It’s Never Too Late to Explore the Thrill of Diving – a story from Coronado, Panama

    What does one do after retiring to Panama, after a lifelong career? They seek out adventure and passion, of course! At least that is the case of two diving enthusiasts who are in the process of getting their Master Diving certificate - and 16 students who learned diving skills late in life. Kathie Bishop and Jerry Ashbridge are two Coronado expat residents who share a passion for exploring the underwater world through the sport of Open Water Diving. In fact, they love it so much they both decided to pursue a PADI Master Diver certification, which allows them to safely guide people through the wonderful experience of scuba diving.  

As part of their advanced diver certificate program, Kathie and Jerry were required to teach a supervised Discover Scuba program, which gives interested people a taste of the sport. The course teaches the basics of the 20 skills required to become a certified diver - just enough to gain an experience and participate in shallow dive, accompanied by a Master Diver.

When Jerry and Kathie put the word out about the class, they discovered they knew people who either wanted to learn diving, or had failed at previous attempts. So when, Kathie sent out an email, offering a free Discover Scuba experience at the Coronado Country Club pool, 16 people responded.

Supervised by their instructor Raúl de León Barría,  owner of Panama Dive Adventures, Kathie and Jerry delivered a  Discover Scuba program over 2 days and 3 classes, to friends and neighbors . Students learned How to breath with a regulator, how to clear a mask, and how to calmly recover the regulator in the unlikely event it gets knocked off under water. These are the basic skills needed to dive and the most overwhelming to get used to.

The students, most of whom were in their 60s had varying experiences with scuba in the past. Some, like me had unsuccessfully tried scuba before, while others had never put on a BCD (dive jacket) and tank before the class.

Once briefed about what was to take place, Jerry and Kathie broke the group into 2 sets and wthin a short time, people in scuba gear were swimming circles in the Coronado Country Club pool. At the end of the session, most everyone was ready to sign up to try out their newly learned skills in the ocean!

I love snorkeling and long to observe the underwater world deeper. Also, a number of my friends are scuba divers. Thus the desire to learn scuba has been strong for me. Though, even with solid motivation, I've failed grasp scuba skills while others have breezed past me and become certified. Being underwater has simply been overwhelming, or the class moved faster than my ability to learn. After 5 failed attempts, I had given up the thought of scuba. When I heard about Jerry and Kathie's class, I decided to give it one more shot. And I am thrilled I did! I got further with Scuba than I ever did before and am looking forward to taking my newly gained skills into the ocean.

Here are more comments from other students:

"I have snorkeled but this was my first experience with scuba. I can't wait for the next step and the dive at Portobello. I am definitely going to continue and go on to get certified. " - Barb Schlottke

"I had a blast.  I was so comfortable with Jerry, Kathie and Raúl.  It was really fun learning with people I knew and with similar skill level.  My last experience many years ago was awful and I could not master breathing underwater.  This time I was breathing comfortably with no problem.  My hope is to try additional diving in the ocean." - Rene 

"I really had a good time diving.  I dove in a swimming pool once around 30 years ago.  I really wasn't scared, but you do feel a little uneasy the very first time you start breathing under the water.  It didn't take long to adjust though.  The instruction was very good and thorough, which helped to make me feel at ease.  I plan on going further." - Deanna Borden

"Scuba was great!  I'm proud of myself for trying it!  I plan to go on the Portobelo trip. I am going to take it a step at a time.  My biggest concern is that you can't stand up in the open water!  But there are no fish or coral in the pool!" - Alana

About The Teachers:

Before moving to Panama, Kathie Bishop practiced law in the State of California for 15 years. She has been diving since 1995. She has 2 children and 3 grandchildren. "I'm becoming a Dive Master, so that I can show others how to dive. Now that I am retired I finally have the time to do what I want to do. I think life is an adventure and we are meant to live it".

Before moving to Panama, Jerry Ashbridge was the Captain of the Salt Lake Fire Department for 20 years. For 5 of those years he also ran the Fire Training Department, where he taught fire fighters how use a self contained breathing unit (not underwater). Jerry has been diving since 1980. About the class he says, "I was surprised how many people had done this before and had trouble. Everyone here felt comfortable. Even the people who were afraid to put their faces in the water got over it. Scuba is not for everybody - but anyone who wants to do it can get through it. The main thing is that you take your time. We are not in a race".

Raúl De Leon is the owner of PADI Certified Panama Dive Adventures. His company teaches scuba from beginner to instructor level. Raul has been diving since 1993 and has around 5000 dives under his weight belt. Raul travelled around the world with the Survivor TV series for 5 years, as a member of their Diver Safety team. He ran the team for last 3 of the 5 years. Raul says, "Today I saw 16 people lean to breath under water and love what they did. This is why I love what I do."

  What's Next?

Jerry,  Kathie and Raúl will be taking their students on April 15^th to refresh their skills in the ocean on a shallow dive in Portobelo, Panama.  For those who wish to continue on the road to becoming a certified diver, classes will be held later in April.

The Scuba team also plans to have more Discover Scuba pool sessions in the Coronado area. For more information on upcoming scuba classes and/or dive outings, send an email inquiry to Kathie Bishop at:panamkat@gmail.com.

If you have ever thought diving could be fun, but were afraid to try, I highly recommend taking a Discovery Scuba session with Jerry and Kathie in a pool. Raúl from Panama Dive Adventures, brings all the needed equipment from his store in Panama City, and your teachers will ensure you learn according to your comfort level. It is a thrill to experience the sensation of breathing under water and diving will open up new adventures and a whole new avenue of Panama to explore.

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