Elena’s Internship 2022

A typical day during my internship

on the way to the center
7:30 My alarm clock sounds. Time to get up. Together with my colleagues I live in a cozy apartment in the next bigger town Paphos. To get to work, we take the bus. The connection is optimal, the bus comes every 10 minutes and we drive just 20 minutes. I like to use the time on the bus as preparation for the day. And faster than you think, we have already arrived at the dive center. The bus stop is right in front of the door. Along the sea we walk to the center.
preparations for the day
Once we arrive at the center, we work hand in hand. Over time, a routine has developed and everyone knows what tasks need to be done in the morning before the doors open. This includes, for example, booting up the laptop, checking the news, filling water barrels or putting out the furniture. Every evening we discuss the plan for the next day and thus know who will take which courses or trips. Today we have four divers visiting. Together we make a trip with our car. Today’s dive site: St. George. One of my absolute favorites. Besides turtles, you can see beautiful archways and landscapes. The dive site is a harbor. Thus, the buoy is the top priority for safety reasons. I will accompany the dive and take over this important part. Together we prepare the car and the trailer. We pack all the important things, like the first aid kit, drinks or spare equipment, into the car. Always with us: our good mood. From 9:00 we are ready for our guests.
first dive
After we have welcomed our guests and have registration and equipment ready, we’re off. After about 15 minutes of driving we reached the dive site. Before we put on our equipment, my colleague Xanti goes with us to the beach, to the boarding point. A detailed briefing will take place here over the next 5-10 minutes. So everyone knows the procedure and his position during the dive. After the briefing we get ready together. Here it is particularly important that we, due to the temperature, are brisk and careful. Here, too, a routine has developed over time. After the buddy check, it’s finally off into the water! My task during the dive: I close the group with the buoy. Thus I have concentrated the group in the view and offer of course, if necessary, my help. During the dive I have a panoramic view. When my colleague turns around, we have direct eye contact. I observe and learn. Look at how my colleague is managing this situation. Every dive is a valuable experience. After about 50 minutes, I see beaming faces. At the car we help our guests to put down the equipment and spontaneously decide to have a coffee in the kiosk. Hmmmm… coffee with sea view. Afterwards we go back to the center, where we take care of the cleaning of the equipment together. We offer our guests a drink and log the dive in a relaxed atmosphere. Xanti starts with the debriefing and I listen attentively. We take time to say goodbye to our guests and take care of the last open tasks.
pause
Now that we’ve done everything, it’s time for our lunch break. (because diving makes you hungry) We often use this time to sit outside, have something to eat, and debrief in a comfortable atmosphere. So I pester my colleagues with all kinds of questions. Xanti and Elisa answer each of them in detail and patiently. Of course, we also talk about what went well and what we still have to work on.
training
Towards afternoon I have training in my program. Today’s training: rescue exercises. Together with my colleague Xanti, we discuss each individual exercise in peace. Only when all questions have been clarified do we prepare for our time in the water. We simulate an emergency situation and go through each part of the exercise several times. So many times until I feel confident with the exercise. During the exercises, Xanti answers my every question and gives me tips. At the end of the training, which took about 1.5 hours, I carried my colleague out of the water to the shore three times. What I particularly appreciate about our team: They always take their time. And at the end of the training I leave the water with a good feeling. After the training, of course, there is a debriefing. That way I know what went well and what may not have gone so well. These tips are very valuable for the next training. We still have an hour until closing time, at 6 pm. So I sit down at our desk and create the plan for the next day in our system. This way everyone can prepare for the next day.
feierabend
We prepare the center for closure: Bringing in furniture, shutting down the system or disposing of water. After closing the center, we enjoy the rest of the day. This always looks different. Sometimes we go out to eat together, cook something together or jump into the sea again. But I often visit one of my favorite places: the harbor. With a scoop of ice cream you can walk there wonderfully. Depending on how far along I am with my theory, I take another look at the app in the ice cream parlor and study – because it’s best to study by the sea. Around 21:30 I fall into bed and look forward to the next day.
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