Ocean Diver - Open Water Lessons

OO1 - Introduction to Open Water

Advance briefing
SEEDS brief
Kit up and buddy check, dry run and entry
- Assemble scuba equipment
- Carry out functional checks
- Prepare weights
- Fit suit
- Kit-up, in buddy pairs
- Conduct buddy check
- Dry run, operating controls wearing gloves
- Dry run, action for BC inflator stuck open
- Dry run, action for drysuit inflator stuck open
- Fit mask and check seal
- Shore entry, by wading or steps, into standing-depth water
Adjust weighting and achieve neutral buoyancy
- Descent and initial weight check, in standing-depth water
- Adjust weight, if necessary
- Maintain hover
- Check trim
Exploratory dive in 4-6m
- Descent following shelving shore
- Use of hand signals and monitoring of instruments
- Buoyancy control
- Underwater swimming
- Underwater orientation
- Awareness of environment
- Pilotage
- Weight check with less gas, and controlled ascent to 2-3m
- Check student comfort
Skills practice in 2-3m
- Recap mask clearing
- Partial-flood mask clear
- Full-flood mask clear
- Remove and replace mask
- Demand-valve clearing
- Switch to own AS demand valve
- Demand-valve retrieval
- Full demand-valve retrieval and clear
- Drysuit inflator stuck open
- BC inflator stuck open
- Drysuit inversion recovery
Exit from standing-depth water and de-kit
- Weight belt/weight jettison practice
- Exit water by wading or steps
- De-kit
- Report back to Dive Manager
- Brief on equipment care
REAP debrief

OO2 - Developing open water skills

Advance briefing
SEEDS brief
Kit up and buddy check, dry run and entry
- Assemble scuba equipment
- Carry out functional checks
- Prepare weights
- Fit suit
- Kit-up, in buddy pairs
- Conduct buddy check
- Dry run, AS ascent wearing gloves
- Fit mask and check seal
- Shore entry, by wading or steps, into standing-depth water
- Check correct weighting and surface buoyancy
- Descent into 4-6m water
Skills practice in 4-6m
- Buoyancy control
- Recap mask clearing, in deeper water
- Partial-flood mask clear
- Full-flood mask clear
- Remove and replace mask
- Demand-valve clearing
- Switch to own AS demand valve
- Static AS use, student as donor then recipient
- Use of AS on horizontal swim
- Mini AS ascent, student as recipient then donor
- Full AS ascent, student as recipient then donor
- Surface actions, following AS ascent
- Check student comfort
Exploratory dive in 7-10m
- Vertical descent
- Use of hand signals and monitoring of instruments
- Finning action and trim
- Maintain neutral buoyancy, in changing depth
- Awareness of environment
- Pilotage
- Vertical ascent
- Carry out surfacing drill
- Actions at the surface
- Demand valve and snorkel exchanges while surface swimming
Exit from standing-depth water and de-kit
- Exit water by wading or steps
- De-kit
- Report back to Dive Manager
- Equipment care
REAP debrief

OO3 - Open water rescue skills

Advance briefing
SEEDS brief
Kit up and buddy check, dry run and entry
- Analyse Nitrox mix
- Assemble scuba equipment
- Carry out functional checks
- Prepare weights
- Fit suit
- Kit-up, in buddy pairs
- Conduct buddy check
- Dry run, CBL wearing gloves
- Fit mask and check seal
- Deep-water entry, stride or backward roll
- Check weighting and surface buoyancy
- Controlled vertical/near-vertical descent to 6m, using datum
Skills practice in 4-6m
- Self-lift
- Mini CBL
- Mini CBL with initial underwater contact
- Intermediate CBL from 6m
- Full CBL from 6m
- Surface actions, following a CBL
- Signal for help
- Tow casualty to safe exit
- Check student comfort
Exploratory dive in 12-15m
- Finning action and trim
- Maintain neutral buoyancy
- Awareness of environment, impact of finning
- Dive-leading demonstration and practise
- Controlled vertical ascent
- Carry out surfacing drill
- Actions at the surface
Exit from deep water, onto jetty or small boat, and de-kit
- Weight belt/weight jettison from casualty, in shallow water
- Deep-water exit using ladder
- De-kit
- Alternative small boat exit
- Report back to Dive Manager
- Equipment care
REAP debrief

OO4 - Buddy diving skills

Dive planning and briefing
SEEDS brief
Kit up and buddy check, dry run and entry
- Check cylinder contents with gas analyser (if nitrox is used)
- Assemble scuba equipment
- Carry out functional checks
- Fit suit
- Prepare weights
- Kit-up, in buddy pairs
- Conduct buddy check
- Dry run of dive leading skills
- Deep-water entry, stride
- Check weighting and surface buoyancy
- Controlled vertical/near-vertical descent to 6m, using datum
Dive-leading practice at 14-17m
- Dive-leading demonstration
- Dive-leading practice
- Depth extension to 20m (optional)
- Controlled vertical ascent
- Check student comfort
Skills practice at 4-6m
- Partial-flood mask clear
- Full-flood mask clear
- Remove and replace mask
- Controlled breathing underwater, static without mask
- Alternative finning technique, frog kick
- Low-gas weight check
- Weight-belt/weight jettison practice
Exit from deep water, onto jetty or small boat, and de-kit
- Deep-water exit using ladder
- Alternative small boat exit
- De-kit
- Report back to Dive Manager
- Equipment care
REAP debrief

Get In Touch With Us

By Email: info@lsac.co.uk

By Phone: 07365 207708

When And Where We Meet:
Wednesdays from 19:00
At The Olde Royal Oak, Bitteswell
How to Find Us