Before commencing training as a new trainee, SAA Elementary Divers must have completed a simple Fitness Assessment and signed a UK Sport Diver Medical Form. Any trainee under the age of 18 MUST have signed written permission from their Parents or Guardians.
To obtain the Elementary Diver Qualification the following criteria must be met:
The following lectures MUST be attended:
- EL1 - Introduction to Diving.
- EL2 - Air Filled Spaces, Medication & Hydration.
- EL3 - The Principles of SCUBA.
- EL4 - Physics And The Diver.
- EL5 - Buoyancy Management & BCD's.
- EL6 - Metabolism, Respiration and Circulation.
- EL7 - Decompression Part I.
- EL8 - Accident Avoidance
- EL9 - Protective Clothing.
- EL10 - An Introduction To Open Water Diving.
ASSESSMENTS
EST1 - Basic Fitness Assessment
The trainee candidate must pass the Fitness Test to commence training.Once EST1 above has been satisfactorily completed, trainees will be trained to perform the following list of skills and procedures to the demonstrated standard:
EST2 - Basic Snorkeller
- Swim 200m Breaststroke.
- Swim 100m Backstroke.
- Swim 50m Breaststroke wearing a 5kg weight belt.
- Float on back for 3 Minutes with minimal use of arms or legs.
- Tread water with arms above head for 1 Minute.
- Dive and retrieve 3 objects from the bottom of the pool.
EST3 - Elementary Diver: Mobility & Confidence
- Assemble, test and fit SCUBA. Perform Buddy checks.
- Safe entry, buoyancy control and method of descent.
- Clear Mouthpiece and Mask. Repeat 3 times.
- Ditch & Retrieve. Remove SCUBA and refit.
- Demand Valve recovery using both the Over Shoulder method & the Lean and Sweep Method.
- Fin 50 Metres on the bottom wearing a blacked out mask.
- Fin 50 Metres on the surface, fully kitted with SCUBA, weight belt and breathing through a Snorkel.
- Correct surface procedure to exit the water. At Surface remove weightbelt and SCUBA and hand to assistant.
EST4 - SAA Ascent Procedure
EST5 - Bouyancy Skills
EST6 - Elementary Diver: Out-of-Air diver recovery
EST7 - Basic Diver Rescue
Practical Assignment
(This Section should be completed before the simulated dive in the pool)
Prepare a Dive Plan, details supplied by the Club Diving Officer, in terms of Decompression and the Required Air.
EST8 - Elementary Diver: Open Water Assessment
- Carry out all pre-dive checks on your own equipment and perform a buddy check.
- Enter the water in a safe manner and demonstrate correct bouyancy starting at the surface and to a maximum of 10 Metres.
- Remain below the surface for not less than 15 minutes and varying the dive depth between surface and a Maximum of 10 Metres.
- Remove Mouthpiece of DV a total of 3 times.
- Remove Mask, refit and clear a total of 3 times.
- Demonstrate correct dive signals.
- Perform the correct ascent procedure with a 1 Minute safety stop at 3 Metres. At the Surface exchange the correct signals with the shore / boat.
- Inflate the BCD by means of Direct Feed or Orally.
Once the above criteria has been met, the trainee may then move on to complete Open Water Diver Training.