Scuba Diver Basic Skills

Scuba Diver Basic Skills is a course in recreational diving where the goal is to give the student the ability to plan and execute dives in open water to a maximum depth of 30m using air or Nitrox as breathing gas.

After passing the course, the student is able to:

  • On his own, be able to assemble, adjust and configure his equipment
  • On the surface, together with his team, be able to perform the drills included in a safety drill before the dive
  • Be able to clear water from their mask
  • Be able to, lay still in horizontal position without varying more than +/- 1m in depth, using the bottom floor as visual reference or in an ascent with a shot line as visual reference
  • Master frogkick with various power
  • Master flutterkick with various power
  • Master helicopter turn
  • Master backwards swimming at least 2 meters
  • Perform descents and ascents in such a way that the student can get attention from the other divers in the team with ease
  • Be able to pause or stop entirely a descent without touching the bottom floor or other reference
  • Be able to pause or stop entirely an ascent within 2 meters without touching any kind of reference
  • Understand and use the standardized hand, light and touch signals appropriately
  • Be able to solve a free flowing drysuit inflator
  • Be able to solve a free flowing wing inflator
  • Be able to solve a free flowing regulator
  • Understand how to calculate your gas usage by doing a gas usage dive
  • Be able to calculate the minimum gas needed for a dive including reserves and pay attention to gas usage
  • Understand the need for reserve gas and be able to calculate the minimum gas pressure
  • Follow the procedures for gas sharing while swimming at least 25 meters following a line as reference, both as receiver and donor. Without varying more than +/- 1 meter in depth
  • During ascent, perform gas sharing with a safety stop, both as receiver and donor
  • Perform an ascent with at least two stops, without varying more than +/- 1 meter in depth during the stops, keep run times and recommended ascent rate
  • Be able to deploy an SMB within 5 minutes
  • Rescue a simulated unconscious diver from 6 meters depth and tow them 25 meters
  • Analyse the breathing gas before use and calculate the maximum operating depth
  • With a compass be able to take a bearing, swim 25 meters, take the reverse bearing and be able to return to the stating position without deviating more than 5 meters
  • Be able to understand and use the benefits of diving in a well functioning team
  • Swim 15 meters with no mask with the help of touch contacts from another diver
  • Master at least two ways to entry the water
  • At the surface be able to remove and put on the scuba gear

Course outlines

  • The student should have at least 10 hours of dive training in a pool or in pool like environment
  • The student should have at least 10 hours of theory and briefings
  • The student should have at least a total of 4 hours of dive time in open water. Two of these should be to a depth of at least 20 meters and maximum 30 meters

Course limits

  • Maximum depth during the course is 30 meters
  • Maximum PO2 during the course is 1.4 bar
  • No diving is undertaken in an overhead environment
  • Maximum three students per instructor during the practical training in the water

Prerequisites

  • The student must be at least 18 years old (15 years old with written consent from guardian)
  • The student must have completed a written SwedTech Diving health declaration
  • The student must be able to swim at least 200m without interruption

Equipment configuration -
Scuba Diver

Equipment consisting of back plate, single wing and harness without weak points. A D-ring should be mounted on both chest straps at the same height as the collar bone and one D-ring should be mounted on the left waist strap by the centre line of the body, by the hip bone. The wing should be equipped with a low pressure inflator and dump valve on the left side of the wing, lower front.

Single cylinder with a capacity of at least 2000 litres of gas.

Suit made for the current temperature conditions.

Fins with good force are recommended.

Regulator with a longhose to the primary second stage. A clip should be attached on the longhose, close to the second stage with nylon string. On the secondary second stage a bungee is attached with the same cable tie that holds the mouth piece.  This makes the second stage work as a necklace. High pressure hose with SPG and clip attached with nylon string. Low pressure hose to wing inflator and dry suit (if used).

An instrument to show at least time and depth mounted on the right arm.

A compass mounted on the left arm.