Serious divers

in Fayette County have few choices for pursuing that interest within 150

miles of home, but two local women have found a unique way to satisfy

their thirst for the deep without venturing to the coast or beyond.

Nancy Stevens

of Fayetteville and Wanda Rodriguez of Peachtree City recently completed

a complicated series of tests and qualified to become volunteer divers

at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. Twice a month, they will descend

into the two huge tanks one is saltwater, and the other is freshwater

to feed the fish and help keep the facilities clean. The job is year-round,

as the tanks are indoors.

Wanda has been

diving about four years, and Nancy a little more than two years. But both

do it a lot, as do their husbands.

Most out-of-town

vacation trips involve diving a recent example would be Nancy and her

husband's tenth anniversary trip to Curacao and Wanda has not gone a month

without a dive since she started. She is now a scuba instructor, while

Nancy is a master diver and is currently training to become a divemaster.

The tryouts

at the Aquarium were "a long ordeal," Nancy said. "Not

everyone made it."

The arduous

process involved several trips to Chattanooga and a number of tests measuring

basic swimming, snorkeling and diving skills. To apply, prospective volunteer

divers must be at least 18 years of age and have completed a minimum of

25 divers, including 12 open-water dives with the past three years. They

must also display proof of their certification and complete a written

exam.

About 19 were

selected out of a group of 50-60 applicants, Nancy said. The divers also

completed a lengthy training program before assuming their new duties.

Attractions

at the Tennessee Aquarium include a 60-foot canyon and two living forests,

where more than 9,000 animals that swim, fly and crawl in natural habitats.

The aquarium opens at 9:30 a.m. every day during the summer, closing at

6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday. The first

film in the IMAX 3D Theater is shown at 10:30 a.m. each day.

The facility

is at One Broad Street In Chattanooga. For more, call 1 (800) 262-0695

or visit www.tnaqua.org.

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