Day 200 (Saturday 28/05) - Cairns - Diving Lessons 2 - Pool Training 2 - no photos ...

Wake up at 7:45am.
Pick up at 8:45am.

Dive lessons, day 2.
Today we start in the pool.

We first have to assemble our gear ourselves, before getting into the water.
Before putting our gears on, Olaf tolds us he has to make us do a test : we have to swim 200m and stay 10mins floating.

We all pass the test without problem, and can thus continue the exercices.

We're each associated a "buddy", as we can never go diving alone (for security reasons).
Tobi is my buddy, Violet and Matt are buddies, and Flo has Olaf as buddy (Flo will not stay on the boat for the 3 following days).

We put our gears on, and get into the water, for another series of exercices : removing and putting back on the gear while in the water (at the surface as well as underwater), do some emergency stuff (like getting back to the surface or use our buddy's second regulator when we don't have any oxygen left, etc.)

After that, we go back in the classroom, for the theory part 2, chapters 4 & 5..
Again, we watch the DVD, follow some slideshows and do some quizzes.

After that, we have to pass the "final exam".
It's a set of 50 questions, we need at least 75% to continue the training.
I do 100% (too easy ;-) ).

The theory part is now over, we'll meet tomorrow for the real thing : going on the boat to the Great Barrier Reef, and go in the ocean water !

We're then all dropped back at our hostels.

In the evening, I go with Tobi to Reef Teach, where there's a presentation of the aquatic life in the Great Barrier Reef.
There we meet Violet and her friend Maud, and Matt.
(Maud will come with us on the boat, she already has her PADI certificate and is doing her advanced course)

The presentation is given by a girl explaining a lot of things about the living organisms in the Reef, the different families, the risks, some anecdotes, etc.
(with some good ones, like the real sexual life of the Clown Fishes or Anemonefishes - aka "Nemo" in "Finding Nemo" ; or the intelligent octopusses ; etc.)
She also pass around some specimens (of shells, stuffed fishes, dried corals, etc.).
It's very interesting.
(and there's free tea, coffee, and biscuits :-) )

After that, Tobi and I go back to our hostels (he's staying at the Caravella's), the others go out for some drinks (I'm too tired, and want to be in good conditions tomorrow ...).

When arriving at the reception, I see Chris !
(the Danish roommate from Darwin)
We talk a bit, and plan maybe to see each others in the following days (I'm leaving for 3 days, so he may be gone when I'll come back).

I then go to my room, and start packing up my things.
In the room, there's a new roommate, Kieran from Ireland, he's really cool.
We talk about a lot of things.
During the night there's the Champions League Final, that we will not watch - it's at stupid o'clock here ...
He's not for United : he's a Liverpool supporter ... Hehehe, good boy ;-)

I go to sleep quite early.