Students Take a Jump to Become Professional Divers

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SDI-Boat
Scuba diving is an incredible hobby that opens up new worlds as you explore the aquatic realm – either locally or traveling to some exotic destination. Divers often find themselves wanting to take their training several steps further with advanced courses in continuing education and often in technical level courses as well.

It is not unusual for divers to want more out of this sport. They want to be a part of it. They want to be professionals as well as ambassadors of scuba to their “land-loving” friends. The reasons may vary greatly, but a common theme is that divers want to “give back” the experiences they had with their instructors and share those moments with other new divers. Many of these divers pursuing professional levels, regardless of age, look at scuba as a career of sorts, sometimes as a full time position. Others see it as a part-time gig.

“Working hard and hardly working, a divemaster is one of the best jobs in the world.”

– Taylor Rabbitt from SDI World Headquarters

The entry levels for a scuba diving professional begin with the Divemaster program and continue with the Assistant Instructor rating. These courses can be taught by any active SDI Open Water Instructor in good standing.

The SDI Divemaster Course is the first professional level certification. During this course, DM candidates will be challenged and learn what it is like to work with divers as they experience the underwater world for the first time. Candidates will also learn how to lead already certified divers and show them some of their favorite critters or dive sites. As an SDI Instructor, you will also teach them how to manage divers, work the dive deck of a boat, and conduct safe and enjoyable dives, along with further knowledge in physics and physiology, and how it is applied to everyday scuba.

The SDI Assistant instructor course is designed toward practical teaching experience with an active SDI Instructor or Instructor Trainer. Candidates may help an Instructor teach an Open Water Scuba Diver course, Advanced Diver Course, and Rescue Diver Courses, as well as preparation in lesson plans, academic presentations and general dive management techniques.
Upon completion of the course, assistant instructors may now be a part of that magical moment and instruct as well as certify Skin Divers, conduct the Inactive Diver Program, and conduct the knowledge Quest review in the Open Water Diver Course. With some additional training, an SDI Assistant Instructor could go on to teach the following SDI courses:

  • Altitude Diver
  • Boat Diver
  • Computer Diver
  • Equipment Specialist
  • Marine Ecosystems Awareness Diver
  • Shore/Beach Diver
  • Underwater Photographer Diver
  • Underwater Video Diver
  • Visual Inspection Procedures
  • CPROX Administrator
  • CPR1st Administrator

So what are you waiting for? Let your divers know that you are able to take them on their first step toward becoming a professional in scuba diving. Increase your revenues and promote your professional level courses today. Start creating quality professional members who will share the same enthusiasm with their up and coming divers as you do. Both classes have the academics available online so students can work on much of the classroom work at their own pace in preparation for their classes. Get them involved and working toward their next step: becoming an SDI Open Water Scuba Instructor. One of the biggest benefits of being a professional is making a diver’s day with a safe, incredible experiences that will make them want to get back in the water as soon as their dive computers allows!

Contact SDI TDI and ERDI

If you would like more information, please contact our World Headquarters or your Regional Office.
Tel: 888.778.9073 | 207.729.4201
Email: Worldhq@tdisdi.com
Web: https://www.tdisdi.com
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Divemaster and Leadership Diving

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A Few Minutes with Brian, May 2013

Contact SDI TDI and ERDI

If you would like more information, please contact our World Headquarters or your Regional Office.
Tel: 888.778.9073 | 207.729.4201
Email: Worldhq@tdisdi.com
Web: https://www.tdisdi.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SDITDI

Is There a Future for Rebreathers in Public Safety Diving?

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erdi-4-22-13-1

We have seen over the past years that rebreather manufacturers are producing their units at a lower cost compared to say 10 years ago. As the growth of this equipment becomes more and more available, the next question may be, “Is there a place in the Public Safety market for Rebreathers?”

So what are some of the pros and cons of rebreathers on public safety teams?

Pros

  • Increased time underwater per diver
  • Lighter overall unit weight
  • Smaller Profile for overhead environments
  • Less exhaust noise for clearer communications

Cons

  • Unit cost
  • Training cost per diver
  • More expensive maintenance fees
  • More time spent on system readiness check
  • Finding a fill station at your local fire station
  • Added cost for up keep and routine maintenance supplies
  • Other dive team interaction with the unit
  • FLOODING WORRIES
  • Decon worries
  • Cost of communication for the unit
  • Availability of spare parts

As you can see, we have only listed a few items under each of the categories and I am sure everyone will have a lot more opinions. As there are different versions of rebreathers, the next question is which version would best meet the needs of public safety dive teams. If there was a future for rebreathers on a public safety team one might say the SCR would be a likely choice as the cost of these units has come down and there is no need for a mixed gas version.

I agree with the SCR idea, but I also believe that, just like with scuba regulators, every team would want a different make of SCR. Until the PSD industry trends towards the rebreather as an option, I don’t see the industry promoting R&D for a truly qualified (harsh conditions) rebreather. What do you think?

Contact SDI TDI and ERDI
If you would like more information, please contact our World Headquarters or your Regional Office.
Tel: 888.778.9073 | 207.729.4201
Email: Worldhq@tdisdi.com
Web: https://www.tdisdi.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/PublicSafetyDiving
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Traveling With a Rebreather

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rebreaterstuff
With airlines tightening luggage restrictions, packing for a dive trip is hard enough with just recreational gear and traveling with a rebreather adds another level of difficulty. What to bring, how to pack it, will the dive center have everything I need when I get there? These are all questions that need to be addressed, but if you tackle them one at a time, you’ll realize traveling with a rebreather can be very simple.

“What should I bring?” This question goes hand in hand with “will the dive center have what I need when I get there?” The first step in determining what to bring on the plane with you should be finding out what the dive center has available. Most dive destinations around the globe now have at least one or two “rebreather friendly” dive shops. It’s very important, however, to call and verify that they can accommodate you. Do they have the correct cylinders for you? Do they stock sorb? Do they have bailout cylinders available? Do they have high pressure O2, and can they blend the diluent you need? It is very crucial to ask these specific questions, as many dive centers advertise themselves as “rebreather friendly,” but in reality are just “rebreather tolerant.” Once you know for sure what the dive center is able to provide, the next step is figuring out what you need to bring. If you are traveling to a remote destination, you may experience a bit of sticker shock when you see what they will charge for sorb and cylinder rental. It’s important to remember that many remote locations (especially islands) incur huge shipping charges and import taxes, and these costs are often passed on to the end user. It may seem cheaper to bring your own cylinders and sorb, but this typically ends up being more hassle than it’s worth. We recommend traveling light and supporting the local dive center by renting/buying from them.

“How do I make all THIS fit in THERE?” It can seem like a daunting task when all your dive gear is laid out in front of you, and you have only a few small bags to fit it in. However, there are a few tricks to helping you get everything you need to where it needs to go safely. Try to carry on as many of the critical components as possible. Things like the head, canister, loop, counter lungs, mouthpiece/BOV, regulators, and electronics can easily be damaged/lost in checked luggage and leave your unit inoperable, so it is best to carry them on. Things like wings, harnesses, fins, masks and exposure suits are pretty resilient to rough baggage handlers and can usually be rented at your destination if they go missing. If you must bring cylinders and sorb with you, it is typically best to check them. Just be sure to include a Material Data Safety Sheet with the sorb and remove the valves from your cylinders. You are required to leave the cylinder openings unobstructed so they are easily inspected; agents have been known to simply confiscate/dispose of cylinders when this rule is ignored. It is always a good idea to photograph everything as it is being packed, this way you have evidence if something is lost or damaged by the airline. The fee for an extra bag is typically less than for an overweight bag, so it’s not a bad idea to bring along a small mesh dive bag that you can pull out and transfer gear into if you end up overweight at the ticket counter.

So everything is packed up, you’re at the airport, bags checked, and you’re going through the TSA checkpoint. As long as you remembered to remove any tools or knives from your carryon, things should go pretty smoothly. It can be fun to watch the look on the TSA agents face as your bag goes through the scanner, but after a quick inspection there usually is not an issue. Remember, they are just doing their jobs, and a rebreather head and scrubber canister looks pretty suspicious on an x-ray. We have found many TSA agents are now recognizing rebreathers, especially in popular hubs to dive destinations. Just assume that your bag will be inspected and plan a few extra minutes to allow for this.

So you know you’ve brought everything you need to enjoy a great holiday with your rebreather and all your critical rebreather components have made it onto the flight with you. Now it’s time to sit back, relax, enjoy the flight, and have a great trip.

Contact SDI TDI and ERDI

If you would like more information, please contact our World Headquarters or your Regional Office.

Tel: 888.778.9073 | 207.729.4201

Email: Worldhq@tdisdi.com

Web: https://www.tdisdi.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TechnicalDivingInt

 

Sam and Sally Panicked Underwater

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samsally

Panic – A sudden overwhelming fear (with or without cause) that produces hysterical or irrational behavior, anxiety, confusion and often causes wildly unthinking behavior.

We’re going to review a panic scenario, how it was handled and the outcome, as well as an analysis of the situation that occurred and how it could have been prevented. Everything about this story is true, excluding the location and names of the divers…

Early summer morning somewhere tropical and sunny, Sam and Sally made their descent to a maximum depth of 60M/220FT, breathing a suitable trimix for the dive on their closed circuit rebreathers. Sam and Sally gave each other the “OK” signal once they hit depth and swam along the bottom. Roughly 5-10 minutes into the dive, Sam inhaled a mouth full of water and began coughing. Sam quickly bailed out to his 6L/40FT3 cylinder of AIR and felt narcosis coming on strong. Sam found the problem after tracing his hands along the rebreather; the loop connection to the head became disconnected, flooding the entire unit. Meanwhile, Sally heard Sam’s coughs and recognized he switched to open circuit. Sally started swimming towards Sam then he suddenly and frantically started kicking towards the surface. Sam panicked. Sally didn’t think twice and chased after him yelling, “Sam! Slow down! Sam!!” as she tried to grab a hold of his fins while ripping off her personal deep bailout regulator from her necklace hoping to give it to him. Sally panicked. Fortunately, Sam slowed down, allowing Sally to catch up to him around 15M/50FT where she realized he did not need her bailout… Sam reconnected his loop and cleared the water out of his rebreather, then recovered the unit. Sally did not realize Sam depleted his deep bailout gas, nor did she realize he flooded the unit on the bottom… Sam recognized he had to switch back to open circuit since his rebreather was deficient and gave Sally the “thumbs up” signal as he started making his way towards shallow water. They both had some decompression obligations and 6L/40FT3 of oxygen each. Sam and Sally found a sand patch at 6M/20FT to finish out their decompression time then surfaced. Sam never switched back to open circuit and stayed on the loop.

ANALYSIS – A number of things went wrong throughout the course of this scenario. Both Sam and Sally are lucky to have completed this dive without suffering any injuries, or even death. By reviewing the course of action throughout the scenario we can take a closer look at how all of this could have been prevented in a step by step sequence…

  • Sam and Sally should have planned for adequate bailout (volume / mix) for the dive. If Sam’s bailout was suitable for the depth, narcosis would not have been an issue and he should not have been faced with the fear of running out of gas while making a safe ascent. This is why we execute proper planning – to avoid situations like this!
  • Sam and Sally very seldom practiced emergency scenario skills. The two of them have a lot of diving experience and did not feel the need to do “skills dives” to stay current. Unfortunately, their complacency snuck up on them during this event, allowing panic to take over versus fluent muscle memory reaction to the situation.
  • In the midst of panic, Sally made a major mistake by trying to give Sam her personal deep bailout gas while making a rapid ascent chasing after him. If Sam had taken it from her and she had an issue; Sally would not have a safe back up option for herself. Sally is lucky she did not suffer any injuries by ascending so quickly.
  • Sam made a mistake by getting back on his rebreather after he flooded the unit. His ego took over and he wanted to prove he could finish the dive on the rebreather versus open circuit. Never let your ego compromise your safety. At the end of the day, there should have been enough open circuit gas for Sam to finish the dive without putting himself in jeopardy.
  • If you’re wondering how the loop became disconnected to begin with, don’t worry – we’re saving it for last… Sam used this rebreather all week during the trip without breaking it down at the end of the day and setting it up before diving. Over the course of the week in transit from his hotel room to the dive boat, the connection slowly loosened up. If Sam and Sally followed the manufacturer’s recommendations regarding rebreather maintenance, completed checklists and more; all of this could have been avoided. Sam failed to follow any form of checklists and blindly used his rebreather throughout the trip until his complacency finally caught up to him.

Too often after events such as this, divers feel they gained a higher level of competence in the water. Survival does not always mean competence. Dive after dive, this team rationalized their short cut of carrying improper bailout because nothing bad happened to them before this event. Sam and Sally allowed their short cut of inadequate bailout and lack of attention to their life sustaining equipment to become the norm for their dives and when a real emergency occurred, their plan B was not sufficient enough to get them out in a safe manner. They knew it and panicked. Luckily, they survived without injury.

Instead of going by the saying, “practice makes perfect,” consider a revised version: Practice makes better. It’s important to apply safe diving practices on every single dive and keep emergency scenario skills quick and fresh. Do not get complacent and never allow your ego to convince you that practicing skills is not important. Continue working on them regardless of how much experience you gain. In the event of a true emergency, your reaction should stem from muscle memory and become mechanical without any fear and hesitation. Plan your dives accordingly and remember, panic has a way of setting in and taking over, just as you see with Sam and Sally.

Contact SDI TDI and ERDI

If you would like more information, please contact our World Headquarters or your Regional Office.

Tel: 888.778.9073 | 207.729.4201

Email: Worldhq@tdisdi.com

Web: https://www.tdisdi.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TechnicalDivingInt

 

TDI Hollis Explorer Sport Rebreather Course

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Hollis Explorer Rebreather Course

TDI and Hollis Explorer Rebreather Course Information

We are proud to be offering some of the first training programs on the new Hollis Explorer Sport Rebreather. In 2013 we’re pairing up with Hollis to conduct Explorer Instructor and qualified diver level courses around the nation. Space is limited; don’t miss the chance to join us in one of these events!

For more information on the Explorer Click Here

Course Schedule & Information

Click here to sign up for one of our courses >>

  • April 13-14 in Williston, FL
  • June 19-21 in Dive Alabama, AL
  • July 19-21 in Dutch Springs, PA
  • Aug 09-11 in Haigh Quarry, IL
  • Nov 10-12 in Williston, FL

To register for any of these courses, please fill out the course registration form and write in the location of the course you wish to attend. Space is limited – Do not make travel plans until you have received confirmation from TDI.

Additional requirements may apply. Please review the information below to find out more.

Price: $695

Includes: tuition, use of Hollis Explorer Sport Rebreather during course, and certification fee.

NOT included:: course materials, gas fills, scrubber, bailout cylinder, bailout regulator, dive site fees, equipment rental (ie: mask, fins, appropriate exposure protection, weight, last minute items, etc.), travel expenses, food, accommodations, and personal comfort items.

Course Duration: 3 days, includes 4 open water dives

Hours: 8:00am – 6:00pm (be prepared to stay to stay later if necessary)

What to bring: Copies of certifications, mask, fins, appropriate exposure protection, completed TDI Generic CCR eLearning progress report, TDI EAD tables, TDI deco tables, Hollis Explorer manual (download), Hollis Liability Release, if necessary; a current (within 12 months) Medical Statement signed by a physician stating you are fit to dive.

Instructor Level Programs for the Hollis Explorer Sport Rebreather

TDI Instructor and Instructor Trainer programs will be conducted on an “as needed basis. Contact John Conway or Lauren Kieren to schedule a course.

Instructor Candidate Prerequisites

  1. Minimum age 18
  2. Provide proof of:
    • Certified TDI EXPLORER Diver
    • Certified TDI Nitrox Instructor, or equivalent
    • 100 verified logged dives, 50 using nitrox
  3. Assist with at least one complete TDI Explorer Rebreather Diver course to the satisfaction of the TDI instructor trainer
  4. Provide proof of a minimum of 25 logged rebreather dives on a Explorer Rebreather, with a minimum of 30 accumulated hours

    5. OR

  5. If the candidate is already a certified TDI SCR or CCR instructor, in place of #4 above, provide proof of a minimum 10 verified logged Explorer Rebreather dives with a minimum of 15 accumulated hours

Contacts for this Course

Lauren Kieren – Training & Membership Services
Lauren.Kieren@TDISDI.com
Main Line: +1 (207) 729-4201 EXT 204
Toll Free: (888) 778-9073 EXT 204
Toll Free Fax: (877) 436-7096

John Conway, Hollis Rebreather Training Director, Explorer Instructor/IT
Jconway@aupgear.com cell: 904-994-6586

What Bailout is Best for You? Rebreathers

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What Bailout is Best for You? Rebreathers

By Mark Powell

Bailout

Photo provided by Pete Nawrocky

A rebreather is a fantastic tool that can be used to extend the range of what is possible in terms of exploratory diving. For deeper and longer dives, rebreathers can significantly reduce concerns over gas usage. That is, unless there is a problem. If you are unable to use the rebreather for whatever reason and need to bail out then the rebreather becomes a very expensive BCD. Not only that, but you are right back to all the limitations of open circuit gas volumes as you need enough bailout gas to get you safely back to the surface.

For dives without any mandatory decompression stops, this is relatively straightforward. As there is no decompression obligation we simply need enough gas to be able to ascend to the surface. A stage cylinder can provide plenty of air for the ascent. However, as we progress into decompression diving, the amount of gas required becomes more of an issue. The advantages of a rebreather include the fact that you can do much longer dives due to avoiding the limits of open circuit gas volumes. Together with the optimized mix that the rebreather gives you, this means that many divers will do longer dives than an equivalent open circuit diver. However, in the case of a bailout, you need to carry enough open circuit bailout to ascend and decompress safely. This means that even though you may not be planning on using those stage cylinders, you still need to carry them, just in case.

When performing any gas calculating, including calculating the amount of bailout gas you need to carry, the divers breathing rate is a key element of the calculation. Whatever your average breathing during a dive, you can guarantee that if you bailout your actual breathing rate will be much higher. There is always a reason why you have bailed out, even if it is only an imagined reason; whatever the reason, it is bound to increase your stress levels and hence your breathing rate. One of the situations where you would definitely bailout, and not return to the loop, is where you have a carbon dioxide breakthrough. In this case you would definitely not return to the loop and would need to do the entire ascent on bailout, but more importantly, you would have an even higher breathing rate. For these reasons TDI recommends using a breathing rate of at least 45 l/min (1.0 cf/min) until the first deco stop when calculating bailout gas requirements. In reality, even this rate may be exceeded for the first few minutes of a carbon dioxide breakthrough.

For deeper dives the volume of bailout gas to be carried can quickly become very significant. For dives below 80m (260 ft) this can become problematic, and the additional cylinders can introduce problems with drag and can, in themselves, become an issue due to the effort required to swim with them. TDI believes that each diver should carry enough bailout gas to be able to get them to the surface. An alternative approach is team bailout where the divers between them carry enough bailout gas to get one team member to the surface. This is not a technique to be used without specific training and unless you are diving within a well-practiced team. For most rebreather dives this means that the limiting factor for the dive is not scrubber duration, exposure to CNS or anything else related to the rebreather itself but rather the amount of bailout that can be carried.

The gas selected for the bailout cylinders requires some thought. As they will hopefully not be required, rebreather divers tend to use a standard set of bailout cylinders and gasses that will be used for repeated dives. The first bailout bottle needs to be breathable at the maximum depth as the diver may well have to bailout on the bottom. It is common to use a first bailout that has a higher partial pressure of oxygen than the setpoint being used on the rebreather. This is to optimize the decompression ascent. Subsequent bailout gases are chosen by balancing out the decompression requirements and the gas planning requirements.

Another technique that is sometimes used, and is starting to appear in some planning tools, is to modify the decompression model so that a different approach is used for a bailout ascent rather than a normal ascent. When ascending normally the diver may well want to use deep stops or some form of bubble model approach. However, during a bailout the diver may want to get shallower slightly faster than they would otherwise have liked in order to reduce gas management problems.

Until rebreathers with built-in redundancy of all features or bailout rebreathers become common place, we will still need to plan for bailout. Until that point, rebreather divers will still ultimately be limited by the restrictions of open circuit gas calculations and the ability to carry sufficient bailout.

Contact SDI TDI and ERDI

If you would like more information, please contact our World Headquarters or your Regional Office.

Tel: 888.778.9073 | 207.729.4201

Email: Worldhq@tdisdi.com

Web: https://www.tdisdi.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TechnicalDivingInt

 

Silent Diving Photography: The Benefits of No Bubbles

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silentdiver

Photo by: Aldo Ferrucci

Imagine finding the perfect subject to take pictures of while diving: you get your camera ready, settings are in place, you’re getting closer, and you are ready to capture this ideal image in front of you… then you exhale a mass of bubbles, and the moment quickly vanishes! Your perfect picture disappeared right before your eyes. After the dive, you compare images with a buddy team of rebreather divers, and you find that not only were they able to capture that perfect picture you tried to get, but they also got so much more!

In recent years we have seen a growth of rebreather use among the dive community, particularly with photographers for many reasons like “silent diving.” You might find yourself asking, “What is silent diving, and why is it becoming so popular?”

Rebreather diving, a component to technical diving, has many advantages over using traditional open circuit SCUBA equipment. For the purpose of this article, we’re going to focus on one for photography applications. A rebreather essentially recycles every breath you take by removing the bad stuff (carbon dioxide) and adding in a little good stuff (oxygen) when needed while your breath flows through the machine. During this course of action, your exhalations are not let out into the atmosphere; they are recycled through the unit. This process allows for “silent diving.”

You might be asking yourself, how silent are we really talking about? If you take a moment while you’re reading this text to pinch your nose as you breathe in and out of your mouth, that is how silent rebreather diving can be. Now to compare the process… As you inhale through your regulator on traditional open circuit SCUBA, a hiss sound is created as you draw a breath in; when you exhale, bubbles are released creating even more noise. The noise produced by diving open circuit SCUBA is loud and heard by the marine life around you, giving them a chance to swim away or hide before you have a change to see them. Rebreather diving or “silent diving” gives you a quieter approach in the water allowing for more opportunities to see marine life you may not have even realized was there.

The experience with marine life interaction on a rebreather versus open circuit diving can be compared to your experience while watching a movie. When you’re diving open circuit, it’s like watching a movie on your television at home. You get to see the movie out in front of you nice and clear. You may not get the best details of the film, but you’ll find the overall experience is still good. When you’re on a rebreather, it’s like having a set of 3D glasses on with a massive screen in front of you. The images are brought to life and in your face, details are apparent and the overall experience is a lot of fun. Although the fish know you are there, they are not startled by your presence so they feel the freedom to swim around you and get close with ease. This gives photographers the ultimate viewpoint while capturing underwater photos. You may even have to remind yourself to look and not touch!

Taking photos underwater on a rebreather is a very attractive idea to many photographers out there, but there is a catch; you must have a third eye focused on the rebreather at all times and have the discipline to put the camera down if needed. The rebreather is the number one priority of the dive, even if you have a pod of dolphins in front of you! It’s important to ask yourself if you have the self-control to do this to keep you safe in the water. Rebreathers are a great tool for many diving applications and should be taken very seriously.

Now imagine yourself silently descending on a dive, and you see so much more while you’re gliding through the water. You find the perfect subject to take photos of, and it doesn’t seem to mind your company as you click away…

For more information on rebreathers, check us out at https://www.tdisdi.com/tdi/get-certified/tdi-diver-level-courses/ and search for a dive center or instructor near you.

Contact SDI TDI and ERDI

If you would like more information, please contact our World Headquarters or your Regional Office.

Tel: 888.778.9073 | 207.729.4201

Email: Worldhq@tdisdi.com

Web: https://www.tdisdi.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SDITDI