east valley
Volume 4 Issue 17 Mesa, AZ
November 7, 2021
Mesa school’s students dive into these studies MELODY BIRKETT Tribune Contributor
F
IN THE BIZ
reediving training, technical training and even mermaid training are among the classes taught at the El Mar Diving Center in Mesa. Tonia Foster runs the business with her father, Gene Foster, who started it in 1963. “I joined the business in 1972, the year I was born,” said Tonia. “It’s kind of a running joke.” It’s no joke what the school does. “We take students from entry-level, which is called open water diving, all the way up to instructor,” Tonia said. “In between, there are different specialties a diver can get after they achieve their open-water certi�ication so they can grow in their skill set.” New divers �irst sign-up for classes on the school’s premises – a 24-hour program between classroom and pool training with an additional four hours of prestudy plus homework. “What they learn at the class and pool training is physiology, what’s affecting the body when you’re diving with compressed air,” Tonia explained. “It’s like the air we’re breathing right now but it does get affected by partial pressure and depth. Students learn more about that and how to stay safe underwater. “Then the two skill sets they learn in the pool – comfort through repetition. They are really a diver by the last pool session so when they go out to the lake for their certi�ication dive, it’s really secPublic Notices ............... page 2 © Copyright, 2021 East Valley Tribune
The El Mar Diving Center staff includes, from left, David Hayes, assistant manager/service tech in Mesa; Tonia Foster, Joanna Rios, Gene Foster and Mexico location manager Feliza Rios. (Special to the Tribune) ond nature, putting them in that envi- tem,” Tonia said. “You are underwater. ronment.” You’re breathing underwater. There are The certi�ication weekend dive is at a lot of things that go along with that, inLake Pleasant and lasts �ive hours per cluding making sure people feel comfortday. able from the simplest thing of clearing “We are dealing with a life support sys- a mask, achieving buoyancy, emergency (USPS 004-616) is published weekly
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