BSAC National Instructor

National Instructor Overview

If you want to be one of the most highly qualified and most respected Instructors; possibly in the world, then you want to take the BSAC National Instructor Examination. 
The National Instructor qualification is not only the highest BSAC Instructor level but National Instructors are really important to the BSAC organization. They are the ones who bring forward new courses and adapt to technical developments in the sport. They have to ensure the safety and the quality of all of the training offered though our extensive instructor base. 
The National Instructor is expected to organize and get involved in BSAC national events, especially on all of the higher level Instructor Training events, as well as the First Class Diver workshops and exams.   

 

Entry requirement

 
• Entry level requirements are that the candidate must be a First Class Diver and must have gained this qualification within the last two years. For First Class Diver’s who take the National Instructor Exam after this two year period has elapsed, will mean that the candidate needs to re-take and pass the First Class Diver Theory Exam again prior to taking the National Instructor Exam.

• Must be a BSAC Advanced Instructor

 
• Must be a BSAC Advanced Instructor Trainer and must have experience teaching and examining Instructors up to Advanced Instructor levels

• Must be a current member of BSAC Thailand

Exam duration

 
          The National Instructor grade requires students to pass a 4 day practical Examination. Over these 4 days you will be examined in 23 separate assessments.

National Instructor Exam contents

The National Instructor Exam covers the follow areas:

Classroom Presentation

    You will be expected to prepare and present a presentation on a subject that would be of interest to both First Class Divers and National Instructors.

Rescue Assessment

In this section you will be assessed in three different areas. The first assessment is where you demonstrate your ability to perform a Control Buoyant Rescue lift from a depth of 30 meters. This is then followed by a combined rescue tow and rescue breaths for a distance of 100 metres, then removing the casualty from the water. The third element is to give full Basic Life Support, Oxygen Administration and Evacuation. The type of evacuation would be indicated by the examiner, but would most likely include an air lift by helicopter. 

  
Swimming assessment 

This assessment involves a 1000 metres swim, with a group of snorkelers. At some part of this swimming assessment, you will be expected to deal with and act to an emergency that will involve one of the snorkelers.

Pool skill demonstration Presentation:

 
There are two assessments in this section. In the first assessment, you will demonstrate a skill at the level expected from a National Instructor to your students, who for the purpose of this lesson will be Instructor trainees. In the second assessment, you will watch the instructor trainee teaching their group of students. At the end of this lesson you will assess whether the trainee instructors have met the criteria of their demonstration and offer them some feed back on their performance.

Open Water Assessment:

 
As with the Pool assessment this section also consist of a further two assessments, one of a demonstration and the other will be on assessing the instructor trainee on their performance. This lesson will be conducted in open water and the skill demonstrated will be an open water skill, such as running a distance line or deploying a Delayed Surface Marker Buoy etc.

 
Large Boat Deep Dive:

The aim of this assessment is to assess your ability in a number of areas. You will firstly be assessed on you ability to lead a team of divers on a deep dive. You will be assessed on the leadership skills, dive control and discipline under navigational skills etc. On the second deep dive you will demonstrate a skill that is related to deep diving activities. Throughout these dives you will be continually assessed on your management and dive planning/conduct abilities. And finally, whilst diving from the hard boat you will also be assessed on your ability to act as an active and effective hard boat crewmember.

 
Small Boat Handling:

In this assessment you will be examined on your ability to handle a small powerboat. This will also include both nautical navigation and using electronic instruments or using manual methods of locating the dive sites. On this assessment you will also be expected to teach some boat handling skills to your students. You will also teach Position fixing.

 
Large Boat Handling and Navigation:

Although divers would not normally drive a hard boat unless they are probably qualified to do so. However for the propose of this assessment, as a National Instructor who is diving from a hard boat you should be able to pilot and navigate such a vessel back to the safety of the port in the case where the Skipper is incapable of taking control of the vessel himself due to some emergency. Under guidance of the skipper you will be assessed on your ability to take charge of the vessel under such circumstances.

 
Large Boat Presentation:

Throughout the hard boat diving activities, the examiner will asked you to give an “on the spot” 5 minute presentation to your students relating to the hard boat

Large and Small Boat diving operations and management:

This section covers your diving operational skills both for Large and Small Boat diving. This assessment will be a continuous process over the complete duration of the exam, as all dives will be conducted from either of these types of boats. Also being assess are you management skills. 

 
On the Spot Questions:

Over the 4 day exam you will be expected to answer correctly, on the spot questions asked by the examiners.

 
Other assessment areas:

As a National Instructor you will not only be assessed on your personal skills and theory knowledge, but be assess on personal contributes areas such as, effective team player, professional and personal attitude, flexibility skills, communication skills etc. 

 
National Instructor Interview:

As a National Instructor you will be acting on behalf of BSAC both on a national and international level.
The examiners will conduct an interview with you to assess you on both your political and diplomacy skills when dealing with BSAC branches, dive centres or any other third parties.
On successful completion of all 23 exam areas you will be awarded the highest BSAC award possible; the BSAC National Instructor