This course provides the essential knowledge and skills needed to prepare for open water diving. The Ocean Diver course prepares for this in the safety of a swimming pool or sheltered water and an introduction to open water in a controlled, safe manner. Experience and confidence will be gained under the guidance of a qualified instructor. Maximum depth – 20m.

Summary
The BSAC Ocean Diver Course includes theory lessons in a classroom, practical lessons in a swimming pool or similar sheltered water, and five open water dives.
The Ocean Diver Course consists of the following elements:

  • Seven classroom lessons
  • A theory assessment
  • A basic swimming assessment
  • Five Sheltered Water lessons
  • Five Open Water lessons

Theory Training
INTRODUCTION: OUR BRANCH & OCEAN DIVER TRAINING

  • Our BSAC Branch/Centre
  • BSAC – the organisation
  • Benefits of BSAC membership
  • Benefits of training with a branch/centre
  • What will it cost?
  • Ocean Diver training
  • Further branch training

DIVING EQUIPMENT AND SIGNALS

  • Air and the atmospheric pressure
  • Water pressure
  • Basic equipment – mask, fins and snorkel
  • The difference between basic and scuba equipment
  • Scuba equipment
  • Diving signals

THE BODY AND EFFECTS OF DIVING

  •  Body metabolism
  • Respiration – the lungs
  • Heart and blood
  • Breath hold diving and hyperventilation
  • Respiration
  • The ear
  • The sinuses
  • Teeth
  • Buoyancy
  • Density
  • Buoyancy and divers

PLANNING TO GO DIVING

  • Diving and effects of nitrogen
  • Nitrogen absorption
  • Nitrogen release
  • Nitrogen management
  • BSAC tables
  • Dive computers
  • Dive planning

GOING DIVING

  • Buddy diving
  • Overall dive organisation
  • The dive marshal’s role
  • Before the dive
  • Underwater pilotage
  • Vision underwater
  • Colour underwater

WHAT HAPPENS IF….?

  •  DCI
  • Diver’s first aid tool – oxygen
  • The incident pit
  • Preventing problems
  • Prevention and resolution
  • Surface support

ENJOYING YOUR DIVING

  • Inland sites
  • Underwater conditions, planning and preparation:
  • Sea diving
  • Shore & Boat diving

SHELTERED WATER TRAINING
BEING UNDERWATER

  • Basic skills including: fit a face mask, fit and clear a snorkel, develop finning action and be comfortable breathing from a demand valve underwater.

BASIC SKILLS

  • Assemble and check SCUBA unit
  • Buoyancy control; while swimming underwater and while ascending and descending
  • Initial remove, refit and clear mask of water in shallow water
  • Use AS, static, as both donor and recipient in shallow water

DEVELOPING SKILLS

  • Consolidate clearing mask of water
  • AS ascent as a donor and recipient
  • Maintain true neutral buoyancy ad perform
  • Controlled descents and ascents in deeper water

BEYOND THE BASICS

  • Further develop personal diving skills including buoyancy, mask clearing etc.

SAFETY SKILLS

  • Consolidate AS ascent as both donor and recipient
  • Recover an unconscious buddy to the surface using a Controlled Buoyant Lift (CBL), secure at the surface, signal for help and tow the casualty