Who this course is for:

• Anyone who is interested in Scuba Diving, but is not sure they want to or may not have time to complete the SDI Open Water Scuba Diver course

Course prerequisites:

• Minimum age 18; 10 through 17 with written parental consent

What you can expect to learn:

The following topics must be covered during this course:

• History of Diving
• The Aquatic Environment
  • Vision
  • Light
  • Sound
  • Heat loss
  • Tides
  • Currents
  • Waves
  • Surge
• Marine life injuries
• Physics and Physiology
  • Buoyancy
  • Pressure
  • Boyle’s Law
  • Air spaces
  • Breathing air under pressure
• Scuba Equipment
  • Mask, fins, and snorkel
  • Exposure protection
  • Buoyancy compensator device (BCD)
  • Regulator
  • Cylinders
  • Weight systems
  • Underwater instruments
  • Accessories
• Planning Your Dive
  • Diver fitness and overexertion
  • Orientation to new or local diving environments
  • Boat diving procedures
  • Buddy system
  • First aid

Some of the required skills you will have to demonstrate include:

• Swimming evaluation (Must be completed prior to any scuba skills taught)
  • Distance swim of 200 metres non-stop using any stroke without the use of mask, snorkel or any swimming aids, or 300 metres non-stop using mask, snorkel, and fins
  • Survival swim / float of 10 minutes

Note:

If an exposure suit is worn for any of the above skills, the wearer must be neutrally buoyant at the surface.

• Scuba skills
  • Scuba system assembly and disassembly
  • Weight system adjustment with proper weighting
  • Removal and replacement of weight system on the surface
  • Removal and replacement of weight system at depth
• Pre-dive check of self and buddy
• Partial mask clear at depth
• Full mask clear at depth
• Breathing and swimming underwater without a mask
• Buoyancy compensator device (BCD) use:
  • Inflation and deflation (oral/power) at the surface
  • Inflation and deflation (oral/power) at depth
  • Removal and replacement at surface
  • Removal and replacement at depth
• Buoyancy Control
  • Hovering
  • Controlled ascents
  • Controlled descents
• Regulator use
  • Breathing, clearing, and recovery at the surface
  • Breathing, clearing, and recovery at depth
• Underwater swimming; proper use of fins
• Entries and exits
  • Controlled seated entry
  • Giant stride entry
  • Shallow water exit
  • Deep water exit
• Snorkel use
  • Adjustment
  • Clearing; blast method
  • Regulator snorkel exchange at the surface
  • Surface snorkel swim in full equipment
• Computer use
  • Reading and understanding data
  • Understanding functions of computer
• Use of gauges
• Underwater communications
• Rescue techniques
  • Tired diver tows
  • Cramp relief
• Out-of-air emergencies
  • Controlled swimming ascent
  • Alternate air source use; air sharing with a buddy while making a controlled ascent

What’s in it for you?

Upon successful completion of this course, graduates may:

• Participate in dives under the direct supervision of a qualified and active dive professional to depths of 12 metres / 40 feet in conditions similar to their training for up to 12 months.
• Enroll in the SDI Open Water Scuba Diver course. If the diver enrolls in the Open Water Scuba Diver Course before their certification expires, they may follow the Supervised Diver Upgrade Procedure.

SDI Supervised Diver minimum requirements:

• Demonstrate mature and sound judgment concerning dive planning and execution
• Satisfactorily complete the SDI Open Water Scuba Diver Knowledge Quest or equivalent SDI electronic / online learning exam. Instructors my use additional exams that can be found on the SDI Open Water Scuba Diver Instructor Resource CD
• Complete all open water requirements safely and efficiently

How to take this course!

• Find your local SDI Dive Center: here

Course Standards & Procedures