Divemaster / Dive Guide

Course and Requirements:

Stamina
Exercise 1: 400 Metre/Yard Swim

The candidate must swim 400 metres/yards without stopping using no swimming aids and using any stroke or combination of strokes desired. If a candidate stops, the exercise is incomplete and must be repeated. 400 yards 400 metres Time Points Time

under 6 min - - - - - - - - - - 5 points under 6 min, 30 sec
6 to 8 min - - - - - - - - - - - 4 points 6 min, 30 sec to 8 min, 40 sec
8 to 10 min - - - - - - - - - - -3 points 8 min, 40 sec to 11 min
10 to 12 min - - - - - - - - - -2 points 11 to 13 min
more than 12 min - - - - - - 1 point more than 13 min
stopped incomplete


 
Stamina Exercise 2: 15 Minute Tread
Using no aids and wearing only a swimsuit, the candidate will stay afloat by treading water, drown proofing, bobbing or floating for 15 minutes, with hands (not arms) out of the water during the last 2 minutes. A candidate with a physical challenge that makes it difficult/impossible to hold hands out of the water is exempted from that portion of the exercise with no effect on the score.
Criteria Points
Performed satisfactorily - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5 points
Stayed afloat, but hands not out of water entire 2 minutes - - - - - 3 points
Used side/bottom for momentary support no more than twice - - -1 point
Used side/bottom for support more than twice incomplete
 

Stamina Exercise 3: 800 Metre/Yard Snorkel Swim
Using a mask, fins, snorkel and swimsuit only (no BCD or flotation aids) and swimming with the face in the water, the candidate must swim nonstop for 800 metres/yards. The candidate may not use arms to swim, unless the candidate has a physical challenge that limits leg use and arm-swimming is the individual's normal swimming method while diving. If a candidate stops, the exercise is incomplete and must be repeated. 800 yards 800 metres
Time Points Time
under 13 min - - - - - -5 points
13 to 15 min - - - - - - 4 points
15 to 17 min - - - - - - 3 points
17 to 19 min - - - - - - 2 points
more than 19 min - - - 1 points
stopped incomplete.


 
Stamina Exercise 4: 100 Metres/Yard Inert Diver Tow
Wearing full scuba equipment, the candidate must push or tow an inert diver in full scuba at the surface 100 metres/yards nonstop without assistance. Note that this is a swimming power evaluation (speed-against-drag) not a rescue evaluation. If a candidate stops, the exercise is incomplete and must be repeated. 100 yards 100 metres
Time Points Time
under 2 min - - - - -5 points
2 to 3 min - - - - - -4 points
3 to 4 min - - - - - -3 points
4 to 5 min - - - - - -2 points
more than 5 min - -1 point
stopped incomplete.

reach a minimum of 3 per skill, ideally a 5 point per skill



Role of DM/DG

• Supervising General Diving Activities for Certified Divers
• Assisting with Student Divers in Training
• Dive Theory
• The Physics of Diving
• The Physiology of Diving
• Dive Equipment
• Decompression Theory
• Divemaster Conducted Programs
• Risk Management
• Your Diving Career

Diving and General Skills Evaluations: Divemasters are spend a lot of their time
in the water. Many Divemasters, enjoy helping instructors with their various classes
as an enjoyable way to put their skills to
use and to meet other divers. This means that Divemasters must be comfortable
in the water and confident in their own diving skills. This series of exercises
allows the Divemaster Candidate to assess their personal comfort level and
hone their skills to a professional level.


Skills Development: During the Divemaster Program, you personal diving skills
will be evaluated and you will be helped to bring them up to demonstration
quality. You will start with a directed skills development session in which you
will develop you ability to do a slow, exaggerated demonstration of a diving skill.
After some practice, you'll apply the ability to the following 18 skills
demonstrations:
1. Equipment Assembly, adjustment, preparation, donning and disassembly.
2. Pre-Dive Safety Check using BWRAF
3. Deep Water Entry
4. Buoyancy Check at Surface
6. Remove and Replace Weight System
7. Fin Pivot (neutral buoyancy)
9. Regulator-to-Snorkel/Snorkel-to-Regulator exchange
10. Remove and Replace Scuba Unit Underwater
11. Hover motionless
12. Buddy Breathe stationary as donor and receiver
13. Buddy Breathe while swimming as donor
14. Mask Remove, Replace, clear
15. Buddy Breathe while swimming as receiver
16. Alternate Air Source stationary
17. Free-flow Regulator Breathing
18. Controlled Emergency Swimming ascent

A scale of "1" to "5" will be used to evaluate the skill performance for
demonstration quality. At total score of 63 must be achieved for all 18 skills,
with no single skill being below a "3".

Problem Solving: This exercise allows you to demonstrate your comfort with
basic diving skills and your ability to function in a situation where everything
does not go according to plan. During this exercise you and your buddy will start
in the shallow end of the pool, begin buddy breathing off of a single tank (the
second tank will be turned off), swim together to the deep end, exchange your
mask, fins, and scuba unit and swim back to the shallow end. Prior to the
exercise, you and your partner candidate will receive about 5 minute of time to
discuss the conduct of the exercise.

Academics : During the academic portion of this course, you will complete
studies in the following areas:
The Role and Characteristics of a DIvemaster
Supervising General Diving Activities for Certified Divers
Assisting with Student Divers in Training
Dive Theory
The Physics of Diving
The Physiology of Diving
Dive Equipment
Decompression Theory
Divemaster Conducted Programs
Risk Management
Your Diving Career

Develop an Emergency Action Plan (EAP): Divemasters should know how to
handle emergency situations both in the local area and at remote locations.
They should also know how to delegate tasks to bystanders. To accomplish
this with a minimum of confusion, a Divemaster should be prepared with and
EAP for his diving activities. This is a list of people and organizations to contact
in a dive emergency in a flow-chart layout, with sufficient information about
numbers to call and information to supply so that a person on the beach could be
given it during an emergency and can help you out.


Map of Underwater Training Site: Divemasters are the diving professionals that
choose safe diving locations for their clients and provide appropriate supervision
for those dives. He must, therefore, have a thorough understanding of the sites
and hazards of the dive site and be able to predict which dive sites are
appropriate for what activities. During the program, the instructor will choose a
dive site suitable for an Open Water Course Training session and you will build a
map of the underwater terrain.

Internship: During the Divemaster Program you will gain experience in
observation and problem solving, both pre- and post-dive and while underwater,
by working with actual student divers under the supervision of your instructor.
You will gain this experience by participation in five pool training sessions and 10
open water training sessions. This will give you a broad idea of safety
considerations, dive site set-up requirements and what goes on behind the
scenes when working with diving students as well as certified divers. In
addition, there will be certain role-playing exercises, both at the pool and at open
water sites that will create "situations" for the Divemaster Candidate to
exercise his observational and problem prevention and solving skills.


Equipment: The Divemaster Candidate is responsible for supplying all scuba
equipment required for the confined water and open water training sessions.
These includes: Mask, fins, snorkel, boots and gloves, compressed air cylinders,
buoyancy control device with low-pressure inflator mechanism, backpack,
regulator, alternate air source, submersible pressure gauge, weight system (as
required), appropriate exposure protection for both a pool (85 degrees F) and
open water (55 degrees F) environment, timing device, depth gauge, compass,
knife/diver's tool, and an emergency signaling device.
Air fills are the responsibility of the Divemaster Candidate. The candidate should
make certain that he has the proper number of full cylinders prescribed by the
instructor for each pool and open water training session.
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WRSTC requirements:
http://wrstc.com/downloads/06%20-%20Recreational%20Dive%20Supervisor.pdf