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. HOWEVER as a strict rule in our club only, ODs may only dive with +DL.

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:

  • 6 Classroom lessons
  • Theory assessment
  • Basic swimming assessment
  • 5 Sheltered water (pool) lessons
  • 4 Open water lessons/dives
  • minimum of 120 minutes underwater time

To assist preparation for exams you should try out the BSAC online quizzes.

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: Adapting to the Underwater World
  • Air and Water Pressure
  • Effects of the Underwater Environment
  • Purpose and Function of Diving Equipment, other specialist kit
  • Buoyancy, and Managing Heat loss
 Intro
Slides
Notes
OT2: The body and
the effects of diving
  • Respiration and Circulation
  • Monitoring Breathing Gas
  • General Awareness and Fitness before Diving
  • Air Spaces in the Body when Diving
  • Nitrogen on the Body when Diving
  • Minimising
    Decompression Illness (DCI)
  • Breathing Gas Mixtures
 Slides
Notes
OT3: Going Diving
  • Risk Assessment and Safety
  • Dive Partner
  • Dive Manager
  • Dive Plan and Briefing
  • Diving Signals
  • What to expect
  • Understanding the Underwater Environment
 Slides
Notes
OT4: Dive Planning
  • Managing nitrogen absorption and release to minimise DCI risk
  • Terminology of BSAC decompression tables & how to use them to plan a single dive
  • Planning repeat dives with no mandatory decompression stops
  • Monitoring equipment needed for planned dives
  • Functions of dive computers & how they can be used for diving and planning
  • Differences between dive tables and dive computers
  • Effects of altitude on decompression planning
  • Effects of flying on decompression planning
  • More on Oxygen Toxicity
  • Gas planning & the rule of thirds
 Slides
Notes
OT5: What happens if…?
  • Anticipating Problems
  • Early Resolution of Underwater Problems
  • Problems that Divers may Encounter
  • Oxygen Administration is a First-Aid tool for divers
  • Recompression Treatment
  • How to effect a rescue
 Slides
Notes
OT6: Enjoying your Diving
  • Types of dive site and diving conditions
  • Various Diving platforms that they may encounter
  • Reef, wreck and night diving essentials
  • Responsibility of Reef and wreck divers to protect the sites
  • for future divers
  • Planning for holiday diving
  • Progressing Experience on achieving Ocean Diver
 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 –

•Understand how to use an oxygen analyser and record diving-cylinder contents

• Be able to safely carry out a near-vertical descent, and maintain good control of their buoyancy throughout the whole dive

• Be able to recover an incapacitated diver to the surface and summon help

• Be able to jettison an incapacitated diver’s weights/weight belt

• Have been introduced to dive-leading skills

• Have performed an exit as if into a boat or onto a jetty

 Notes
OO4: Open water dive 4 Max depth 20m –

• Be able to assemble and check their equipment with minimal supervision

• Be able to perform a backward roll entry in full scuba kit

• Be able to swim underwater without a mask while breathing from a demand valve

• Have developed the ability to manoeuvre in unusual attitudes

• Be able to remove the scuba unit at the surface and exit the water as for diving from a small boat

• Be able to wash/dismantle their equipment with minimal supervision

 Notes

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.