Learning How To Take The Plunge Right

My scuba certification classes start tomorrow evening.  I will have a total of five four hour sessions (Monday and Wednesday nights).  How much of each session is class work and how much is pool work I do not know.  I spent the last week doing a six section online class in preparation.  There was a lot of info in the online course but not overwhelmingly so.

Last week I went in and purchased my mask, snorkel, booties, and fins.  The tanks and buoyancy system is provided as part of the class which is good since that part costs the most.  After the class fees, equipment, and the equipment rental for the certification dives I will do in May, all I have to say is this is not a cheap hobby.

Now that I had a chance to try it out a couple of weeks ago, I am no longer nervous that I will have issues breathing underwater.  Having said this, things didn't go entirely smoothly since my Try Scuba class.  Soon after I got home after the class I developed a toothache.  It was a type that is cold sensitive with a good measure of pressure sensitivity thrown in.  The pain would radiate up the side of my face all the way to my right ear and ended with a slowly fading 'ice cream' headache.  This persisted for a couple weeks (including our Cuba trip) and naturally got better when I went to the dentist.

Turns out my dentist was familiar with my issue.  He was an Air Force pilot and they sometimes suffer from a similar condition.  There are sometimes small pockets of air in filled cavities or between crowns and the nerve.  As you go up and down in pressure (like when you are scuba diving or flying in an airplane) the air expands and contracts causing irritation of the nerve.  The prescription ... root canal work.  I will have to see how my pool work on Monday affects the tooth.  I have a dental appointment set for Thursday (after my second class).

The tooth doesn't worry me too much since acetaminophen does a good job killing the pain.  I'm more worried about dozing off.  I'm an early to bed type and having the classes be between 6:00pm and 10:00pm hits right when my body and brain start shutting down for the evening.  I guess I know what I'll be doing tomorrow afternoon - Nap Time!