Scuba/Certification Notes

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My PADI Scuba Diving Certification Notes

SCUBA Open Water Diver Certification

Scuba diver training and certification agencies

"Recreational scuba diving does not have a centralized certifying or regulatory agency, and is mostly self regulated. There are, however, several large diving organizations that train and certify divers and dive instructors, and many diving related sales and rental outlets require proof of diver certification from one of these organizations prior to selling or renting certain diving products or services." [1]

The largest international certification agencies that are currently recognized by most diving outlets for diver certification include:

  • National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) – based in the United States
  • Professional Diving Instructors Corporation (PDIC) – based in the United States
  • Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) – based in the United States, largest recreational dive training and certification organization in the world
  • International Training SDI, TDI & ERDi - based in the United States, TDI is the world's largest technical diving agency, SDI is the recreational division focusing on new methods and online courses, and ERDi is the public safety component.
  • Scuba Schools International (SSI) – based in the United States with 35 Regional Centers and Area Offices around the globe.

Equipment

When you start learning to scuba dive, as a minimum, you want your own: [2]

  • mask
  • snorkel
  • fins

Rental:

  • dive regulator
  • Buoyancy Compensator Device (BCD)
  • scuba cylinder (not tank)
  • Submersible Pressure Gauge (SPG)
  • weight system and weights
  • scuba wet-suit / dry-suit
  • dive computer

Equipment Stores:

Utah Local:

PADI Certification

PADI Open Water Diver - https://www.padi.com/courses/open-water-diver

General

Number one rule to Scuba – Breath Continuously

Average dive time – 30-40 minutes, depending on depth, physical condition, temperatures, etc.

“Save a Dive Kit” – small pieces, first aid kit, etc.

Ascend less than 60 feet per minute (18 meters / minute), or 1 foot per second. Never ascend faster than your bubbles.

Equalize to avoid squeeze / reverse squeeze (reverse block)

Currents: Go against current at start of dive, so when you are tired you are not fighting it to get back. Currents are weaker on the bottom, so dive down to avoid currents. Avoid touching the bottom.

Thermocline – abrupt temperature drop in water (hot/cold layer)

  • Water ranges: -2° C / 28° F to 30° C / 85° F

Do not take regulator out to cough, throw up (“feeding the fish”), or on emergency ascends. Regulator is designed to clear all these.

Scuba Cylinder

Scuba Cylinder (tank) contains a mixture of:

  • Does not contain pure oxygen, otherwise would get oxygen poisoning
  • ~80% nitrogen (79%) stored
  • ~20% oxygen (21%) burned
  • Nitrox is combination of higher oxygen, usually 32% or 36% - longer bottom time
  • Materials – Aluminum (lighter, holds less, will float) or Steel (heavier, holds more, will sink)
  • Fill to 3000 PSI
  • Finish dives with at least 500 PSI (35bar)
  • Every 5 years hydrostatic test – 5000 PSI test
  • Label of S80 means 80 cubic feet of air, 3AL means Aluminum, SS means steel, DOT mean regulated by Department of Transportation
  • 3 Valves:
    • K Valve – 80% of valves (regs clamps on)
    • J Valve – older (before gauges)
    • DIN Valve – for high pressure (regs screw into vavle)
  • O-ring – check
  • Valve Dust cap – keep on
  • Valve cover cap - leave off when tank needs to be filled

Buoyancy

  • positive (float), neutrally, negative (sink)
  • Control with BCD
  • You are more buoyant in salt water than fresh water
  • Fine tune with 'fin pivot'
  • "I’m not fat, I’m just buoyant"

BCD – Buoyancy Compensator Device (aka “BC”) – controls buoyancy

Regulator

Regulator: (“set of regs”)

  • 2 stages
  • Stage 1 – drops 3000 psi to 150 psi
  • Stage 2 – drops to breathable pressure
  • 2 second stages – primary and alternate (buddy reg)
    • Brighter color
    • “Octal”
    • Alternate breaths harder (for emergencies)
  • Inflator hose – connect to BCD
  • Submersible Pressure Guage (SPG)
  • Body right – both stage 2
  • Body left – SPG and BCD Inflator Hose

Connect regulator to tank facing head. Top of BCD should align with top of tank valve

Weights

  • Proper weighting – float at eye level with full breath and deflated BCD

Signals

  • Swipe throat – out of air
  • Pound chest – low on air
  • Two fingers to lips – share air
  • rock hand - something is wrong
  • ok fingers - ok
  • stop hand - stop

Pressure: tap 1 or 2 finger(s) on arm for thousands, then fingers in air for hundreds

Pre Dive Checklist

  • Weights, BCD, Air, Releases, Final OK
  • Mnemonic: WBARF
  • Mnemonic: Boys Will Run After Females
  • Mnemonic: Begin With Review And Friends
  • Wet BARF - Weights - BCD - Air - Releases - Final ok
  • WET BARF - Weights - Emergency plan - Time - BCD - Air - Releases - Final OK

Other possible words:

  • W Weights, Wetsuit
  • E Entry, Exit, Emergency plan
  • T Time, Timetable, dive Tables, Trim (in water)
  • B BCD, Buoyancy, Breathing
  • A Air
  • R Releases, Regulator
  • F Final ok, Friend check

In Water Checklist

  1. Depth
  2. Pressure remaining
  3. Time / Computer
  4. Buoyancy neutral
  5. Trim (don't be dragging)
  6. Buddy

Pressure Table

There is no Scuba police, so you need to make sure to dive to your abilities!

Depth Pressure Volume Density Dive Limit
0m / 0ft 1 bar/ata x1 x1 Surface
10m / 33ft 2 bar/ata 1/2 x2 3 min Safety Stop (5m/15ft)
20m / 66ft 3 bar/ata 1/3 x3 Novice - Open Water Training (18m/60ft)
30m / 90ft 4 bar/ata 1/4 x4 Recommended Limit - Beyond Open Water Training (30m/100ft)
40m / 132ft 5 bar/ata 1/5 x5 Maximum Recreational Limit - Deep Diver Training (40m/130ft)

Dive Tables

  • RDP – Recreational dive Planner
  • Repetitive dives – take residual nitrogen into consideration
  • Diving Depths:
    • 30m / 100f – recommended limit
    • 40m / 130f – max recreational limit

Dive Profile

Dives are considered separate with at least 10 minute surface interval.

Equipment

Basic Equipment: (snorkeling and scuba)

  • Mask (not goggles)
  • Snorkle
  • Fins (not flippers) and boots
    • Open foot / full
    • Split fins

Scuba Equipment:

  • BCD (vest, cumberbun)
  • Scuba Cylinder (not tank)
  • Regulator (set of ‘regs’)
  • Submersible Pressure Guage (SPG)

Exposure Suits

Animal Life

  • Treat with respect
  • Carefully place feet / hands
  • Avoid shiny jewelry
  • Spearfish – remove quickly to avoid attracting predators
  • Exposure suits
  • Swim naturally buoyant
  • Swim carefully
  • Watch where you put limbs
  • Avoid touching

Planning

  • Determine where you are going
  • Determine where you will dive and the path
  • “Idiot check” - ?is what? WetBARF?
  • WBARF before diving

Variables of Diving

(things to consider when diving)

  • Temperature
  • Visibility (aka ‘viz’)
  • Currents
  • Bottom composition
  • Aquatic life
  • Sunlight

Problem Management

  • Controlled emergency ascend
    • 10-12m / 30-40’
    • Say ‘ahhhh’ on the way up
  • Buoyant emergency ascend (dangerous, last resort)
  • “near drowning”
  • Nitrogen narcosis – may get silly when deep, solution ascend a few feet
  • Decompression Sickness (DCS, aka ‘bends’)
    • Safety Stop – preventative measure – at 5m / 15’ for 3-8 minutes
    • Breath continuously
    • Slowly ascend
    • Recreational divers plan all dives as No Decompression (no stop) diving

Safety Stop

Reduce Decompression Illness (DCI) Risk

  • Recommended any time you dive more than 20’
  • Required if you dive near any limit on Dive Tables
  • Stop at 5m / 15ft for 3 minutes or more
  • Should plan for all dives, but mandatory deeper than 30m / 100ft

aka The Bends

"Decompression illness, or DCI, is a term used to describe illness that results from a reduction in the ambient pressure surrounding a body. A good example is what happens to your body when you're surfacing after a dive. DCI encompasses two diseases, decompression sickness (DCS) and arterial gas embolism (AGE)." [3]

Scuba Accessories

  • Surface float – (with universal scuba flag) rest area, storage
  • Dive flag
  • Slates – for writing
  • Dive light
  • Spare parts kits (“save a dive kit”)
  • Log book
  • Dive knife – blunt tip better, can be used as screw driver
  • Console – compass, depth gauge, air pressure
  • Timing device (watch) – water proof watch

Altitude

Diving at Altitude requires adjusting the dive tables

  • Elevations of 300 m / 1000 feet, or higher, have special considerations
  • Altitude Dive Table

Snorkeling

Snorkeling (aka snorkel-jockeys) - "is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped breathing tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. Use of this equipment allows the snorkeler to observe underwater attractions for extended periods with relatively little effort and to breathe while face-down at the surface."

Skin diving - "the action or sport of swimming under water without a diving suit, typically in deep water using an aqualung and flippers"

Flying

Flying after

  • Minimum 12 hour wait after diving
  • 18 hours if DC stop required

Compass

  • Lubber line – direction of travel
  • Magnetic North Needle
  • Bezel – two index marks
  • Heading reference

Continue Diving

  • Dive Club – join one
  • Diver Moto:
    1. Meet People
    2. Go Places
    3. Do Things

Boat orientation

  • Bow (front)(going ‘forward’)
  • Stern (rear)(going ‘aft’ or ‘rear’)
  • Starboard (right) (remember ‘first start on right’)
  • Port (left) (remember same amount of letters)
  • Windward side (direction wind coming from)
  • Leeward (direction wind leaving on)
  • Head (bathroom)
  • Galley (kitchen)
  • Helm / Steering well (on the bridge in the wheelhouse)

(pg 149)

Correct Names

  • Fins (Flipper is a dolphin)
  • Mask (Not googles)
  • Scuba Cylinder (Not tank, although tank is commonly used)

Dive Shops

http://DiversDirect.com – stick w/ major brands

Local Utah Dive Shops

Scuba Teds in Springville

Rock Bottom – next to Purple Turtle

Locations

Utah

Hot Springs

Homestead Crater - Heber Valley

Blue Lake (Utah)

Grantsville (Bonneville Seabase)

Cold Lakes

keywords

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