Carson Ganci (centre, back) explains the basics of scuba diving to nine people at the High Prairie Aquatic Centre on Nov. 7. He says this is an introductory session that’s meant to be fun.

Mac Olsen
South Peace News

Carson Ganci is keen about scuba diving, so much so that he likes to teach others about it. Ganci is a scuba diving instructor, as well as an outreach coordinator for the Alberta Underwater Council in Edmonton. He has been diving for 30 years, and teaching for 29 years. He held an introductory scuba diving class with nine people at the High Prairie Aquatic Centre on Nov. 7. “It’s only designed to have fun. Nothing more. Nothing less,” says Ganci. “If they really like it, then they can go to a dive shop, sign up and take a proper course, which is about 40 hours long.” Ganci spends 10-15 minutes explaining the equipment, including how to put the mask on, using the diving fins and tank regulator, and so on. He then assigns specific gear to each participant, and gets them into the shallow end of the pool to perform the skills he explains. Before getting into the water, Ganci had the participants move their scuba tanks to the edge of the shallow end of the pool, and lay them on their sides. Once in the water, the participants helped each other put their tanks on. The tanks are attached to flotation vests that can be adjusted for floating up and down. Next, Ganci showed them how to hold the air gauge correctly using the right arm, and how to check it. Then he showed them how to put the breather in their mouths. With these procedures completed, he had them float under water to get used to all of the equipment. He also showed them is cleaning out their masks while they’re under water. They have to master this before they can go in the deep end of the pool. Then it was time to move into the deep end of the pool, and the participants had about 20 minutes to experience their new underwater adventure. Ganci will hold another introductory scuba diving class at the Aquatic Centre on Nov. 15. For more information or to register for the classes, call the Aquatic Centre at 523-4224.

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