2026 | Week 13 | The Divemaster Clock Is Running
March was a freight train. I barely had time to process one thing before the next one was already on top of me — and honestly, that’s exactly how I wanted it.
The Week in Review
Monday I walked into Neptune Divers and officially started my SSI Divemaster program. Jamie’s running the course, and I’ve got two classmates — Andrew and Sam — who seem like solid people.
The first pool sessions weren’t glamorous. Underwater fitness test. Fifteen minutes treading water. A full refresher of the basics — mask clearing, second stage recovery, emergency ascents. None of it is sexy. All of it matters. The fundamentals are where Divemasters are actually built, not on the cool dives. I know that from my time in the fire service: if your basics are sloppy, everything downstream gets dangerous.
Friday I knocked out my SSI Nitrox certification. That brings my completed SSI specialties to four: Diver Stress & Rescue, React Right, Perfect Buoyancy, and now Nitrox. I’ve also registered for SSI Navigation and SSI Science of Diving. Goal 8 — five SSI specialties — is close enough to taste.
In between all of that, I took a breath and had dinner with family. My niece Kate’s birthday, her brother Silas, my brother Troy, and a friend of hers all squeezed into a ramen restaurant. That kind of moment doesn’t make the highlight reel, but it’s the stuff that actually keeps you grounded when the schedule is grinding.
I also had a conversation with EMT Utah about recertifying my EMT-B. That’s a thread I’ve been meaning to pull on. More on that as it develops.
On the fitness front — no gym this week. The Divemaster fitness tests were the training. I’m calling that a legitimate swap, not an excuse. And here’s the number that stopped me cold when I saw it: 212.5 lbs. That’s the lowest bodyweight I’ve recorded since I started tracking in December 2016. Body fat sitting around 16–17% per the Hume app. I didn’t chase that number this week. It just showed up as the result of the work.
A few honest notes on goals that aren’t moving. Goal 22 — getting off CPAP — is officially restructured. I’ve learned that my neck and throat anatomy make that goal unrealistic. It’s not a failure, it’s information. I bought a ResMed AirMini and I’m moving on. Goal 31, Extreme Ownership, is about halfway done and Q1 is already gone — I need to find the pages somewhere. And Goal 19 is on hold for now. Six months of chasing it ran into a wall because of my medication. I think I’ve got it figured out, but I’m giving it two years while I push other things forward. Not quitting. Repositioning.
By the Numbers
∙ Dives: 27 total / pool sessions this week
∙ Training sessions: 0 gym / Divemaster fitness tests completed
∙ Body weight: 212.5 lbs — new all-time recorded low
∙ SSI Specialties completed: 4 of 5 (Navigation + Science of Diving registered)
∙ 50 by 50 goals active: Multiple fronts moving
∙ Days until 50: 945
One Thing I Learned or Realized
You can’t negotiate with anatomy. I spent real energy trying to solve the CPAP goal the way I wanted it to go — and the answer was no. Accepting that without letting it become a story about limitation is the actual work. Restructure, adapt, keep moving. That’s not settling. That’s being an adult who pays attention.
What’s Next
Next week closes out the academic portion of Divemaster. I’ve got a Dive Plan presentation on Strawberry Reservoir to deliver, a 375-meter swim test, and a 100-yard unconscious diver tow. There’s a big product launch at work Monday and Tuesday that I can’t say much about yet. A special friend visits Saturday. And Sunday I give my final Divemaster presentations at the Crater in Midway.
It’s a big week. I’ll be ready.
The clock’s running. So am I.
Journey Totals
∙ Days since starting the 50 by 50 journey: 491 days (November 1, 2024 → April 4, 2026)
∙ Goals completed to date: 11.5 of 50