For those who enjoy swimming at 7:30 am, learning to breath underwater, and going to explore ruined caves in the depths of a lake, believe it or not, there is a class for you: Scuba.

For senior, Ben McIntyre, second semester of his last year allows him to explore some of the unique classes offered at school. Scuba, a gym credit, is taught by P.E. teacher Meghan Meyer and two private instructors brought in from Y-Kiki to provide professional teaching.

According to McIntyre, he has yet to learn their names, but the class atmosphere can be rather serious at times as they require students to master the key skills.

Each morning students have to unload all of their equipment from a truck because the equipment can not be kept at school. Unlike other activities, Scuba requires specialized, uncommon, gear.

“The class recommends purchasing a wetsuit, and it gets very cold without one. We also need an air cylinder, a Buoyancy Control Device, a mask, a snorkel for surface swimming, weights so you don’t float to the top of the water and fins,” McIntyre said.

McIntyre also adds that a typical day involves setting everything up, putting the scuba gear on, learning a few lessons, messing around, and then changing and getting to the following class ten minutes late.

McIntyre mentions that another benefit of taking the class is being able to go on the the field trip that occurs in April.

“We take one field trip to Kentucky in the spring, and I’m extremely excited. We get to camp in tents there overnight and go diving in a lake with sunken boats and ships,” McIntyre said. This will be the student’s first real test of their acquired skills throughout the semester.

Mcintyre was originally drawn to the class because of his love for swimming and other classmates who wanted to take it too. Mcintyre enjoys the class but says scuba would be difficult if he was not very good at swimming, or had a fear of small places.

“I would only recommend this class to my friends who are not claustrophobic and are capable of swimming well,” McIntyre said. “Breathing underwater is very different compared to  normal breathing because very dry air is being forced into your lungs. It gives me a feeling of being in a small room.”

Lastly, McIntyre hopes to use the experience he gains from taking the class later on in life.

“I would love to scuba dive in the future, perhaps in the ocean on an exotic vacation,” McIntyre said.