SDI - Open Water Scuba Diver Course

1. Conduct open water dives in conditions similar to their training.
2. Enroll in the SDI Advanced Diver Development program.

Who May Teach
Who may teach this course?

1. An active SDI Instructor.

Student – Instructor Ratio
Academic:

1. Unlimited, so long as adequate facility, supplies and time are provided to insure comprehensive and complete training.

Confined Water (Swimming pool-like conditions):

1. A maximum of ten (10) students per Instructor.
2. Instructors have the option of adding two (2) more students with the assistance of an Active Assistant Instructor or Divemaster.
3. The total number of students an instructor may have in the water is fourteen (14) with the assistance of two (2) Assistant Instructors or Divemasters.

Open Water (Ocean, lake, quarry, spring, river or estuary):

1. A maximum of eight (8) students per Instructor are allowed. However, it is the instructor’s discretion to reduce this number as conditions dictate.
   
2. Instructors have the option of adding two (2) more students with the assistance of an active Assistant Instructor or Divemaster.
   
3. The total number of students an instructor may have in the water is twelve (12) with the assistance of two (2) Assistant Instructors or Divemasters.
   

Student Pre-Requisites

The student must:

1. Be a minimum age of eighteen (18), however participants may be between the ages of 10 to 17 years old so long as written parental consent is provided.
   
2. Students between the ages of ten (10) to fourteen (14) may obtain a Restricted Scuba Diver Certification if the following conditions are met: Students are to train and dive under the direct supervision of a parent, guardian, or active leadership level diver.
   
3. When a Restricted Scuba Diver reaches the age of fifteen (15) years they can upgrade to an Open Water Scuba Diver certification
   
4. Successful completion of swimming evaluation.
   

Course Structure And Duration
Open Water execution:

1. Students must complete four (4) Open Water dives and remain underwater for minimum of fifteen (15) minutes on each dive, for a total of 80 minutes.
   
2. Training depth must be between six (6) msw and eighteen (18) msw / twenty (20) fsw and sixty (60) fsw.
   
3. A maximum of three (3) dives per day.
   
4. The maximum depth should not exceed eighteen (18) msw / sixty (60) fsw on all the dives.
   
5. All dives must be completed during daylight hours.
   
6. Upon successful completion of the dives, the students must complete their logbooks and the instructor must sign off on the completed dives.
   

Course Structure:

1. SDI allows instructors to structure courses according to the number of students participating and their skill level.

Duration:

1. The suggested number of training hours is twenty (20).

6.7 Administrative Requirements
Administrative Tasks:

1. Collect the course fees from all the students.

2. Ensure that the students have the required equipment.

3. Communicate the schedule to the students.

4. Have the students complete the Liability Release and Medical history forms.

5. The Instructor should review the Liability Release and Medical Forms before starting on the course.

Upon successful completion of the course the Instructor must:

1. Issue a SDI Certification card. Complete and submit the Registration Form to SDI HQ.

2. Award card and SDI Patch.

6.8 Required Equipment
Basic SDI Open Water SCUBA equipment as prescribed earlier in this manual.

6.9 Required Subject Areas
The following material is available:

1. SDI Scuba Diver manual and associated Knowledge Quest Book.

2. SDI Log Book.

3. SDI Scuba Diver video.

4. SDI Confined Water / Open Water Teaching slates.

5. SDI Skill Check-off slate.

Instructors may use any additional text or materials that they feel help present these topics. The following topics must be covered during this course:

1. History of Diving

2. The Aquatic Environment

A. Vision.

B. Light.

C. Sound.

D. Heat loss.

E. Tides.

F. Currents.

G. Waves.

H. Surge.

I. Marine Life injuries.

3. Physics and Physiology

A. Buoyancy.

B. Pressure.

C. Boyle’s law.

D. Air Spaces

I. Lung Over-Expansion Problems.

II. Equalization Techniques.

E. Breathing Air Under Pressure

I. Decompression Sickness

1) Repetitive Dives.

2) Safety Stops.

3) Emergency Decompression.

4) Omitted Decompression.

II. Nitrogen Narcosis.

III. Oxygen Toxicity.

IV. Carbon Monoxide Poisoning.

V. Mixed Gases.

4. Scuba Equipment

A. Mask, Fins, and Snorkel.

B. Exposure Protection

I. Wetsuits.

II. Dry suits.

C. Buoyancy Compensator Device.

D. Regulator

I. Primary Regulator.

II. Alternate Air source.

E. Tanks.

F. Weight Systems.

G. Underwater Instruments

I. Submersible Pressure Gauge.

II. Dive Computers.

III. Dive Watch.

IV. Depth Gauges.

V. Compass.

H. Accessories

I. Dive Flag.

II. Rescue Signal.

III. Knife.

IV. Dive Lights.

V. Gear Bag.

VI. Logbook.

VII. Slate.

5. Planning your dive

A. Diver Fitness and overexertion.

B. Buddy System.

C. First Aid.

6.10 Required Skill Performance And Graduation Requirements
Students are required to successfully complete the following skills:

1. Swimming evaluation
   
   1. Distance swim of two hundred (200) meter non-stop using any stroke or three hundred (300) meter non-stop in mask, snorkel and fins.
      
   2. Survival swim of ten (10) minutes.
      
2. Scuba skills
   
   1. Scuba system assembly and disassembly.
      
   2. Weight system adjustment with proper weighting.
      
   3. Removal and replacement of weight system on the surface.
      
   4. Removal and replacement of weight system at depth.
      
3. Pre-dive check of self and buddy.
   
4. Mask clear – partial, at depth.
   
5. Mask clear – full, at depth.
   
6. Breathing and swimming underwater without a mask.
   
7. Buoyancy Control Devise (BCD) use:
   
   1. Inflation and deflation (oral/auto) at the surface.
      
   2. Inflation and deflation (oral/auto) at depth.
      
   3. Removal and replacement at surface.
      
   4. Removal and replacement at depth.
      
8. 8. Buoyancy Control
   
   1. Hovering.
      
   2. Controlled ascents.
      
   3. Controlled descents.
      
9. 9. Regulator use
   
   1. Breathing, clearing, and recovery at the surface.
      
   2. Breathing, clearing, and recovery at depth.
      
   3. Alternate Air source use (Air sharing with a buddy while making a controlled ascent)
      
10. 10. Underwater swimming (proper use of fins).
    
11. 11. Entries and exits
    
    1. Controlled seated entry.
       
    2. Back-roll entry.
       
    3. Giant stride entry.
       
    4. Shallow water exit.
       
    5. Deep water exit.
       
12. 12. Snorkel use
    
    1. Adjustment.
       
    2. Clearing (blast method).
       
13. 13. Computer Use
    
    1. Reading and understanding data.
       
    2. Understanding functions of computer.
       
14. 14. Use of gauges.
    
15. 15. Underwater Communications.
    
16. 16. Rescue techniques
    
    1. Tired diver tows.
       
    2. Cramp relief.
       
17. 17. Out-of-air emergencies
    
    1. Simulated swimming ascent.
       

In order to complete this course, students must:

1. Demonstrate mature and sound judgment concerning dive planning and execution.
   
2. Satisfactorily complete the SDI Scuba Diver Knowledge Quest.
   
3. Complete all open water requirements safely and efficiently.