Cody Witherspoon took scuba diving classes over the course of a month, completing classroom and pool training before doing certification dives in Panama City Beach. He learned skills like clearing his mask, using scuba equipment, and planning dives. His ocean dives included diving at a jetty, sunken bridge, and pontoon. On one dive, Cody forgot to check his air and had to share with his buddy, and he completed his certification after his final two dives at the bridge and underwater wall.

1. Product Work Log
Name Cody Witherspoon
Product Scuba Diving
Date/Time: Activity: Comment/Suggestions:
Went to local dive shop in search of
9/12/11 project facilitator, and information on
4:00pm-5:15pm dive classes and estimated cost.
Commentary:
Today I met Bruce Klein, who is a
manager and dive instructor at The
Dive Shop in Marietta. I spoke with
him about my senior project and he
agreed to be my facilitator. He seemed
willing to work with me and my
schedule, he also informed me that the
next beginner dive course begins the
19th, and I signed up. He instantly have
me a handbook and a set of dive tables
to begin studying before the first class.
Date/Time: Activity:
First day of scuba class.
9/19/11
6:00pm-8:00pm
Commentary:
Today was my first day of class, we

2. began by watching a video and signing
waivers and forms. Afterwards the
whole class went to the shop pool to
begin the physical fitness test. The test
is in place to make sure the students
can swim and are in good enough
condition to dive. It consisted of a 200
yard freestyle swim followed by a 10
minute water treading exercise. It
ended up being much more difficult
than I expected but I passed. Also I
became acquainted with basic
snorkeling gear which consists of the
mask, snorkel, and fins.
Date/Time: Activity:
Day 2 of class.
9/21/11
7:00pm-9:30pm
Commentary:
In class today I began in the pool from
the start learning to clear my mask
under water. Which is while
submerged I take my mask off and put
it back on. This is possible by sealing
the top of the mask to my forehead and
blowing air out of my nose to displace
the water and fill my mask with air.
This is important to know in case my
mask falls off while being too deep
under water to surface and adjust my
mask. Also we began learning about
scuba equipment such as the parts and
how they are used.

3. Date/Time Activity:
9/22/11 Day 3, beginning to use scuba
6:00pm-9:00pm equipment under water.
Commentary:
Today I got to fill an air tank and put
on a regulator and buoyancy
compensator on and actually dive.
Breathing underwater, even if only 12
feet in a pool, was the strangest and
most exhilarating feeling I have ever
experienced. My instructor and I dove
to the bottom of the pool practicing
clearing my ears along the way to
relieve pressure.
Date/Time Activity:
4th day of class.
9/23/11
7:00pm-10:00pm
Commentary:
We began in the pool again today with
all of my gear on and practiced
regulator recovery. Which is when the

4. regulator, which is what I breathe out
of, falls out of my mouth how to find it
and place it back in the mouth. Also I
learned how to properly enter the
water when there isn’t a ladder to
climb down. What you do is take a big
step spreading your feet apart and
stepping into the water. It is done this
way to keep the fins away from each
other so you sink instead of fall when
you hit the water. After practicing this
we went back into the classroom to
discuss dive tables and how to plan
dives as well as hand signs to use
under water. As well as the effects
diving and pressure has on the human
Date/Time body.
9/25/11
7:30pm-10:15pm Activity:
5th day of class.
Commentary:
In class today I learned how to remove
my buoyancy compensator which is
the vest that holds my tank. While
underwater my facilitator showed me
how to take my buoyancy compensator
off and place it on my chest while
continually breathing. This is
important information in case while
diving I need to go somewhere that
with my vest on my back I won’t fit.
We also learned how to share air in
case the tank becomes empty; I learned
to always dive with another person in

5. case this happens. After this we went
back into the classroom to learn more
about how to plans dives according to
the Navy divers decompression table.
As well as how to log dives.
Date/Time Activity:
9/28/11
6:00pm-8:30pm Final day of in class training.
Commentary:
Today we went over everything I had
learned one more time and practiced
everything and finished all the
worksheets in my manual. After this I
took my final exam earning a passing
grade of 92%. Now I was clear to travel
to the ocean to do my required 5 ocean
dives to be certified.
Date/Time Activity:
10/3/11
12:00pm-1:00pm Arriving at Panama City Beach with
my Dad.
Commentary:
We arrived at 11 in the morning and
talked to the local dive shop that is

6. affiliated with my home dive shop in
Marietta. We scheduled 2 dives for the
following day.
Date/Time Activity:
10/4/11
8:00am- 2:00 pm My first certification dive at the jetty of
Panama City, and my second
certification dive.
Commentary:
For my first dive my instructor and I
walked into the jetty from the beach
and dove to a depth of 55 feet. The
water was cold and the current was
very strong, but it was so much fun.
Later that day we boarded the dive
boat and went about 4 miles off the
coast to dive a sunken bridge span at
75 feet.
Date/Time Activity:
10/5/11 3rd Certification dive.
7:00am-9:00am
Commentary:
Today we rode to another dive spot
where a navy salvage pontoon was
sunk at 60 feet. On this dive I used a
smaller air cylinder and was distracted
by all the marine life that I forgot to

7. check my air gauge and when I did I
found I was low on air, too low to last
until I surfaced. So I used my training
and shared air with my buddy to the
surface.
Date/Time Activity:
10/7/11 4th and 5th certification dives
8:00am-2:30pm completing my training.
Commentary:
Once again we dove at the sunken
bridge span and it was covered with
jellyfish this time, and for my final dive
we went to a small under water wall
with an incline of 30 feet. Then when
we got back to the shop I received my
certification card.