Frank Howard

SCUBA diving enthusiast!

Semester Abroad: July 2008
Host University: Griffith University - Gold Coast

Home University: Auburn University
Academic Major: Business 

Frank Howard was interested in diving before he decided to study abroad in Australia. Frank has dedicated many hours to earning his SCUBA certification and is looking forward to diving during his semester abroad in Australia.

How did you hear about diving in Australia?

 I enrolled in a SCUBA diving class in Auburn, Alabama and the instructors mentioned that it (Australia) was one of the most beautiful dive sites in the world.
 

What steps did you have to take in order to get your diving certification?

I completed the first level SCUBA diving class at Auburn University. The course taught basic skills such as how to control one's depth, hand signal communication and how to properly use and assemble SCUBA  gear. I completed ten sessions of pool diving, two freshwater dives in Alabama's Lake Martin and six saltwater dives off of Big Pine Key, Florida to get the SCUBA School International (SSI) certification.

What kind of diving trips are you hoping to participate in while you're in Australia?

I am really excited about the opportunity to go diving off the Great Barrier Reef while at the orientation in Cairns and then, I hope, get to take advantage of opportunities to dive near the Whitsunday Islands further south during my semester at Griffith University's Gold Coast campus.
 

What are you hoping to accomplish by having your certification before you go/while you're in Australia?

I hope to log enough dives to attain an instructor's certification. That certification would give me the opportunity to work summer jobs as a dive instructor in many beautiful locations around the world.

How do you think this will enhance your time abroad?

A SCUBA certification allows visitors to see a side of Australian wildlife that would otherwise be unreachable. The country is full of exotic and beautiful landscapes, but without a dive license much of the reef wildlife would be inaccessible.