The last thing you might expect to see in Parkway Central High school at 7:30 on a cold Tuesday morning is a group of teens jumping into the pool in full scuba gear.
SCUBA has been a part of Central’s course guide for nearly seven years but only resumed last year after breaking for a year due to the Covid pandemic. Meghan Monroe, P.E. and SCUBA teacher says there are many advantages for students taking this class.
“If you like the water, you know even better if you’re a little timid, then it’s more introductory.” Monroe said. “So then, you know, it’s like a life-saving skill. It’s important for kids to learn the basics on at least how to swim so if they’re ever put in a situation where they need to utielize those skills that you have.”
For junior Mikaela Fisk, putting her face underwater has been a barrier in the past to her interest in marine biology. This class has been her key to getting over this hurdle.
“I just hope to be able to feel comfortable swimming underwater, because right now it’s still kind of a fear with the machinery or just in general, just in general because like I’m not used to breathing water, so it’s a little claustrophobic.” Fisk said.
For others the class is simply a way to learn a new skill and have fun. Sophomore Peyton Dimmock might have joined for a good experience but is taking away more than that.
“Just a really cool experience. You don’t need to renew it or anything and it lasts your whole life just to be able to go explore rivers, oceans, everything,” Dimmock said. “If anything happens under the water, just be calm about it, and don’t freak out. That’s the worst thing you can do.”
Towards the end of the semester, students will get a real opportunity to test out their newly learned skills and earn their certification during a field trip to the Mermet Springs in Illinois.
“They’ve got a sunken school bus, a 727 [military airplane], a bunch of toys and stuff down there for the kids to see. A bunch of fish, turtles and they get a license in this class.” Monroe said. “So, planning up to the trip is all training and then the trip is for their specific certification, which is lifetime, so, it never expires.”
A lifetime certification is an appealing reason to take a class, especially given that the cost for the certification is significantly cheaper to take through the school than privately. However, nothing will compare to the experience of scuba diving.
“The first time that we got into all of our gear and into the water, it was a pretty slow day,” Fisk said. “But, just the surrealness of taking the first breath underwater, that’s something that you can’t really compare anything to.”
