Lee Bell wrote :

>Sounds to me like you're doing a fairly good job of defining risks for
>yourself.  Keep up the good work.  What it does not sound like you are
doing
>is devising and practicing your own solutions to those risks.  Without
>intending any criticism, if you didn't practice something in the class,
why
>not practice it on your own?  It is, after all, your life at risk.

   That's the problem with having no equipment of my own - can't practice
doing stuff. All I could do is visualize doing some underwater skills or in
some cases - like the Alternate Air Source, Buddy breathing, Mask Clearing
- practice it with my girlfriend using "invisible" diving gear. Imagine
passing an invisible regulator back and forth while saying 'aaaaahhhhhhhhh'
while sitting in the living room - like being one of those "white-painted
face" person (mime ?) with his imaginary glass :-) ...
   Anyway, "expensive" personal gears have to wait - gonna spend some money
now for another dive trip, a DAN insurance and maybe fins. Already bought
myself a wetsuit - just secondhand but it's very very cheap (S$40) and
looks new. Reason why it's cheap is that there's a 4-inch tear near the
ankle area which I'll just sew up. Actually it was the wetsuit I wore in
one of the pool and I liked the fit very much and - *sssshhhhhhhhh* - but I
was actually the one who "tore" the lower leg but the instructor didn't
know  :-)


- Angelo