Policies Applying to Specialty Diver Courses

OVERVIEW

NAUI Specialty Diver Courses are either introductions to or are more detailed treatments of the respective areas of specialized diving. Accordingly, some specialty courses are designed to provide more detailed training and result in additional qualifications. In these instances the qualifications are described in the respective specialty course standard. They provide divers the opportunity to enjoy organized diving which yields experience and documents training in specialized diving activities.

Instructors with expertise in specific areas can design their own specialty course with an Instructor-Specified program. Instructors who wish to present expanded specialty courses that produce divers with a finished degree of competence in a specific area can seek authorization for a specifically designated “Master or Full...” Instructor-Specified program.

QUALIFICATION OF GRADUATES

Graduates of a specialty course are considered competent to participate in the respective specialty activities without supervision, provided the activities engaged in and the areas dived approximate those in which the diver was trained.

GENERAL PREREQUISITES

• Screening. In a pre-course session using selected skills, the instructor is to screen and evaluate all students to ensure that they possess the necessary diving skills to minimize risk. Also the instructor is to verify that the student has the prerequisite diver certification. Specialty courses with prerequisite certifications that are higher than Scuba Diver are listed in the respective course standard.
• Equipment. Students shall furnish and be responsible for the care and maintenance of their own diving equipment. The instructor shall initially assist the student in checking all student gear to ensure it is adequate and in proper working order.
• Open Water Dives. Required open water dives dedicated to the specialty activity vary for each course. One open water dive (which does not count toward the minimum number of dives required for a given course) is to be used as a screening and evaluation dive to determine the readiness of the students to perform the skills and activities appropriate for the particular specialty. This is not required when the students’ diving proficiencies are well known to the instructor. Some courses, because of the complexity of the training or the skills involved, have a higher minimum number of dives designated.

SKILL AND ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

• The desired learning outcome for each specialty course is essentially the same - the ability of the diver to demonstrate that the necessary skills and knowledge have been acquired needed to minimize risks and continue learning and gaining experience in the particular activity.
• The specific skill requirements, academic topics, learning objectives, and curricula for each course shall be tailored to achieve and document this outcome. Written exams shall be used to document knowledge in relevant subject areas. (See “Policies Applying to All Courses; Evaluation and Documentation.”)

Policies Applying to all NAUI Programs

GENERAL

• Age. The minimum age for each program is to be reached by the water phase, unless otherwise specified. Registration. In some programs participants must be registered with NAUI Headquarters in order to receive credentials. Details are provided in program descriptions as appropriate. Waivers. See “Policies Applying to All NAUI Certification Courses.”
• Content. Exact content and length of programs are to be keyed to program requirements, participant needs and local environments. Providers should use time as necessary to assure that a particular program meets or exceeds expectations.
• Supplemental Material. Programs are to expose participants to current knowledge. Outlines and textbooks available through NAUI or comparable materials are to be used as guides. Additional handouts, training aids, supplementary texts and similar materials may be used as deemed appropriate.
• Monitoring. Programs will be monitored by NAUI Headquarters to aid standards compliance and quality assurance.

FORMS, RECORDS AND REPORTS

• Releases. No program provider shall allow participation by a minor without having first secured a release signed by parent(s) and/or legal guardian(s).
• Log Book Entries. A record of participation is to be kept through appropriate entries in each participant‘s training/diving log book. Entries are to be authenticated by the provider’s signature, stamp or seal.

OPEN WATER DIVES

• Required open water dives dedicated to the specialty activity vary for each course. One open water dive (which does not count toward the minimum number of dives required for a given course) is to be used as a screening and evaluation dive to determine the readiness of the students to perform the skills and activities appropriate for the particular specialty. This is not required when the students’ diving proficiencies are well known to the instructor. Some courses, because of the complexity of the training or the skills involved, have a higher minimum number of dives designated.

Entry Scuba Experience (ESE) / Passport Diver Program (PDP)

OVERVIEW

This is an introductory, non-certification program suitable for two purposes:

• to introduce non-divers to scuba diving. Participants may scuba dive in confined or open water under closely controlled conditions.
• to provide sufficient training to enable graduates of the full program to continue to scuba dive under controlled conditions without meeting the requirement of scuba certification.

The instructor may elect to offer all or any portion of the program. Similarly, the participant may elect to take all or any portion of the program as offered. At any point, the program may be converted to the Scuba Diver Course. Within time limits, credit for program training may be given persons who complete it and subsequently enroll in a NAUI Scuba Diver Course.

QUALIFICATIONS OF GRADUATES

• Continued Diving. Passport holders may scuba dive in open water under the direct supervision of active-status NAUI leaders with the following restriction: Program knowledge and waterskills of Passport holders who have not made Passport supervised dives within the previous six months are to be evaluated in confined water by an active-status NAUI Instructor and any refresher training needed is to be successfully completed before the Passport holders are taken into open water.
• Training Credit. Passport holders are eligible for Scuba Diver course credit provided they have successfully completed the PDP in the previous six months or can submit proof of additional supervised Passport dives in the previous six months.

PREREQUISITES FOR ENTERING THE COURSE

• Age: Minimum age of 12
• Certification: None Required

Night Diver

OVERVIEW

This course is to provide the diver with the skills and knowledge needed to minimize the risks of diving at night. (May be for skin or scuba divers.)

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

Coverage is to include planning and preparation, night diving equipment, procedures, problems, hazards, navigation and buddy system techniques.

PREREQUISITES FOR ENTERING THE COURSE

• Age. Minimum is 15 years. (Junior certification for ages 12 - 14 years is allowed. See “Policies Applying to All Courses”: Age, Junior Certification.”)
• Certification: NAUI Scuba Diver certification or the equivalent is required. The instructor is to ensure adequate student knowledge and capability before any open water training and shall use skill or other evaluations to do so.

Underwater Environment

OVERVIEW

This course is to expose the diver to the physical and biological aspects of the diving environment with emphasis on the local area. This course will draw much of the subject material from related sciences, e.g., oceanography, limnology, geology, biology and ecology. The use of movies, slides and handouts are an important part of this course. Trips to aquariums and oceanariums will be most helpful. Effort should be made to expose the student divers to several diving environments, e.g., lake vs. ocean, rocky reef vs. sand beach. (May be for skin or scuba divers.)

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

Subjects to be covered are as follows:

• Plant and animal life - identification, relationships, dangers, regulations, uses - food collections and aquaria.
• Conservation and pollution - problem areas and possible solutions.
• Water movement and characteristics - tides, currents, waves and surf, temperature, pressure, density, buoyancy, visibility and sound.
• Shore, bottom and surface conditions - features, hazards, natural aids to navigation and wind effects.
• Diving locations - sources of information, use of charts, arranging and planning of dives.

PREREQUISITES FOR ENTERING THE COURSE

• Age. Minimum is 15 years. (Junior certification for ages 12 - 14 years is allowed. See “Policies Applying to All Courses”: Age, Junior Certification.”)
• Certification: NAUI Scuba Diver certification or the equivalent is required. The instructor is to ensure adequate student knowledge and capability before any open water training and shall use skill or other evaluations to do so.

Underwater Hunter and Collector

OVERVIEW

This course is to provide the diver with the skills and knowledge necessary to spearfish, take game and collect specimens while minimizing the diving risks of such activities. (May be for skin or scuba divers.)

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

Coverage is to include skin diving techniques, hazards and cautions, safety concerns, equipment, conservation, fishing laws and regulations, sportsmanship, specific techniques, utilizing the catch, selecting specimens, preservation, shell collecting, aquaria and diving locations. Conservation material from the Underwater Environment course is also to be included.

PREREQUISITES FOR ENTERING THE COURSE

• Age. Minimum is 15 years. (Junior certification for ages 12 - 14 years is allowed. See “Policies Applying to All Courses”: Age, Junior Certification.”)
• Certification: NAUI Scuba Diver certification or the equivalent is required. The instructor is to ensure adequate student knowledge and capability before any open water training and shall use skill or other evaluations to do so.

Search and Recovery Diver

OVERVIEW

This course is to provide the diver with the skills and knowledge to do those underwater tasks commonly needed by the experienced recreational diver and to minimize the risks of such tasks.

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

Specific subject areas to be covered are as follows:

• Underwater navigation – provides the diver with the skills needed to use a compass and natural aids for orientation, in order to establish position, get about and find particular locations while submerged. The theory, problems, methods, equipment, distance/time relationships and use of charts are to be included.
• Limited visibility diving - prepares the diver with the skills and knowledge needed to function and minimize the risk of diving in turbid water and at night. The problems, methods, equipment, hazards and cautions, plus safety procedures are to be included.
• Search methods - provide the diver with the background to understand and select a search pattern and then perform a search using proper techniques. The problems, methods, procedures and equipment are to be included.
• Light salvage or recovery - prepares the diver to handle the recovery of small to intermediate-size objects with limited equipment. The theory, problems, hazards, methods, equipment and principles involved are to be covered. The necessary rigging and knot tying are also to be included.

PREREQUISITES FOR ENTERING THE COURSE

• Age. Minimum is 15 years.
• Certification: NAUI Scuba Diver certification or the equivalent is required. The instructor is to ensure adequate student knowledge and capability before any open water training and shall use skill or other evaluations to do so.

Underwater Photographer

OVERVIEW

This course is to provide the diver with the skills and knowledge to enjoy underwater photography while minimizing the risks of such activities. This is a course of underwater photography techniques, not lab techniques.

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

• Coverage is to include underwater photographic equipment, films, photo techniques, lighting techniques, fundamentals of photography, underwater camera techniques and underwater photo problems.

SKILL REQUIREMENTS

• Divers are to actually take underwater photographs and have the results reviewed and critiqued. Activities of other diving courses may be used to provide photographic opportunities.

PREREQUISITES FOR ENTERING THE COURSE

• Age. Minimum is 15 years. (Junior certification for ages 12 - 14 years is allowed. See “Policies Applying to All Courses”: Age, Junior Certification.”)
• Certification: NAUI Scuba Diver certification or the equivalent is required. The instructor is to ensure adequate student knowledge and capability before any open water training and shall use skill or other evaluations to do so.

Underwater Archeologist

OVERVIEW

This course introduces students to basic information and skills that are used in underwater archaeological interpretation of wreck and other sites, as well as mapping, sketching, and researching. Qualified divers are essential to collect and record archaeological data on submerged cultural resources and often perform invaluable volunteer assistance to accredited Archaeologists by assisting during field work. You will obtain specific skills and knowledge that are helpful for wreck diving activities, and provide increased enjoyment when visiting submerged cultural resources.

PREREQUISITES FOR ENTERING THE COURSE

• Age. Minimum is 15 years. (Junior certification for ages 12 - 14 years is allowed. See “Policies Applying to All Courses”: Age, Junior Certification.”)
• Certification: NAUI Scuba Diver certification or the equivalent is required. The instructor is to ensure adequate student knowledge and capability before any open water training and shall use skill or other evaluations to do so.

Underwater Ecologist

OVERVIEW

For years, divers have been becoming more environmentally aware of their surroundings, both as sight-seers and underwater photographers. There is a tremendous diversity of people interested in scuba diving and the ecology of two major oceanic environments, the Kelp Forests and the Coral Reefs. As we promote sound environmental diving techniques to help protect the planet's ecosystems, we must also learn how to better interface with the delicate kelp and coral environments. Through the NAUI Underwater Ecologist courses, you will learn more about our favorite diving environments.

Underwater Ecologist: Kelp Forest

The NAUI Underwater Ecologist: Kelp Forest specialty course focuses on the complex and productive ecosystem bordering much of the west coast of North America, from Alaska to Baja California. Kelp forests are also found in other cooler coastal waters of South America, Tasmania, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and many other locations. This course examines the kelp forests, their occupants such as mollusks, crustaceans, fish and marine mammals.

Underwater Ecologist: Coral Reef

Coral reefs are found in three major biogeographic regions of the world. The tropical western Atlantic (Caribbean), the Read Sea, and the Indo-Pacific region. Coral colonies are composed of thousands of tiny polyps, each with its own protective skeleton. The NAUI Underwater Ecologist: Coral Reef specialty course focuses on the vertebrates and invertebrates of the complex living reef. This course examines coral zonation, seagrass beds, lagoons, mangroves, and the common reef algae, invertebrates and reef fishes.

PREREQUISITES FOR ENTERING THE COURSE

• Age. Minimum is 15 years. (Junior certification for ages 12 - 14 years is allowed. See “Policies Applying to All Courses”: Age, Junior Certification.”)
• Certification: NAUI Scuba Diver certification or the equivalent is required. The instructor is to ensure adequate student knowledge and capability before any open water training and shall use skill or other evaluations to do so.

Scuba Rescue Diver

OVERVIEW

This course trains divers in the knowledge and skills needed to manage risks and effectively handle limited in-water problems and diving emergencies. Included are: assists, transports, surface rescues and rescues from depth involving both boat and shore based skin and scuba divers. The course meets the prerequisite rescue training for Skin Diving Instructor, NAUI Assistant Instructor, Divemaster, and Instructor certifications. Note: Adult CPR training (approximately four hours) meets the requirement for Scuba Rescue Diver certification. However, additional CPR training that includes two person CPR and the use of rescue breathing barrier devices, e.g. pocket mask®, face shield, is required to meet the requirements for NAUI leadership certification.

QUALIFICATIONS OF GRADUATES

• Graduates are considered competent to perform assists and rescues in open water provided the diving site and diving situations approximate those of the course.
• Graduates may use this certification as a prerequisite for the NAUI Training Assistant Specialty Course, Leadership Courses and Instructor Courses.

FIRST AID AND CPR TRAINING

• First Aid and CPR instructors who present training in these respective skill areas during this course need not be NAUI Instructors.

COURSE PREREQUISITES

• Age: Minimum is 15 years.
• Certification: Training and experience equivalent to NAUI Scuba Diver.
• CPR & First Aid Certification: If accredited First Aid and CPR certification are not offered as part of the course, current certification in both is required for certification.
• Open Water. A least one session is to be conducted in open water. An open water session involves one or more skin or scuba rescue exercises.

Advanced Scuba Rescue Diver

OVERVIEW

This is a certification course for certified scuba divers who desire to assume greater rescue capabilities during diving activities. The training emphasizes accident supervision and management with practical applications in open water. This course is designed specifically to provide the knowledge and skills necessary to:

• Help prevent diving accidents.
• Recognize life-threatening diving situations.
• Correctly initiate and/or supervise rescue/assist procedures.
• Effectively perform in-water rescue/assist techniques and procedures.
• Correctly manage rescue assistants during and after rescues.
• Provide immediate, effective post-rescue aid. Correctly manage a diving emergency with adjustments for local variants.

QUALIFICATIONS OF GRADUATES

For a period of three years after the course, graduates are considered competent to perform assists and rescues in aquatic situations so long as the situation approximates one for which they have been trained. After renewal of certification, the individual will again be considered competent.

RENEWAL OF CERTIFICATION

For renewal of certification, an individual with current First Aid and CPR certifications must correctly demonstrate to an active-status NAUI Instructor the open water skills contained within these standards.

PREREQUISITES FOR ENTERING THE COURSE

• Age. Minimum age is 17 years.
• Diver Certification. Minimum is NAUI Advanced Scuba Diver or equivalent.
• CPR & First Aid Certification. Current certification in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and First Aid by a NAUI recognized agency. Training shall include: one rescuer adult CPR, infant/child CPR, two rescuer CPR, and rescue mask - barrier device use. (Certification as a water safety instructor and in lifeguarding is strongly recommended.)
• Oxygen Training. Proof of oxygen administration training within the past two years is required unless oxygen administration is offered as part of the course. Oxygen administration training must include the assembly, use, and basic maintenance of constant flow and demand valve oxygen delivery systems.
• Diving Skills. Participants must comfortably perform the following skills prior to beginning training. Time involved for performing the skills is in addition to the estimated course hours. The instructor is to use these skills as screening evaluation criteria:
  • Swimming skills (no equipment)
    –Swim 225 yard (207 m) nonstop, any stroke, in six minutes or less.
    –Survival swim for 15 minutes.
    –Recover 10 pounds (4.5 kg) from about 10 feet (3 m) of water.
    –Transport another person of equal size 25 yards (22.9 m).
  • Skin diving skills as required for the NAUI Scuba Diver Course.
  • Scuba skills (scuba equipment)
    –Assemble equipment, make adjustments, don equipment, and perform pre-dive equipment inspections.
    –In turn, at the surface remove and replace mask, snorkel, fins, weight belt and scuba unit.
    –In turn, underwater remove, replace and clear mask and regulator, comfortably breathe from a regulator without wearing a mask for two minutes, buddy breathe, and share air using and alternate air source.
    –Demonstrate surface use of the BC and the ability to hover underwater.
    –Perform a Scuba Lifesaving Transport (see “Details of Selected Skills”) of another scuba diver 100 yards (91 m) within four minutes.

Training Assistant

OVERVIEW

This course is to qualify the diver in the skills and knowledge necessary to perform as a training assistant during diver training sessions. The key objective is to train divers to assist others during training activities overseen by an active-status NAUI Instructor. This course is to enhance the diver’s general skills and abilities and is not a substitute for specific NAUI courses which create NAUI leadership members. Although this course results in certification as a Training Assistant it does not confer any NAUI Leadership certification nor does it qualify the graduate to apply for or receive the benefits of NAUI membership. Consequently, this certification does not allow the graduate to be counted toward student instructor ratios.

QUALIFICATIONS OF GRADUATES

Certified training assistants are qualified to perform the tasks of:

• Temporarily directly supervise remaining students while an instructor conducts a skill with other students.
• Escorting no more than two diving students on the surface and on underwater tours.
• Assisting an active-status NAUI Instructor with other tasks which enhance the safety of students or improve the efficiency of diver training so long as the assistant is under the direction of the instructor and no other standards are violated.

PREREQUISITES FOR ENTERING THE COURSE

• Age: Minimum of 18 years.
• Certification: Training and experience equivalent to at least NAUI Advanced Diver.
• Rescue Certification: Certification in NAUI Scuba Rescue Diver or equivalent.
• CPR & First Aid Certification: Current certification in First Aid and CPR. Note: Adult CPR training (approximately four hours) meets the requirement for Training Assistant certification. However, additional CPR training that includes two-person CPR and the use of rescue breathing barrier devices, e.g. pocket mask®, face shield, is required to meet the requirements for NAUI leadership certification.

SKILL REQUIREMENTS

• Compass navigate:
  – a reciprocal course to within 10 feet (3 m) of origin without using visual references
  – a square pattern to within 10 feet (3 m) of origin. Distances shall be as great as appropriate for environmental conditions.
• Assist divers simulating each of: a muscle cramp, anxiety, a breathing difficulty and signs of pre-panic.
• Assist/ escort each of: a tired diver, and an incapacitated diver to safety.
• Be in charge of and satisfactorily act as an escort during an open water dive for two other divers.
• Demonstrate a satisfactory scuba diver rescue. (See “Details of Selected Skills”.)

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

• Review of rescue techniques with emphasis on local conditions including problems, possible situations, search techniques, rescues, assists, tows, carries and in-water rescue breathing. Emergency management procedures as applied to divers in open water training in the applicable area. Deployment and use of emergency oxygen first aid. (Certification as an “oxygen provider” is recommended.) Review of first aid as related to diving in particular.
• Underwater communications techniques to be used by instructors and assistants. The deployment of dive area designators as appropriate for the area. Open water diving procedures and group control. The specifics of arranging and planning for a training dive. Techniques of escorting students on the surface and during underwater tours and during navigation exercises. Safety oriented boat operation and boat diving where appropriate to the area.
• The roles and responsibilities of the “training assistant” and the legal aspects of diver training. The use of briefings, divemaster logs and diver inventory techniques.

Wreck Diver (External Survey)

OVERVIEW

This course is to provide the diver with the skills and knowledge needed to gain experience and minimize risks in wreck diving. Wreck diving (external survey) is defined as diving around a sunken vessel, aircraft or debris field.

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

Coverage is to include safety, hazards and cautions, special risks of overhead environments, entanglement, limited visibility, deep diving, equipment (additions and modifications), location of wrecks, sources of information, search methods, underwater navigation, legal aspects, artifacts, treasure, salvage, archaeology and appropriate material from other specialty courses. If altitude diving is involved, altitude procedures and flying after diving shall be covered.

PREREQUISITES FOR ENTERING THE COURSE

• Age. Minimum is 18 years.
• Certification: NAUI Advanced Scuba Diver certification or the equivalent is required. The instructor is to ensure adequate student knowledge and capability before any open water training and shall use skill or other evaluations to do so.

Enriched Air Nitrox (EANx) Diver

OVERVIEW

This is course is to provide the diver with the information necessary to utilize EANx as a breathing medium. The course may be taught as a stand-alone specialty course to certified divers or the knowledge and skills training may be integrated into the NAUI Scuba Diver course.

QUALIFICATIONS OF GRADUATES

Upon successful completion of this course, graduates are considered competent to utilize EANx in open water diving activities without direct supervision, provided the diving activities and the areas dived approximate those of training.

COURSE POLICIES

• Dives shall not exceed a depth of 130 fsw (40 msw) or 1.6 atm PO2 , whichever is less. No planned dives requiring actual decompression stops on the appropriate EANx tables are to be permitted. (Maximum PO2 of 1.4 is to be taught with 1.5-1.6 as contingencies.)
• This course may be taught as a NAUI Recognition Program if the open water training dives are not included. Recognition may be upgraded to EANx Diver certification upon completion (within six months) of the required dives under supervision of a NAUI EANx Instructor.

SKILL REQUIREMENTS

At least two dives are to made using EANx, one of which is to be a repetitive dive. The student is to analyze his or her own breathing mixture and to plan and safely execute each dive.

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

The following topics are to be covered: history of nitrox as a breathing gas; Dalton’s law of partial pressures; physiology of oxygen and nitrogen; depth limits, advantages, disadvantages and risks of nitrox; oxygen toxicity; hazards and precautions of handling oxygen; the concept of Equivalent Air Depth; use of EANx with Standard Air Dive Tables; common gas mixing procedures; and gas analyzing procedures.

PREREQUISITES FOR ENTERING THE COURSE

• Age. Minimum is 15 years.
• Certification: NAUI Scuba Diver certification or the equivalent is required unless combined with the Scuba Diver course. The instructor is to ensure adequate student knowledge and capability before any open water training and shall use skill or other evaluations to do so.