Dive leader
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Dive leader is the title of an internationally recognised recreational diving certification. The training standard describes the minimum requirements for dive leader training and certification for recreational scuba divers in international standard ISO 24801-3 and the equivalent European Standard EN 14153-3. Various organizations offer training that meets the requirements of the dive leader standard. Some agencies use the title "Dive Leader" for their equivalent certification, but several other titles are also used, "Divemaster" may be the most widespread, but "Dive Supervisor" is also used, and should not be confused with the very different status and responsibilities of a professional
diving supervisor The diving supervisor is the professional diving team member who is directly responsible for the diving operation's safety and the management of any incidents or accidents that may occur during the operation; the supervisor is required to be ava ...
. CMAS affiliates certifications which meet the requirements of CMAS 3-star diver should meet the standard by default. The occupation of a dive leader is also known as "dive guide", and is a specialist application of a "
tour guide A tour guide (U.S.) or a tourist guide (European) is a person who provides assistance, information on cultural, historical and contemporary heritage to people on organized sightseeing and individual clients at educational establishments, religio ...
". Scuba dive leaders are considered competent to plan, organise and conduct dives and to lead other recreational divers on open water dives, and for specialised recreational scuba diving activities for which they have been trained. They are also considered competent to conduct emergency procedures associated with these activities and the relevant diving environment. They may require orientation for unfamiliar local environmental conditions. Additional specialised training and experience is required to lead divers on more demanding dives. The term is also used by BSAC for a specific certification.


Scope of the standard

International standard ISO 24801-3 includes: *Prerequisites for training, including age and health requirements: **Minimum age 18 years, **Minimum certification is to comply with all requirements for ISO 24801-2 level 2
Autonomous diver Autonomous diver is an international minimum standard for entry level recreational scuba diver certification. It describes the minimum requirements for basic training and certification for recreational scuba divers in international standard ISO 24 ...
with logged experience in at least 60 logged dives, or 50 dives with at least 25 hours dive time, of which 40 must have been done after qualifying at level 2. Dives should include: ***
Night diving Night diving is underwater diving done during the hours of darkness. It frequently refers specifically to recreational diving which takes place in darkness. The diver can experience a different underwater environment at night, because many marine ...
; ***Diving in low visibility; ***
Deep diving Deep diving is underwater diving to a depth beyond the norm accepted by the associated community. In some cases this is a prescribed limit established by an authority, while in others it is associated with a level of certification or training, an ...
; ***
Underwater navigation Diver navigation, termed "underwater navigation" by Scuba diving, scuba divers, is a set of techniques—including observing natural features, the use of a compass, and surface observations—that divers use to Navigation, navigate underwater. ...
; ***Diving in a current of at least 0.25 m/s; ***Diving in cold water (<10°C). *Required theoretical knowledge regarding scuba and basic diving equipment, the basic physics of diving, decompression management and
dive planning Dive planning is the process of planning an underwater diving operation. The purpose of dive planning is to increase the probability that a dive will be completed safely and the goals achieved. Some form of planning is done for most underwater di ...
, medical and psychological problems related to diving, the diving environment and the use of nitrox breathing gases, including sufficient theoretical knowledge of the following topics to plan dives in typical local environments, plan for and manage reasonably foreseeable emergencies for these environments: **
Diving equipment Diving equipment is equipment used by underwater divers to make diving activities possible, easier, safer and/or more comfortable. This may be equipment primarily intended for this purpose, or equipment intended for other purposes which is found ...
; **
Diving physics Diving physics, or the physics of underwater diving is the basic aspects of physics which describe the effects of the underwater environment on the underwater diver and their equipment, and the effects of blending, compressing, and storing breathi ...
; **
Diving medicine Diving medicine, also called undersea and hyperbaric medicine (UHB), is the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of conditions caused by humans entering the undersea environment. It includes the effects on the body of pressure on gases, the diag ...
; **The use of
dive tables The practice of decompression by divers comprises the planning and monitoring of the profile indicated by the algorithms or tables of the chosen decompression model, to allow asymptomatic and harmless release of excess inert gases dissolved in ...
and
dive computers A dive computer, personal decompression computer or decompression meter is a device used by an underwater diver to measure the elapsed time and depth during a dive and use this data to calculate and display an ascent profile which according to th ...
; ** Environmental conditions and their influences; **
Dive planning Dive planning is the process of planning an underwater diving operation. The purpose of dive planning is to increase the probability that a dive will be completed safely and the goals achieved. Some form of planning is done for most underwater di ...
and management; **
Communication Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inquir ...
underwater and at the surface; ** Recommended safe diving practices for; ***
Boat diving A dive boat is a boat that recreational divers or professional scuba divers use to reach a dive site which they could not conveniently reach by swimming from the shore. Dive boats may be propelled by wind or muscle power, but are usually pow ...
; ***
Night diving Night diving is underwater diving done during the hours of darkness. It frequently refers specifically to recreational diving which takes place in darkness. The diver can experience a different underwater environment at night, because many marine ...
; ***Diving in low visibility conditions; ***
Deep diving Deep diving is underwater diving to a depth beyond the norm accepted by the associated community. In some cases this is a prescribed limit established by an authority, while in others it is associated with a level of certification or training, an ...
; *** Diving in tides and currents; **Restrictions on diving in waters without direct ascent to the surface; **
Underwater navigation Diver navigation, termed "underwater navigation" by Scuba diving, scuba divers, is a set of techniques—including observing natural features, the use of a compass, and surface observations—that divers use to Navigation, navigate underwater. ...
; **Accident management; **Procedures in the event that contact with the
dive buddy Buddy diving is the use of the buddy system by scuba divers. It is a set of safety procedures intended to improve the chances of avoiding or surviving accidents in or under water by having divers dive in a group of two or sometimes three. When u ...
is lost; **Knowledge of regionally applicable legislation relevant to recreational diving. *Required
scuba skills Scuba skills are skills required to dive safely using self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (scuba set). Most of these skills are relevant to both open-circuit scuba and rebreather scuba, and many are also relevant to surface-supplied d ...
in confined and open water. These include deep diving and navigation skills, and leadership skills. **Diving skills must be sufficient to deal with the most demanding circumstances likely for the regional environment, taking into account; ***Depths beyond those suitable for a Level 2 recreational scuba diver; ***Visibility; ***Size and experience of the guided group; ***Equipment in use; ***Currents; ***Surface conditions; ***Water temperature. **A high degree of mastery is required in; ***Use of
mask A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment and often they have been employed for rituals and rights. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practic ...
,
fins A fin is a thin component or appendage attached to a larger body or structure. Fins typically function as foils that produce lift or thrust, or provide the ability to steer or stabilize motion while traveling in water, air, or other fluids. Fin ...
and snorkel; ***Assembly and disassembly of diving equipment in preparation for the dive, and for user maintenance; ***Pre-dive inspection of the equipment and buddy checks on land and in the water; ***Water entries and exits; ***Establishing correct weighting and trim; ***Clearing the snorkel and the regulator; ***Change between regulator and snorkel on the surface; ***Controlled descent and ascent with pressure equalization of the ears and mask; ***Efficient underwater swimming, with appropriate buoyancy and depth control; ***Recover and replace mask; ***
Buddy system The buddy system is a procedure in which two individuals, the "buddies", operate together as a single unit so that they are able to monitor and help each other. As per Merriam-Webster, the first known use of the phrase "buddy system" goes as far ...
procedures, including hand signals, and staying together. ***Buoyancy control underwater and at the surface; ***Managing routine contingencies like regulator recovery; ***Monitoring the dive profile on the instruments; ***Use of the quick release for the weighting system at the surface; ***Removal and refitting of the weighting system in the water; ***Fitting the diving equipment at the surface; ***Emergency ascent procedures as a recipient and as a donor, including emergency ascents and use of an alternative breathing gas supply; ***Use of surface marker buoys **The diver must be competent to plan and lead dives beyond the usual recreational depth range, taking into account; ***
Nitrogen narcosis Narcosis while diving (also known as nitrogen narcosis, inert gas narcosis, raptures of the deep, Martini effect) is a reversible alteration in consciousness that occurs while diving at depth. It is caused by the anesthetic effect of certain gas ...
; ***
Breathing gas A breathing gas is a mixture of gaseous chemical elements and compounds used for respiration. Air is the most common and only natural breathing gas, but other mixtures of gases, or pure oxygen, are also used in breathing equipment and enclosed h ...
consumption and respiration rates; ***Decompression limits; ***Safe ascent procedures including decompression stops; ***Changes in buoyancy; ***Use of special equipment such as an emergency breathing gas supply; ***Emergency equipment and procedures. **The diver must demonstrate mastery of underwater navigation. ***Skills in planning, organizing and conducting their dives, and leading other recreational scuba divers using both instruments and natural navigation methods. *
Diver rescue Beaching a casualty while providing artificial respiration Diver rescue, following an accident, is the process of avoiding or limiting further exposure to diving hazards and bringing a diver to a place of safety. A safe place is often a place w ...
skills: **Recognition of an emergency ** Underwater search **Controlled recovery from underwater **Effective management at the surface **Recovery from the water **Management of the emergency and coordination of rescue services **
First Aid First aid is the first and immediate assistance given to any person with either a minor or serious illness or injury, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, or to promote recovery. It includes initial in ...
certification ** Oxygen administration for diving accidents *Practical training parameters, *Evaluation of knowledge and practical skills, and a minimum standard for experience as a number of open water dives.


Equivalent certification to ISO 24801-3

Lowest recreational diver qualifications from various agencies which comply with ISO 24801-3 Diver level 3, Autonomous Dive Leader. The standards for these certifications may exceed Diver level 3 by a variable and unspecified amount - the equivalency is not reciprocal. * ACUC: Divemaster *ADS: Divemaster *
ANDI Andi or ANDI may refer to: People and fictional characters * Andy (given name), including people and fictional characters with the name Andi * Andi people, an ethnic group of Dagestan, Russia Places * Andi, Guizhou, a town in Jinsha County, Gu ...
: Divemaster * BSAC: Dive Leader * CMAS: 3-star *DMT NASE UK: Advanced Rescue Diver *ESA: Divemaster, Diveleader * FEDAS: Buceador 2 Estrellas *
GUE The gue is an extinct type of two-stringed Bowed string instrument, bowed lyre or zither from the Shetland Isles. The instrument was described in 1809 by Arthur Edmondston in ''View of the Ancient and Present State of the Zetland Islands'':"Before ...
: Recreational Diver 2 *IAC: Dive Leader Professional *IADS: Advanced Certification *IDA: Dive Guide *
IANTD #REDIRECT International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers The International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers (IANTD) is a scuba diving organization concerned with certification and training in recreational diving, technical ...
: Rescue Diver Divemaster / Cavern Divemaster *
IDEA In common usage and in philosophy, ideas are the results of thought. Also in philosophy, ideas can also be mental representational images of some object. Many philosophers have considered ideas to be a fundamental ontological category of being ...
: Divemaster *IDIC: Dive Supervisor * ITDA: Rescue Diver, Pro Guide * LA Co UW: Advanced Certification *NADD: Divemaster *
NASE ''Chondrostoma'' (from the Ancient Greek roots (''khondros'') 'lump' + (''stoma'') 'mouth' = 'lump-mouth') is a genus of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. They are commonly known as nases, although this term is also used locally to de ...
: Master Diver, Divemaster * NASDS: Dive Supervisor, Divemaster * NAUI: Divemaster, Assistant Instructor * PADI: Divemaster *PDA: Divemaster * PSAI: Advanced Deep Air Level 1, Divemaster-Assistant Instructors *PDIC Dive Supervisor *PSS: Divemaster *
PTRD The PTRD-41 (Shortened from Russian, ''ProtivoTankovoye Ruzhyo Degtyaryova''; ''Противотанковое однозарядное ружьё системы Дегтярёва образца 1941 года''; "Degtyaryov Single Shot Anti-Tank W ...
: 3 star diver *RAID: Divemaster * SAA: Dive Leader * SDI: Divemaster * SNSI: Divemaster, Dive Guide * SSAC: Master Diver * SSI: Dive Guide * TSA: Recreational DIVER 3, Divemaster * UTD: Master diver, Divemaster *WRSTC: Recreational Dive Supervisor Certification


Medical fitness to dive

Before initial diver training and thereafter at regular intervals, a diver should undergo a
fitness to dive Fitness to dive, specifically the medical fitness to dive, is the medical and physical suitability of a diver to function safely in the underwater environment using underwater diving equipment and procedures. Depending on the circumstances it ...
examination by a diving doctor. This may be considered more important for a dive leader who has a duty of care to their clients. In some countries, such an examination is required by law and it is a prerequisite for any training in many diving schools.


References

{{Authority control Underwater diver training International standards