BSAC Advanced Mixed Gas Diver - Advanced (80m)

AIM

To qualify as a BSAC Advanced Mixed Gas Diver who is competent to:

• Conduct dives with an open circuit buddy who is a minimum of a Sports Diver (or equivalent), within the restrictions of the lesser, in conditions already encountered by either during their training or previous experience, and under the supervision of a Dive Manager.
• Conduct dives with another mixed gas diver or mixed gas rebreather diver, within the restrictions of the lesser, in conditions already encountered by either during their training or previous experience and within BSAC Safe Diving.
• Conduct dives with an appropriately qualified diver to expand their experience, within the limits of their mixed gas certification, beyond that previously encountered. An appropriately qualified diver would normally be a minimum of Dive Leader or equivalent, but may also be a Sports diver who has additional relevant qualifications (e.g. IANTD Tri-mix Diver, IANTD Tri-mix Rebreather Diver, TDI Tri-mix Diver, etc.) gained through formal training with a recognised agency. Such dives should be under the supervision of a Dive Marshal who is ideally an experienced mixed gas diver.
• Dive, subject to a progressive build up of depth experience beyond that encountered during their training, to a maximum depth limit of 80 metres.
• Plan and conduct dives requiring mandatory decompression.
• Rescue another mixed gas diver from depth and hand over to an appropriate in-water dive support team (It is accepted that the students are able to rescue an open circuit diver to the surface by virtue of the course entry requirements).
• Conduct dives where other divers, capable of providing assistance and rescue management skills, are available at the surface.

COURSE OUTLINE

The advanced mixed gas diver course consists of the following elements:

• Eight classroom lessons.
• A theory assessment.
• A dry practical lesson of two hours.
• One or more sheltered water lessons of not less than 120 minutes total in-water duration.
• Five open water lessons, dependant on student performance, with a total underwater duration of not less than 300 minutes and an individual lesson duration of not less than 45 minutes.

All practical training in both sheltered and open water includes the achievement of specific performance standards at appropriate points throughout the lessons.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

In order to attend this course, students must comply with the following:

• Be a minimum of 18 years of age
• Hold a minimum diver grade of BSAC Sports Diver (or equivalent with a valid 35 metre depth certification).
• Be able to demonstrate a high level of proficiency in diving. In general terms, this usually entails about 100 logged dives.
• Hold a BSAC Advanced Nitrox Diver and BSAC Extended Range Diver (or equivalent) or BSAC Sport Mixed Gas Diver certification (or equivalent).

EQUIPMENT CONFIGURATION

For Sheltered Water training, the following student equipment configuration is assumed:

• Twin back cylinders
• ï€ Two stage cylinders, minimum 7 litre capacity
• Access to an Alternate Source (AS) ‘octopus’ demand valve, minimum hose length 1.5 metres
• Mask & fins
• Weight belt or integrated weights where necessary.
• Spare mask

When progressing to open water lessons the equipment should also include:

• Depth gauge and watch/timer or decompression computer
• Suitable mixed gas for the lesson
• A delayed surface marker buoy and reel
• An emergency delayed surface maker buoy
• An additional surface detection aid (e.g. a folding flag)
• Protective clothing as appropriate
• Two Torches
• Run time slate

FACILITIES

Suitable classroom with teaching aids for formal presentations. Suitable shallow water dive site (10 metres maximum) for skills development. Dive sites with 40 metres maximum for open water dives 1 and 2. Dive 3, with maximum depth to 55 metres. Dive 4, with a maximum depth to 65 metres and Dive 5, with a maximum depth to 75 metres.

APPROVAL

Technical skill development course approval procedure applies.

QUALIFICATION

Course certification will be issued by BSAC HQ after the event.

LESSON SYLLABUS

Day One

Instructor briefing

Course Introduction

• Course outline
• Assessment
• BSAC Advanced Mixed Gas Diver
• Course implementation
• Course programme

Theory Lesson Introduction to Mixed Gas Diving

• Mixed gas diver certification
• History and development
• What is mixed gas diving?
• Why dive mixed gases?
• Issues

Theory Lesson Equipment and decompression systems

• Equipment rigging
• Diver configuration
  • Cylinders
  • Gas analysis
  • Regulators
  • Buoyancy
  • Accessories
  • Dive computers
• Decompression systems
  • Lazy shot
  • Trapeze
  • Back-up stage cylinders
  • Drop cylinders

Dry Practical Lesson Equipment Preparation

Open Water Lesson Sheltered Water Skills

• Pre-dive
• Briefing
• Kit configuration and kit up
  • Waterside checks
  • Buddy checks
• Descent phase
  • Bubble and equipment check
  • Gas switch
  • Computer gas switch
• Bottom phase
  • Travel to Bottom gas Switch
  • Bottom gas regulator switch.
  • Weighting, trim & buoyancy
  • Change to spare mask
  • Isolation and shut down procedures
  • Stage cylinder ditch and retrieve
  • Stage cylinder hand off
  • Out of gas response
• Ascent phase
  • Seabed DSMB deployment
  • Switch to travel gas
  • Switch to decompression gas
  • Simulated decompression stop
  • Out of travel or decompression gas response
• Surface phase
  • Hand up stages & exit
• Post dive actions

Theory Lesson Physiology

• Narcosis
• Helium
• High Pressure Neurological Syndrome
• Carbon Dioxide Retention
• Fitness
• Oxygen
• Stress

Day Two

Theory lesson Decompression Theory

• Background
• Bubble circle
• Bubble theory
  • Haldanean concept
  • Dissolved gas model
  • Critical volume model
  • Arterial bubble model
  • Micro bubbles
  • Deep stops
• Helium decompression
• General advice

Theory lesson Dive Conduct

• Preparation
• Stress management
• Diving sequence

Theory lesson Dive Planning

• The qualification
• Gas selection
• Custom gas selection
• Gas selection - reserve
• Dive planning
• PC software - dive examples
• Gas management
• Run time management
• Decompression analysis

Open water lesson Open Water Dive 1

• Dive planning
  • Decompression dive with maximum of 15 minutes ascent time
  • Prepare run time slate
• Pre-dive
  • Equipment preparation
  • Waterside checks
  • Briefing
  • Pre-dive checks
  • Kit configuration and kit up
  • Buddy checks
• Descent phase
  • Bubble check
  • Travel gas to bottom gas switch
• Bottom phase
  • Weighting, trim & Buoyancy
  • Gas switches
  • Shut down and Isolation procedure.
  • Gas monitoring and management
  • Run time management
• Ascent
  • â—‹ Run time management
  • â—‹ Bottom gas to travel gas switch
  • â—‹ Mid-water DSMB deployment
  • â—‹ Decompression stops
  • â—‹ Switch to decompression gas
  • â—‹ Stage cylinder hand off
  • â—‹ Static
• Surface phase
  • â—‹ Hand up stages & exit
• Post dive actions

Open water lesson Open Water Dive 2

• Dive planning
  • Decompression dive with maximum of 15 minutes ascent time
  • Prepare run time slate
• Pre-dive
  • Equipment preparation
  • Waterside checks
  • Briefing
  • Pre-dive checks
  • Kit configuration and kit up
  • Buddy checks
• Descent phase
  • Bubble check
  • Travel gas to bottom gas switch
• Bottom phase
  • Weighting, trim & Buoyancy
  • Gas switches
  • Shut down and Isolation procedure.
  • Gas monitoring and management
  • Run time management
  • Bottom Line
• Ascent
  • Run time management
  • Bottom gas to travel gas switch
  • Mid-water DSMB deployment
  • Decompression stops
  • Switch to decompression gas
• Surface phase
  • Hand up stages & exit
• Post dive actions

Day Three

Open water lesson Open Water Dive 3

• Dive planning
  • Decompression dive with maximum of 30 minutes ascent time
  • Prepare run time slate
• Pre-dive
  • Equipment preparation
  • Waterside checks
  • Briefing
  • Pre-dive checks
  • Kit configuration and kit up
  • Visualisation of the dive
  • Buddy checks
• Descent phase
  • Lazy shot deployment
  • Bubble check
  • Travel gas to bottom gas switch
• Bottom phase
  • Weighting, trim & Buoyancy
  • Gas switches
  • Bottom Line
  • Gas monitoring and management
  • Run time management
• Ascent
  • Run time management
  • Bottom gas to travel gas switch
  • Shot line ascent
  • Lazy shot procedure
  • Decompression stops
  • Switch to decompression gas
• Surface phase
  • Hand up stages & exit
• Post dive actions

Theory lesson Dive Marshalling Liaison

• Qualifications
• “Duty of Careâ€?
• Dive Marshal
• Dive marshalling slate
• Boat diving

Day Four

Open water lesson Open Water Dive 4

• Dive planning
  • Decompression dive with maximum of 45 minutes ascent time
  • Prepare run time slate
• Pre-dive
  • Equipment preparation
  • Waterside checks
  • Briefing
  • Pre-dive checks
  • Kit configuration and kit up
  • Visualisation of the dive
  • Buddy checks
• Descent phase
  • Lazy shot deployment
  • Bubble check
  • Travel gas to bottom gas switch
• Bottom phase
  • Weighting, trim & Buoyancy
  • Gas switches
  • Bottom Line
  • Gas monitoring and management
  • Run time management
• Ascent
  • Run time management
  • Bottom gas to travel gas switch
  • Shot line ascent
  • Lazy shot procedure
  • Decompression stops
  • Switch to decompression gas
• Surface phase
  • Hand up stages & exit
• Post dive actions

Day Five

Open water lesson Open Water Dive 5

• Dive planning
  • Decompression dive with maximum of 60 minutes ascent time
  • Prepare run time slate
• â—? Pre-dive
  • Equipment preparation
  • Waterside checks
  • Briefing
  • Pre-dive checks
  • Kit configuration and kit up
  • Visualisation of the dive
  • Buddy checks
• Descent phase
  • Bubble check
  • Travel gas to bottom gas switch
• Bottom phase
  • Weighting, trim & Buoyancy
  • Gas switches
  • Gas monitoring and management
  • Run time management
• Ascent
  • Run time management
  • Bottom gas to travel gas switch
  • Mode of ascent
  • Decompression stops
  • Switch to decompression gas
• Surface phase
  • Hand up stages & exit
• Post dive actions