, students are able to continue on to Scientific Diving, where they learn to conduct science underwater, and Leadership Diving, where they earn their Dive Master certification that enables them to lead dive trips.

While students can participate in scuba diving courses for recreational purposes, most are seeking a Scientific Diving Minor that will bolster their degree or a Bachelors in Recreational Administration with a focus in Dive Leadership. Students with an interest in beginning your scuba journey should enroll in Diving First Aid next semester.

All photos courtesy of Angela Edmunds and Steve Monk.