Scuba Club Soyuzivka to continue program inaugurated last year (07/21/02)

Scuba Club Soyuzivka to continue program inaugurated last year

KERHONKSON, N.Y. - With gear in tow, George Hanushevsky began his trip to Soyuzivka's inaugural scuba diving course last year from his home in Rochester, N.Y., where he teaches scuba as a college credit course at the Rochester Institute of Technology. It's a trip Mr. Hanushevsky plans this August as well.

"You have a check list and you bring enough gear and then some to make sure you can outfit a variety of students without sizing them beforehand," he explained.

Mr. Hanushevsky, a member of the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), has been diving for more than 36 years and has logged over 400 dives in such exotic locales as the Gulf of Siam, the South China Sea, the Philippine Sea, the Great Barrier Reef, the Pacific side of Costa Rica, and the Caribbean Sea.

This August, however, will mark the second time Mr. Hanushevsky will bring scuba diving to the Ukrainian National Association's Soyuzivka resort as Scuba Club Soyuzivka hosts a PADI Open Water Scuba course on August 4-9.

On August 5, 2001, Mr. Hanushevsky and the Soyuzivka resort inaugurated the Learn to Scuba Dive program with four students - Oles Puzyk, Adi Chernyk, Michael Kiyashka and Matthew Labunka. Upon completing the week-long course with Mr. Hanushevsky the four students were certified as junior open water divers.

"Last year, being the first time offering a resort scuba course at Soyuzivka, John (Soyuzivka General Manager John A. Flis) and I decided to accept enough students to make this a viable course, yet small enough to see that if kinks developed in logistics we could correct them," said Mr. Hanushevsky.

The Open Water Scuba course consisted of three sections: academic, pool and open water. The students did the academic sessions independently in the afternoons and evenings, and came together with the instructor every morning at 10 a.m. in front of Veselka. After a review of their homework and a short quiz, the students proceeded to the pool sessions, where they discovered that with the proper equipment they could breathe under water. In a short time they learned the skills necessary to become safe divers. With the academic and pool sessions behind them by Wednesday, the class proceeded to its ultimate goal: doing the open water certification dives in Lake Minnewaska.

"The lake and its close location to Soyuzivka is ideal for completing this program in a timely manner," said Mr. Hanushevsky.

Thursday and Friday marked the days of open water diving. The students made two dives each day in the lake, successfully demonstrating the skills they learned in the pool sessions. On the second dive on Friday, as each student finished successfully demonstrating the remaining required set of skills, the instructor extended his hand and congratulated the diver for successfully completing the program.

Before departing Soyuzivka the four divers received their temporary certification cards as PADI junior open water divers, with the permanent ones to be mailed from PADI headquarters. Mr. Hanushevsky reminded them that this was just the beginning phase of their diving career - at age 15 they can have their certification upgraded to open water diver. As they continue their diving careers and take additional PADI courses, they will gain more experience and improve their diving skills, he added.

"Every specialty course that I take helps me grow as a diver," Mr. Hanushevsky told the students. He also reminded them that the certification card will allow them to rent or buy scuba equipment, have tanks filled, and participate in dive activities worldwide.

"It was a nice group of students," Mr. Hanushevsky said. "They were attentive, smart and a pleasure to teach. It's always nice to see the development from non-diver to diver, from 'what do you mean you want me to do this?' to 'wow I can do it'."

Since PADI courses are performance based and not time-based, students master skills at their own pace. "We want them to be comfortable in completing a given skill, not feel rushed that there is a time limit. It is not a competitive course," Mr. Hanushevsky said. "When new divers start diving in other environments - Florida, the Caribbean, or elsewhere - we want them to feel comfortable that, if a situation occurs, like a mask filling with water, they can easily correct a problem and safely continue with their dive."

"Our first scuba course was a success, and we are repeating it this summer," noted Mr. Flis. "This adds another dimension to the offerings we have at Soyuzivka. Take a Scuba course with us during the summer and travel and dive in the Caribbean or Florida during the winter months when we are closed," he added.

For the 2002 summer season Scuba Club Soyuzivka will offer a PADI open water scuba course August 4-9. Pre-registration is required and space is limited. The course is open to anyone who has completed his or her 10th birthday prior to the beginning of the course. It is recommended that students age 10-12 take the course with a parent or guardian. All materials and equipment are provided as part of the course; students are responsible for providing their own mask, snorkel and fins.

For further information, or to register, please call George Hanushevsky at (716) 342-7571 or send e-mail to [email protected].

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