Advanced Diver Theory

AT1 – The Role Of The Advanced Diver

Lesson Objectives

The Advanced Diver Course covers diving and dive management in more challenging conditions and for unknown locations. Extending a diver’s own experience supports not only being able to lead other divers who are similarly progressing their experience, but it also broadens the role that they will play in a branch.

This lesson looks at the role of the Advanced Diver as a senior diver and dive manager. It introduces them to the identification of unknown sites from charts and other information, the planning needed to dive these sites and to weather (to help anticipate conditions for diving them).

Achievement Targets

At the end of this lesson students will:

• Understand that the role of the Advanced Diver includes developing their own diving, planning and dive management skills
• Understand their status as a role model for all other divers and dive managers in the branch but to those outside the branch too
• Understand that risk assessment is inherent in dive planning
• Understand that the site may put constraints on the level of diver able to participate in the dive and on the numbers of divers able to dive the site, e.g. boat space or availability
• Understand how to assess an unknown site’s conditions from use of charts, tide tables and other information
• Understand how to determine the depth and tidal flow on a site at a given time
• Understand the basic principles of weather patterns to be able to anticipate conditions for planned dives from weather forecast information

Equipment Required

Charts and Chart 5011. Copy of tide tables relevant to the charts being used

AT2 – Advanced Diving

Lesson Objectives

Advanced Diverstudents will extend their diving experience and this lesson emphasises the importance of planning and preparation. Additional equipment to support advanced dives, decompression and searches is also covered. Advanced Divers may be diving with divers using other equipment for which they have received additional training such as rebreathers, mixed gas and full face masks. Some Advanced Divers may already have completed such additional training but the lesson covers the various areas for general awareness and introduces the variety of choice of equipment and diving gas available to recreational divers. Whatever route an Advanced Diver chooses to follow, the core diving skills remain the same. All training within the BSAC is designed to offer its members a platform from which future choices can be made if they so wish.

Achievement Targets

At the end of this lesson students will:

• Understand that extending experience, whether by deeper or more challenging diving, requires planning, anticipation, awareness and responsibility
• Understand that extending experience as Advanced Divers requires personal assessment to ensure that the diver is prepared and ready to undertake a dive
• Understand that to extend experience in deeper or more challenging conditions requires personal equipment that ensures adequate gas supply and independent backup systems
• Understand that equipment configurations are personal to the diver and their dive needs, but familiarity with all their equipment is an absolute ‘must’
• Understand that additional support equipment may be needed for deeper or more challenging dives to facilitate decompression obligations
• Understand the basis of surface and underwater searches
• Understand the different gas mixes and equipment available to recreational divers
• Understand that as Advanced Divers, their development and enjoyment of the sport doesn’t stop with this qualification. Many of the skills learned during the course and subsequently put into practise will undoubtedly put them well on the road to progressing to the highest diver grade – First Class Diver

AT3 – Organising Diving From Different Platforms

Lesson Objectives

Advanced Divers are going to be managing a wide variety of diving and this will involve different ‘diving platforms’; small boats that belong to the branch, day boats and liveaboard boats – generally booked for branch expeditions or diving holidays. The Advanced Diver will, in many cases, be the senior diver and it is their responsibility that diving and associated activities are run as safely as possible. In some cases they may be the sole Dive Manager; in others there will be additional Dive Managers and Assistant Dive Manager support. Whether the Dive Manager holds boat handling qualifications or not, the management of boat dives includes important liaison with cox’ns and skippers and, if on holiday, dive guides or local instructors. As a senior diver and Dive Manager, sea awareness and being able to assist as crew is an important aspect of the Advanced Diver’s overall role. Going to sea and learning from others, builds on the Advanced Diver’s experience base, not just for diving but also for boat and dive management skills

Achievement Targets

At the end of this lesson students will:

• Understand the different types of diving platform and their associated dive management and organisational considerations
  • For small boat diving and cox’n liaison
  • For charter boat diving and skipper or dive guide liaison
• Understand some basic seamanship for increased awareness when managing from boats. This includes common nautical terms when using boats, buoyage, and introduction to the Rule of the Road.
• Understand the importance of crewing to support any boat diving and management activities including some basic ropework

Equipment Required

Charts, parallel ruler, dividers. Two pieces of rope per student for the knot tying practical session

AT4 – Review of Diving Conditions and On-Site First Aid

Lesson Objectives

This lesson is a review of diving related conditions and on-site oxygen first aid. Also included is a reminder of rescue management considerations including contacting the emergency services

Achievement Targets

At the end of this lesson students will have reviewed:

• General predisposing factors that can lead to diving incidents
• Gases under pressure and their effects
  • Nitrogen – DCI, Nitrogen narcosis
  • Oxygen – Oxygen toxicity
  • Carbon Dioxide – Carbon Dioxide toxicity
  • Carbon Monoxide – Carbon Monoxide poisoning
• Near drowning
• Shock
• Missed decompression
• The importance of administering fluids when DCI is suspected or present in a casualty
• Using Nitrox/alternative gas supplies for use when emergency oxygen has been consumed
• Practical use of oxygen admin equipment, students should be competent and confident in their ability to adminster oxygen to a breathing casualty and to a non-breathing casualty with no circulation
• Overview of managing a diving incident and contacting the emergency services

For each pair of students, the following equipment is required

• A resuscitation manikin
• An oxygen administration set

Where there are more pairs of students than the number of manikins/oxygen administration sets available, the duration of the practical elements of this lesson should be extended pro rata, so that each student experiences the specified periods of practice.

The duration of practice is very important in not just achieving, but consolidating the skill levels and hence should not be truncated.