A. Purpose
- This Program is designed to provide comprehensive training to those who wish to become SCUBA divers.
- This Program emphasizes the skills and knowledge needed to develop a safer novice diver and to develop a sense of
- confidence and responsibility in those joining the adventures of underwater discovery.
- Upon completion of the Open Water Nitrox Diver Program, the diver may dive any EANx mixture from Air to EAN 40.
- This Program qualifies a diver to dive to a maximum depth of 70fsw(21 msw).
B. Prerequisites
Must be a minimum of 15 years of age with a parent or guardian authorization, or a minimum of 12 years of age for Junior Diver qualification, or a minimum of 18 years of age without guardian approval.
C. Program Content
- Include all material in the approved textbook and meet all minimum performance skills.
- At least one general lecture must be included addressing the psychological aspects of SCUBA diving. This must include responsible diver attributes, and risk awareness and management for Sport diving.
- All lecture topics in the OW slides must be covered and all the water skills must be practiced until the student is proficient in each skill. For the OWND the text and workbook materials in the EANx course must be completed.
- Demonstrate the ability to configure equipment neatly.
- Plan dives and demonstrate ability to act as a responsible diver.
- All skills in the Open Water Diver course are to be taught and practiced in a pool or confined water before moving into the OW dives.
- The Program must include a minimum of 80 minutes of OW bottom time completed within 4 to 6 SCUBA dives and, even if the time requirements are exceeded, a minimum of 4 SCUBA dives must be made. For qualification as OWND Diver, two dives must be on EANx.
- A snorkel dive is recommended.
- Complete a written exam with a minimum score of 80%. The OWND must also complete the EANx Diver written exam with a minimum score of 80%.
D. Program Limits
- There may be no more than 8 students per Instructor. This ratio may be increased by 2 students for each assisting Divemaster, up to a maximum of 12 students with 2 Divemasters per class session.
- OW dives 1 and 2 must be conducted to depths between 20fsw(6 msw) and 30fsw(9 msw). At least one of dives 3 or 4 must be conducted to a depth between 30 fsw (9 msw) and 60 fsw (18 msw).
- Appropriate safety decompression stops must be performed.
- On all dives, ascend at a rate of 30 feet (9 meters) per minute or slower.
E. Water Skills Development
- Remain afloat with a minimum of effort
- Mask clearing.
- Snorkel clearing and use.
- Surface entries:
- Demonstrate and perform at least two finning techniques.
- Tow a diver for a distance of 30 feet (9 meters) with both the upper body method and again by the fin push method.
- With mask, fins and snorkel, swim a distance of 1,200 feet (360 meters) on the surface.
- Swim a distance of 10 feet (3 meters) underwater, recover and clear mask and partially clear snorkel.
- Swim using mask, snorkel and fins for a distance of 33 feet (10 meters) underwater without surfacing.
- Demonstrate proficiency in surface diving technique.
- Use SCUBA at rest, and then perform mask clearing, regulator clearing and regulator recovery.
- Practice buoyancy control and body posture.
- Swim underwater using SCUBA without mask for 30 feet (9 meters).
- Swim on surface while wearing full SCUBA gear and switch from the regulator to snorkel and back at least 3 times for a distance of 100 feet (30 meters).
- Swim on back (face up) on the surface while wearing full SCUBA gear for a distance of 100 feet (30 meters).
- Swim on the surface using SCUBA and BCD as a front-oriented surface float for a distance of 100 feet (30 meters).
- Do a lateral Emergency Swimming Ascent (ESA).
- Simulate a vertical ESA while free-diving from the deep end of a pool.
- Recommended: (not required) Simulate or perform (Instructor's option) manual gas sharing emergency. The simulation is accomplished by the gas-donor diver handing regulator off as in actual gas sharing, but gas-recipient diver breathes two breaths from his/her own regulator, then returns the regulator back to the gas-donor diver. At this time, the gas-recipient dive regulator is removed from the mouth until the simulated regulator is handed back. The gas-recipient diver must swim a distance of at least 25 feet (8 meters) (without breathing, and exhaling slowly) and commence simulated gas sharing. At least three breaths are taken at rest, followed by a 10-minute swim at a normal swim rate or equivalent method.
- Perform alternate gas source (octopus, secondary regulator, alternate air, etc.) gas sharing drill. The gas-recipient diver must swim a distance of at least 30 feet (9 meters) (without breathing, and exhaling slowly) to the gas-donor diver and commence gas sharing on the alternate second stage. Remain at rest for three breaths and then swim, sharing gas, at a normal swim pace.
- On the surface, remove and replace SCUBA gear. Repeat underwater on the bottom, at a depth no greater than 20 fsw (6msw).