Integrated Science

Scuba Diving

At the end of last term Miss Gardner and Mr D’Almeida took four students from Year 11 and 12 to receive their Scuba Diving qualification from Perth Scuba Cannington.

This was a three-day intensive course. Day one saw our students endure a swimming test, to ensure they could swim 200m and stay afloat for 10 minutes. Next, students learned all about the scuba equipment and how to assemble their BCDs, Rigs and tanks and complete safety checks with their buddy. Throughout the day they completed numerous skills tasks, including descending in water, removing their mask and clearing it out underwater. Day one was a long day with the course finishing about 6pm.

Day two brought us to Rockingham foreshore where we kitted up for two off-shore dives. This was now putting these skills into practice. During these dives students went to a depth of 10 metres. All students needed to learn and display skills at this depth; this proved challenging at times with the limited visibility offered at these dive sites. Regardless all students completed the skills. This then allowed them to continue onto day three's open-water dive.

Day three, the last day of the course, we embarked on a boat out to Rottnest. With confidence students geared up and jumped into the choppy waters of the Indian Ocean. They descended to 18 metres below sea level where they saw entrancing reef structures and an abundance of fish species at two different dive sites. This was the best day of the course where the students got to relax, show the skills they had learnt and enjoy the wildlife swimming around them.

By the end of the weekend, Daniel Tan, Jorja Belli, Caris O’Hara and Shanzae Jehangiri all became certified Open Water Divers. They will receive their PADI diving licence in the coming weeks and will be able to dive and explore the ocean anywhere in the world.

I would like to thank all the students for their efforts and their parents for the ongoing support. I would also like to thank Mr D’Almeida for accompanying us on the trip.

Overall it was a very successful course and one we hope to continue every year.

Our aim is to ensure students at St Norbert's get the best possible opportunities that will prepare them for all good works.

Ms S Gardner (Integrated Science Teacher)