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Title / Navigate prescribed routes underwater
Level / 3 / Credits / 4
Purpose / People credited with this unit standard are able to measure prescribed routes underwater; determine direction of the prescribed route underwater; and navigate the prescribed route underwater.
Classification / Diving > Diving - Recreational
Available grade / Achieved
Entry information
Critical health and safety prerequisites / Unit 4384, Scuba dive and perform rescues in open water to a maximum depth of 18 metres, or demonstrate equivalent knowledge and skills.
Explanatory notes
1Distances covered in this unit standard must exceed the underwater visibility.
2Industry technical and safety criteria refer to dive instruction, supervision and performance being carried out in accordance with the standards, procedures and training materials of the respective dive training agency. The agency must meet or exceed the World Recreational Scuba Training Council training standards.
3All workplace diving practice must comply with the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, and the Health and Safety in Employment Regulations 1995. All practice must also comply with the Accident Compensation Act 2001 and the Guidelines for Occupational Diving 2004
4All training providers assessing against any instruction diving unit standard must ensure that the training is conducted by a qualified instructor currently registered with one of the listed agencies: National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI), Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), Scuba Schools International (SSI), Confédération Mondiale des Activitiés Subaquatiques (CMAS), International Diving Educators Association (IDEA), or an equivalent, determined by Skills Active Aotearoa Limited, that meets the requirements of the World Recreational Scuba Training Council (WRSTC), the instructor must provide training in accordance with the standards and procedures of the respective training agency.
5The route to be navigated in outcomes 2 and 3 will be prescribed by the assessor.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Measure prescribed routes underwater.
Evidence requirements
1.1Underwater distance is measured by kick cycles.
1.2Underwater distance is measured by time.
1.3Underwater distance is measured by arm spans.
Outcome 2
Determine direction of the prescribed route underwater.
Rangestraight line, turn.
Evidence requirements
2.1Direction of the prescribed route is determined using a compass.
2.2Direction of the prescribed route is determined using natural phenomena.
Outcome 3
Navigate the prescribed route underwater.
Evidence requirements
3.1A straight line and its reciprocal are navigated by standard measuring techniques and direction indicators.
Rangekick cycles, time, arm spans, using a compass, using natural phenomena.
3.2A prescribed route with changes of direction is navigated by standard measuring techniques and direction indicators.
Rangekick cycles, time, arm spans, using a compass, using natural phenomena.
3.3Dive practice meets industry technical and safety criteria.
Replacement information / This unit standard has been replaced by unit standard 28393.This unit standard is expiring. Assessment against the standard must take place by the last date for assessment set out below.
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 24 November 1995 / 31 December 2016
Revision / 2 / 17 July 2001 / 31 December 2016
Review / 3 / 21 February 2005 / 31 December 2016
Review / 4 / 20 November 2014 / 31 December 2016
Rollover / 5 / 18 August 2016 / 31 December 2018
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0099
This CMR can be accessed at
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Skills Active Aotearoa LimitedSSB Code 101576 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018 / / New Zealand Qualifications Aut