Through Rexburg’s snow and ice and on into spring, students and community members have been training for more tropical circumstances in a Scuba diving class.

BYU-Idaho has been offering scuba classes for eight years through the continuing education program said Patty Christensen, who owns a dive shop in Idaho Falls and teaches the scuba classes along with her husband Keith, a recovery diver for Bonneville County.

The 6-week, full certification class consists of two hours of pool time and one hour classroom time plus two days of open water swimming. The class runs every Thursday at 5 p.m.

Christensen said there’s nothing like being under the water where the only sound is your own breathing and the view is unlike anything you could imagine. “It’s a fun sport. It’s so addicting and so cool,” she said.

Although she said they and their classes get teased by others in the diving community because they dive inland, “you can’t find rings, watches and sunglasses in the ocean,” Christensen said. “We even found a barbeque grill once.”

Jessica Bertagnolie, a senior from Wright, Wyo., said scuba diving is something she always wanted to do and she’s preparing to go to Hawaii next week. “It’s been so much fun,” she said. “It’s definitely one of the best things ever.”

Preparation for fun at the reef while on the Meso-American tour this summer is the motivation for Mariah Hartung, a junior from Estacada, Ore., to take the scuba class. She has liked scuba diving because she’s able to breathe underwater. Also, “I’ve always wanted to explore the reef,” she said.

To sign up for this no credit scuba class, go to the continuing education link on the BYU-Idaho homepage.