We would like to warmly congratulate Natasha Green who today became the first female to certify as an IANTD Advanced Nitrox Diver at TSD TEC!
I first chatted with Natasha on New Year’s Eve in Oscar’s Pub, at which time although she was the antithesis of a technical diver adorned in pink feather boas and a tiara, she was getting very excited about the course which she had planned for a long time.
Natasha in her feather boa. OK, you’ve got me, it’s not Natasha, it’s Rich
Natasha, Sian and Clare, the terrible trio from England, have been a delight to have around the diveshop ever since and certainly gave Mike a run for his money when they took the PADI Thresher Shark Diver Specialty Course with him last week.
But due credit to her, when it was time to knuckle down and take things a little more seriously, Natasha came through with flying colors.
She sailed through the academics in one day. “Circle T?” she asked, “Is it that easy?”
The second day brought the first confined session, after which Trevor decided it was about time he retired.
But that afternoon, they both got straight back on their respective horses– or should I say straight back into their twin sets – and the dive was a complete turnaround.
Nat and Trev at the Tapilon WWII Wreck
Her first two deeper dives were on the Tapilon WWII Wreck and another on Monad. Her skills improved with each dive and after an eternity of practicing SMB deployment, valve drills, gas switches and gas shares more times than either of them cares to remember, she was finally ready for her last dive, which she performed perfectly.
As if that wasn’t enough, it was a great dive at Monad that afternoon with 2 whitetips, 3 breaching thresher sharks, a school of massive tuna and dolphins!
Big BIG smiles when she got back.