Ocean Diver
BSAC Ocean Diver - overview
Ocean Diver (OD) is the first grade in the BS-AC diving grade sequence, and is considered by BS-AC to be equivalent to the PADI Open Water Diver / Advanced Open Water Diver and CMAS one star diver levels.
An Ocean Diver is a diver who is competent to dive with another Ocean Diver or with a Sports Diver, within the restriction of conditions already encountered during training.
They can conduct dives with a Dive Leader (or higher) to expand their experience beyond conditions encountered during training, under the supervision of a Dive Marshal. Ocean Divers are initially restricted to the maximum depth experienced during training, but this can subsequently be extended progressively, under the supervision of a Nationally Qualified Instructor (NQI), to a maximum of 20m using breathing gas of 21%, 32% or 36% O2.
Ocean Divers will not have sufficient experience or knowledge to be partnered with trainee divers or to take part in stage decompression stop dives. Ocean Divers can only conduct dives where other suitably qualified divers, who can act as surface support, are present and the dive is properly marshalled.
Syllabus
The Ocean Diver course consists of:
- 7 Classroom lessons
- Theory assessment
- Basic swimming assessment
- 5 Sheltered water (pool) lessons
- 5 Open water lessons/dives
- minimum of 120 minutes underwater time
Open water diving should encompass experience of at least four of the following: shelving shore dive, steep shore dive , low (2-4m) visibility dive , drift (0.25-0.5kn) dive, small boat dive, large boat dive, wall dive, dive in protective clothing, dive using Nitrox 32 or 36 on BSAC '88 air tables.
DUSAC's Ocean Diver training culminates in the 'Novice Trip'.
Lessons
| Lesson type | Lesson | Key components | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theory lessons | OT1: Ocean Diver Training | Introduction to Ocean diver, club structure, benefits of BSAC membership, aims of the course, further training | Slides Notes |
| OT2: Diving equipment & diving signals | Air and water pressure, basic equipment, scuba equipment, cylinders and regulators, buoyancy compensators, basic signals | Slides Notes |
|
| OT3: The body & effects of diving | Metabolism, respiration, circulation, air spaces, effects of pressure, sinuses, ears, temperature control, wet and dry suits, Archimedes principle, buoyancy, exhaustion | Slides Notes |
|
| OT4: Planning to go diving | Dive planning, effects of nitrogen, nitrogen management, BSAC tables, No stop diving, surface intervals, flying and diving, dive computers, planning air requirements, air monitoring | Slides Notes |
|
| OT5: Going diving | Buddy diving, organising dives, dive marshalling, SEEDs, buddy checks, dive entries & exits, dive flags, dive reviews, underwater pilotage, the senses underwater | Slides Notes |
|
| OT6: What happens if...? | Decompression illness, symptoms, nitrogen narcosis, lung damage, contaminated air supplies, the incident pit, incident prevention and resolution, air sharing, rescues, controlled buoyant lifts | Slides Notes |
|
| OT7: Enjoying your diving | Inland sites, water conditions, diving in the sea, shore diving, small boat diving, hard boat diving, reef conservation, wreck diving, night diving, diving holidays | Slides Notes |
|
| Theory test | Multiple choice review of lecture course | ||
| Pool lessons | OS1: Being Underwater | Basic equipment (fins, mask, snorkel), scuba, finning, buoyancy, fin pivots, care of equipment | Notes |
| OS2: Basic Skills | Kitting up, buddy checks, swimming on the surface, clearing regulators and mask, using alternate supply, ascending, descending | Notes | |
| OS3: Developing skills | Stride entries, mask clearing, free flows, alternative supply, buoyancy control | Notes | |
| OS4: Beyond the basics | Backward roll entries, descending into deep water, mask clearing, finning without mask, forward rolls, ascents, forward roll entries, surface dives, small boat exits | Notes | |
| OS5: Safety skills | Roll entries, use of alternative supply, towing, controlled buoyant lifts, ladder exits | Notes | |
| Open water lessons | OO1: Open water dive 1 | Max depth 6m - full kit up and buddy check, walk in entries, finning, buoyancy, regulator and partial mask clearing, weight checks | Notes |
| OO2: Open water dive 2 | Max depth 10m - Alternative supply, stuck inflator drills, buoyancy control, inversion recovery, regulator retrieval, mask clearing | Notes | |
| OO3: Open water dive 3 | Max depth 15m - Deep water entry, vertical decent, buoyancy control, mask clearing, regulator retrieval, air sharing, vertical ascents, deep water exits | Notes | |
| OO4: Open water dive 4 | Max depth 20m - Rescue skills from 6m, controlled buoyant lifts, pilotage, buddy monitoring, gas management | Notes | |
| OO5: Open water dive 5 | Max depth 20m - Practice dive planning and leading, buddy monitoring, gas management, some rescue skills | Notes | |
Assesment Tracking
If you have completed an assessment please let the training officer know. To log successful Open water assessments click here.
Instructors
All instruction is to be carried out or supervised by a Nationally Qualified Instructor, minimum Open Water Instructor. Other instructor requirements are as follows:
| Grade: | Can instruct: |
|---|---|
| ADI/Sports Diver | Classroom, sheltered water, open water - on site supervision Open water lesson - direct (in-water) supervision |
| ADI/Dive Leader | Classroom, sheltered water, open water - on site supervision |
| Assistant OWI | Classroom, sheltered water, open water - on site supervision |
| Theory Instructor | Classroom - unsupervised |
| Practical Instructor | Sheltered and open water - unsupervised |
| Open Water Instructor | Classroom, sheltered water, open water - unsupervised |
Exams
Theory exams for Ocean Divers are run at various times throughout the year. Keep an eye out for emails from the training officer. To assist preparation for exams you should try out the BSAC online tests.
