CATTERICK GARRISON SUB-AQUA CLUB

BSAC Special Branch 1825
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BSAC Diver Leader Course

This is the third BSAC Diving qualification.  Students must have completed BSAC Sports diver. 
 
The Dive Leader Course consists of the following elements:
• Twelve classroom lessons
• Theory assessment
• Seven open water lessons
• Two dry practical lessons
• Twenty dives (which may include the open water lessons), in a range of conditions, since qualifying as a Sports Diver

Open Water Conditions
The build-up of experience of diving in a wide range of conditions is as important a part of Dive Leader training as the specific lessons. Dive sites should include those encompassing a wide variety of topography and underwater life, and which have noticeable water movement due to waves or current (max 1.5kn). Water conditions should also include a range of underwater visibilities. Access from both shore and boats should be included. Until qualified as a Dive Leader depth should not exceed 35m. Subsequently, and with appropriate experience, this can be increased to 50m.

Dive Leader Theory Lessons

DT1 The Role of the Dive Leader
DT2 Basic Life Support
DT3 Oxygen and Diving Incidents
DT4 Casualty Assessment
DT5 Oxygen Administration Equipment
DT6 Oxygen Administration in Practise
DT7 Use of Oxygen Administration Equipment
DT8 Dive Planning
DT9 Rescue Management - Part 1
DT10 Helicopter Operations
DT11 Rescue Management - Part 2
DT12 Dive Management

Dive Leader Dry Practical Lessons

DP1 Dive Management Part 1
DP2 Dive Management Part 2

Dive Leader Open Water Lessons

DO1 DSMB Use
DO2 Dive Leading Demonstration
DO3 Dive Leading Practice
DO4 Shot Recovery by Simple Lift
DO5 Rescue Management Scenarios
DO6 Diving and Rescue Skills Review
DO7 Rescue Skills Review

Experience Dives
The Dive Leader syllabus includes open water lessons and experience dives which should total a minimum of 20 dives and 600 mins. Underwater time since qualifying as a Sports Diver. To ensure that students receive experience in a range of conditions, the open water dives must include at least 5 conditions from the following, appropriate to the local conditions in which they will subsequently be diving:

• planned decompression dive - dive involving at least 5mins, planned decompression, using an appropriate equipment configuration and decompression technique.
• navigation dive - dive requiring navigation around a site, involving multiple changes of direction throughout, and returning to the entry point. Compass and/or pilotage techniques used as appropriate. Minimum duration 30mins.
• low visibility dive - dive in visibility in the range between 1.5 and 3 metres.
• night dive - dive during the hours of darkness, using artificial light as the sole source of illumination.
• wreck dive - dive in tidal waters, involving a direct descent to the wreck following a shot line, to dive on the wreck in a slack water window. Ascent either via shot line or under DSMB as appropriate to tidal conditions at end of dive.
• drift dive - dive in moving water in the speed range between 1.0 and 1.5kn.
• wall dive - dive along a vertical or near vertical wall, with deep water below the divers.

Only one of the above conditions may be logged per dive.

Of the twenty dives:

• at least six should be carried out from boats.
• on at least eight the student should act as dive leader.
• at least ten should show depth experience greater than 25m.