In your open water training you are taught to deal with the “what ifs”. What if your buddy runs out of air, what if your mask strap breaks on a dive, etc.? Training also covers the standardized procedures and the conventions of diving, which allows otherwise unfamiliar divers to communicate, and be acquainted with one another’s equipment. Pool training is fun and informative, but your first open water dives may leave you with the wrong impression of what diving is all about in Manitoba. Some divers have found it overly stressful, or they got cold and think that they need…

