BSAC Advanced Diver Course
The Advanced Diver Award is the BSAC's highest diving grade awarded within a Branch or Centre. Following the completion of a series of Classroom Lessons, Open Water Lessons and Dry Practical Lessons, the Advanced Diver course prepares the diver to manage all branch diving activities to both known and unknown locations.
Definition of an Advanced Diver
An Advanced Diver is defined as a diver who is comprehensively trained, experienced and responsible, and who can manage and supervise:
• A wide range of adventurous and challenging diving activities.
• Branch diving expeditions to explore unfamiliar locations.
• Branch diving activities including dives utilising developing technology and techniques.
While Advanced Divers do not necessarily need to be qualified to use emerging technologies themselves, they need to know enough about them to understand how to safely incorporate them within branch diving.
Assessment Components
An Advanced Diver must successfully complete the following components:
1. Demonstrate a high level of diving knowledge through a written Theory Paper.
2. Demonstrate their ability to plan and organise groups of divers for extended duration to a location unknown to them.
3. Demonstrate competence at managing a complex rescue scenario.
4. Demonstrate they have retained a suitable level of competence at personal Rescue Skills.
SUMMARISED CONTENTS OF BSAC ADVANCED DIVER TRAINING PROGRAMME
The ADVANCED DIVER Course consists of the following elements:
- 4 theory lessons
- 2 dry practical lessons
- 2 open water lessons
- Theory assessment
- 20 dives in range of conditions
The course has relatively few 'formal' practical lessons and is much more heavily based on a further structured broadening of experience in a wide range of conditions.