Application
This unit applies to those working as SCUBA diving guides who conduct SCUBA diving activities in a range of open water conditions. This may include those working for private dive schools or companies operating at coastal sites or through holiday resorts.
Prerequisites
SISOSCB301A SCUBA dive in open water to a maximum depth of 18 metres
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge section and the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the Evidence Guide. |
1. Plan a SCUBA diving activity. | 1.1. Conduct relevant assessments to determine the conditionofparticipants. 1.2. Develop an activity plan according to participant's needs, relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures. 1.3. Select an appropriate site for SCUBA diving according to participant's abilities, activity objectives, industry technical and safety criteria, relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures. 1.4. Identify hazards associated with SCUBA diving and minimise risks to ensure personal safety of participants. 1.5. Access relevantsources to interpret detailed weather and environmental information to determine activity plan. 1.6. Determine food and water requirements according to principles of nutrition and contextual issues of the activity. 1.7. Establish the need for a dive lookout and or above-water dive supervisor according to conditions, industry technical and safety criteria, relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures. |
2. Select SCUBA diving equipment. | 2.1. Supervise selection of equipment according to design and construction features and organisational policies and procedures and check serviceability. 2.2. Assess equipment for safety and suitability and adjust and fit to ensure personal comfort. 2.3. Check safety and rescue equipment to ensure suitability to the group and the dive. |
3. Brief participants. | 3.1. Communicate instructions and relevant information about the SCUBA diving activity in a manner suitable to the participants. 3.2. Outline safe diving procedures relevant to the dive site, dive conditions and planned dive activity. 3.3. Explain symptoms, treatment and prevention of common SCUBA diving risks to assist participants in self-monitoring. 3.4. Establish a suitable communication system for participants to use while SCUBA diving. 3.5. Check and confirm participants are properly equipped for the dive. |
4. Lead SCUBA diving activity. | 4.1. Demonstrate correct SCUBA diving techniques to participants. 4.2. Apply in-water supervision techniques and monitor SCUBA diving techniques to ensure safety of participants. 4.3. Identify potential hazards and determine how they can be overcome or avoided. 4.4. Identify underwater features and aquatic life. 4.5. Implement appropriate modifications to activity in regard to all variable factors that are monitored. 4.6. Respond to emergencies or no-routine situations according to industry technical and safety criteria and organisational policies and procedures. |
5. Complete post activity responsibilities. | 5.1. Ensure all divers are accounted for and notify relevant authority of dive completion. 5.2. Retrieve, inspect, repair and store equipment according to organisational policies and procedures. 5.3. Ensure dive safety logs are completed before and after the dive according to industry technical and safety criteria and organisational policies and procedures. 5.4. Evaluate relevant aspects of diving activity. 5.5. Identify potential areas of improvement for future diving activities. 5.6. Review own performance and identify potential improvements. |
Required Skills
Required skills |
communication skills to: consult with participants to identify individual and group needs convey information about the safety aspects of the activity interact with participants to create a safe and positive diving environment problem-solving skills to: plan a suitable SCUBA diving activity according to participant's needs and abilities make decisions about potential hazards that may affect the activity respond to non-routine situations planning and organising skills to: source, allocate and coordinate resources, equipment and a suitable dive site organise participants into buddy pairs for diving language and literacy skills to produce a plan for the SCUBA diving activity complete post activity participant and self evaluations first aid and emergency response skills appropriate to the location to enable initial response and or rescue in dive emergencies. |
Required knowledge |
legislation, organisational policies and procedures and industry technical and safety criteria to enable safe and legal conduct of all SCUBA diving activities site specific information to assist in the planning process and enable management of potential dive hazards and any special restrictions applying to the area equipment types, characteristics and technology used for SCUBA diving, the advantages and disadvantages of the range of equipment and factors affecting appropriate selection physics and physiology, such as the direct and indirect effects of pressure and signs, symptoms, prevention and treatment of common SCUBA diving risks such as decompression illness to enable safe performance principles of nutrition to maintain health and energy during the activity SCUBA diving techniques and underwater communication systems used between buddy and other divers to reduce risk no-decompression dive tables and limits to determine air requirements hazards and risks commonly associated with open water SCUBA diving navigation techniques to avoid getting lost under water emergency, first aid and rescue procedures appropriate to the location to ensure risk minimisation to self and group minimal impact interactions and techniques to minimise negative impact on aquatic animal and plant life. |
Evidence Required
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package. | |
Overview of assessment | |
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit | Evidence of the following is essential: plans within activity constraints and guides and monitors groups in a safe and professional manner applies contingency management techniques to deal with a range of problems and issues that commonly arise during SCUBA diving encourages and responds to group feedback and evaluates and reflects on own guiding performance to identify strengths, weaknesses and areas that need improvement. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment must ensure the safe guiding of SCUBA diving activities that reflect the needs of a range of participants to demonstrate competency and consistency of performance. Assessment must also ensure access to: a suitable open water SCUBA dive site that enables the demonstration and practice of SCUBA diving techniques participants to take part in the SCUBA diving activity a suitable diving boat if required SCUBA, navigation, communication and safety equipment resources and information regarding participants and location to plan, guide and document SCUBA diving activity for a variety of participants. |
Method of assessment | A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit: observation of planning and guiding processes and interacting with a group of participants including conveying information for safe participation oral or written questioning to assess knowledge and application of relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures to enable safe conduct of all SCUBA diving activities observation of dealing with contingencies such as changing weather conditions and equipment failure review of SCUBA diving activity plans third-party reports from a supervisor detailing performance. Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended. |
Range Statement
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included. | |
Condition of participants may include: | age cultural and situational factors previous experience and knowledge physical development diver's build, weight and lung capacity. |
Plan may include: | aims and objectives date, time and duration location, equipment and resources safety and emergency requirements. |
Relevant legislation may include: | occupational health and safety permits or permission for access working with children environmental regulations marine regulations. |
Organisational policies and procedures may include: | occupational health and safety: medically fit to dive to a maximum of 18 metres communication protocols assessment procedures time and budget constraints confidentiality of participant information code of ethics. |
Industry technical and safety criteria may include: | British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) SCUBA Schools International (SSI). |
Hazards may include: | temperature extremes rough conditions rocks and reefs boat traffic phobias darkness or poor visibility decompression water depth squeezes barotrauma panic aquatic animals and plants. |
Risks may include: | hypothermia heat exhaustion injuries exhaustion lost party or party member equipment failure near drowning getting separated from group barotrauma nitrogen narcosis contaminated SCUBA air cramps pressure or volume or density relationships buoyancy respiration air consumption direct and indirect effects of pressure nitrogen narcosis oxygen toxicity carbon monoxide toxicity stings or bites Decompression Illness (DCI): Ingassing or offgassing nitrogen residual nitrogen. |
Relevant sources may include: | Bureau of Meteorology media land managers or agencies coastal patrol or coastguard volunteer marine rescue local knowledge. |
Weather and environmental information may include: | satellite images daily and weekly forecasts maximum and minimum temperatures weather warnings event warnings river warnings synoptic charts high and low tide predictions. |
Food and water requirements may include: | menu planning and preparation range of foods. |
Principles of nutrition may include: | food groups dietary guidelines individual food requirements and allergies. |
Contextual issues may include: | weather conditions, including times season transport location trip distance and duration group objectives group size season and weather participant characteristics number of staff safety and rescue requirements dive duration depth and currents. |
Equipment may include: | fins mask snorkel wetsuit or drysuits buoyancy control device (BCD) with low pressure inflator compressed air cylinder and valve regulator and backpack alternate air source submersible pressure gauge timing device depth gauge no-decompression tables computer weight belt and weights diver's tools safety and rescue equipment specialist diving equipment communication equipment navigation equipment. |
Relevant information may include: | personal equipment requirements safety procedures buddy and communication systems responsible behaviour risk and hazard prevention and management. |
Communication system may include: | calls radio hand signals whistles head signals dive slate dive flags dive site maps visual or physical contact with buddy. |
SCUBA diving techniques may include: | entries to and exits from the water mask and regulator removal, recovery and replacement in water buddy system buoyancy control underwater navigation descending and ascending equalising pressure self and buddy rescues bearings or reciprocal bearings dive calculations. |
In-water supervision may include: | monitoring diver's air ensuring planned bottom times aren't exceeded ensuring divers don't get separated or run low on air. |
Variable factors may include: | change of weather equipment failure water conditions. |
Relevant aspects may include: | objectives planning process activity site weather equipment selection clothing selection food selection instructional content assessment technique group feedback directing techniques rescue techniques employed. |
Sectors
Outdoor Recreation
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills.
Licensing Information
No licensing, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.