BSAC DEEP SDC

Deep Diving

These days, many recreational divers regularly dive to depths of 30 metres and deeper. Most diving agencies recommend that the maximum depth for recreational diving is between 40 -50 meters. Different agencies and divers may even specify what they consider to be a deep dive. In truth, a “deep dive” should be considered as a dive deeper than the individual has previously experienced. There are also different opinions on what is considered a no decompression dive and what is a decompression dive? The simple answer to this is that all dives involve some level of decompression on the ascent phase and therefore, technically speaking all dives can be considered as decompression dives.

This course is therefore aimed at recreational divers who wish to dive to a maximum depth of 40 metres and who can also conduct planned staged decompression stop dives safely.

What are the attractions of deep diving? Most divers would agree that the attractions of deep diving is, to discover dive sites that are rarely visited by other divers, to explore new undiscovered dive sites, to visit more intact wrecks (which are usually in good condition due to the depth of water they lie in) and to extend ones depth experience and training.

Course aims:

The aim of this course, is to instruct divers in the correct techniques and procedures involved in conducting deep dives. The course will give the diver both theoretical and practical experience in planning and executing deep dives safely and with competence. Some agencies deep diving syllabuses requires that all divers need to return to the same decent line in order to gain access to their emergency spare air. In this course the diver is trained to carry enough air with them for the entire dive including any stops or emergencies, incase they cannot return to the ascent line and enabling them to complete the dive safely.

The course is open to BSAC Sports Divers or equivalent that have already logged a minimum of 20 dives and have reach a maximum depth of 30 metres.  

Course Duration:

The course duration is 3 - days

Theory lessons:

The first lesson starts with a look at the definition of  ‘what is a deep dive’ and what is decompression? In the first lesson we also look at some Physics and Physiology that relates to deep diving. Lesson 2 covers the different types of equipment needed for deep diving and how to use it. As mentioned in the introduction, divers are expected to carry all of their air requirements. This means the use of a single back cylinder together with a second side mount cylinder. With this in mind, this lesson also looks at the different equipment configurations. The third lesson covers Oxygen and it use for treating divers who may be suffering from deep diving relates injuries. Deep diving requires comprehensive dive planning so lessons 4 and 5 address these two topics. In lesson 4 we will look at air calculation, personal gas consumption rate, back up breathing supply and dive profiling. Lesson 5 covers dive planning in general. In this lesson we look at site location and calculating the actual depths expected at the time of the dive, planning to dive when the best conditions are present (currents and slack tide etc) and we also look at the best weather conditions for the dive.

Practical Dry Lessons:

Before you start your open water dives,the instructor will run you through some dry surface skills so that once    under water you will have had a dry practice of these skills beforehand. These lessons will also familiarize you with equipment that you may or may not have used before. This lesson will show you how to construct a Shotline, running out and retrieving a distance line (both of these skills will involve rope work and tying knots). There will also be an equipment configuration section, where you will learn how to set up your equipment to suit you. The last part of the theory lessons will address Dive Planning. You will be shown how to plan the dive, calculate the gas needed for your dive and general logistics of the dive. The planning sections will then be repeated before each dive.

Open Water Dives

This section starts with a shallow water skill session. The aim is to familiarize you with the new equipment configuration and run you through some fundamental skills needed to use this equipment competently. You will start by running a distance line, which you will have already mastered on dry land. Other skills will include, Gas switching from your main cylinder to your slide cylinders and vice ser versa, emergency gas sharing, where you will learn to breath from your buddy’s Alternate Source (AS) and deploying a Delayed Surface Marker Buoy.

This lesson is then followed by a series of 4 - dives; all at varying depths. The first 3 - dives will be planned as simulated decompression dives. On each of these dives, you will repeat most of the skills form the shallow water lesson plus a few new skills. Again each of these dives will be fully planned with regards to maintain dive profiles emergency profile and gas calculations etc.

On dive four, you will plan and execute a dive that will require a mandatory decompression stop(s). The maximum depth of this dive will 40 metres.

Upon completion of the BSAC Deep Diver course, students then have the option to move onto the Technical Explorer Course, either Twinset or Sidemount. As the bulk of the theory is the same as the Deep course all the students have to do is complete the Equipment theory lessons from the Twinset or Sidemount course, do the dry practical sessions then complete all the necessary dives.