Mind & Body
Under
Students discover the
world of underwater
breathing in the
University’s scuba
classes
Scuba class
Two upper-division credits can be earned
for the basic scuba class listed in the spring
schedule under PE aquatics. The cost is
$300 and includes books, certification fees
and gear, as well as transportation and hotel
forthe final dive trip to Hoodsport, Wash.
Students continuing in scuba classes
can earn credit all the way to the master in
structor or course director level of certifica
tion.
4
ByG. Jaros
Oregon Daily Cmerald
xploring an underwater world
filled with giant sea anemones,
pacific giant octopus and wolf
i 4 eels is just one “giant stride"
away for adventurous students.
The “giant stride" is the step students
in a “Discover Scuba” preview class
took off the blue-tiled edge of Leighton
pool and into the deep end of new expe
rience. Breathing under water was a
first for most of the students who came
to find out if scuba might be for them.
“You forget you can breathe some
times,” said Andrea Buttler, a psycholo
gy senior who found herself holding her
breath a few times during the class.
“Discover Scuba" was offered last
Thursday night for stu
dents who are interest
ed in scuba but aren’t
sure they want to
take
3rest
A
the introductory class offered at the
University.
“It’s sort of a try before you buy
night,” said Ron Vearrier, lead instruc
tor for the University scuba program.
“Discover Scuba" night began pool
side with brief instructions about the
equipment involved and how to use it.
Minutes later, students were geared up
and being shown how to take that first
step, called the “giant stride,” into the
water. The key to success was firmly
holding the mask on and not bouncing
off the side of the pool.
“I had fun and really enjoyed my
self,” said Dustin Preuitt, a senior in
math. “I thought it was a great way to
get introduced to the sport. ”
Students who take the basic scuba
class, also called the open-water class,
will learn the necessary skills to prepare
themselves for the end-of-the-term dive
in the Puget Sound out of Hoodsport,
Wash.
Seeing students’ reac
tions during that first
^ dive is what makes
teaching scuba
worthwhile for
Vearrier.
‘What
gets me
is the
look on someone’s face when they see a
fish or an octopus,” Vearrier said.
"When someone sees a 6-foot octopus,
they’re stoked.”
You can hear the squeal of enjoy
ment at depth with a regulator, Vearrier
said.
Students who complete the open-wa
ter class earn basic certification, which
allows them to dive almost anywhere in
the world to a depth of 60 feet. The max
imum recreational depth is 130 feet.
Following the introductory class is
the advanced class, which Vearrier
said is students’ favorite because they
go on night dives.
"The night dives are great because of
the abundance of color,” Vearrier said.
"The light spectrum is brought back,
and everything is illuminated.” When
diving during the day, the color spec
trum is lost; for example, you lose the
color red at 10 feet, Vearrier said.
The University scuba program is the
third largest in the country and the
largest on the West coast. The program
has been going more than 15 years and
has more than 10 instructors who offer
40 years of collective experience.
When asked to recall the most excit
ing or funny student diving experience
in Hoodsport, he laughed and said,
“There was a dead harbor seal un
derwater, and one of the students did
n’t know it was dead. She got face to
face with the seal,” Vearrier said.
k "Later, she went on about how it
looked right at her and about
what a bonding expen
i ence with nature it
had been. No one
ever burst her
bubble.”
^.
Surf is iv n OrepiB beaches as sorfers flock to stnmy waters
Although the
weather
can be wet and
unpredictable,
the state’s
coasts offer
primo surfing
waves
By Dan Strieff
tor the Emerald
Unbeknownst to most Oregonians,
their coastline offers world-class
surfing — for those who are willing
to brave the less-than-ideal weather
conditions.
Oregon cultivates a tough breed of
surfer. This coastline is known for its
particularly powerful, hard-breaking
waves as well as wet, often unpre
dictable weather.
The cold weather and the rugged
ness of Oregon’s coastline can be de
terring.
“People who take up surfing in
Oregon must really love it, because it
really is rugged,” said University se
nior and devoted surfer Thomas
Horn.
Bryan Bates, coordinator of the
University Surf Club, cited the
rugged beauty and sparsely populat
ed Oregon beaches as being integral
to his surfing experience.
“One of the things that makes Ore
gon surfing great is that the beaches
are so pristine,” he said.
Oregon’s coastal waters are attrac
tive to surfers for many reasons. Not
only are the waves powerful, but
the swells are also consistently sur
fable.
Also, the water tends to be warmer
in the winter months when the cur
rent moves up from California, and a
bit cooler in the summer, when the
current comes down from Alaska.
As a result, the tepid water nearly
offsets the uncomfortable Oregon
winters. This enables true diehards
seeking the harder-breaking winter
waves to not miss much time in the
water.
Additionally, as surfing is just
gaining popularity in this state, the
beaches are seldom crowded. Al
though this is in itself a major advan
tage over many top spots, it may not
last much longer.
“Our secrets are really out,” Bates
said. “Recently, there has been a big
(( People who take up
surfing in Oregon must
really love it, because it
really is rugged. ”
Thomas Horn
Senior
rise in the number of people surfing
in Oregon."
Both Bates and Horn point to the
attitudes that permeate much of surf
culture as being important to their
experience. They remarked on how
positive the surfing atmosphere is,
as well as the dramatic rise in envi
ronmental awareness within the
surfing community. This offers a
sharp contrast to the stereotype of
the irresponsible and reckless
surfer.
For example, Bates and the Surf
Club often aid in cleaning up the
beaches they frequent, while Horn
markets his own brand of surfboards
made entirely from hemp.
Surfing has been profoundly influ
ential and inspiring for Horn.
“I think that surfing is the closest
thing to the sublime that I could
possibly come to physically,” he
said.
Bates pointed to the physical and
psychological benefits of the sport.
“It is one of the hardest but most re
warding sports there is.”
He also indicated that the sport
has become open to more people.
Although is has long been a male
dominated sport, the fastest-growing
surfing population is women.
Ultimately, people surf for simple
enjoyment. Horn was quick to bring
up of the old surfing adage demon
strating the attitude on the water:
“The best surfer is the one who is
having the most fun.”