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Title / Complete dry suit SCUBA dives in open water
Level / 3 / Credits / 3
Purpose / People credited with this unit standard are able to: demonstrate knowledge of dry suit diving; and plan and perform dry suit SCUBA dives in open water.
Classification / Diving > Diving - Recreational
Available grade / Achieved
Entry information
Critical health and safety prerequisites / Hold a current fit to dive medical clearance signed by a physician.
People seeking credit for this unit standard must hold either the PADI or SSI Open Water certification, or Unit 28392, SCUBA dive in open water to maximum depth of 18 metres, or demonstrate equivalent knowledge and skills.
Explanatory notes
1 Industry 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.
2 All dive operations must comply with the requirements of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992, the Health and Safety in Employment Regulations 1995, the Accident Compensation Act 2001, AS/NZS 2299.3:2003 Occupational diving operations – Recreational industry diving and snorkelling operations and the Guidelines for Occupational Diving 2004.
3 Sufficiency for this unit standard requires a minimum of two open water dives.
4 Definitions
Dive plan refers to the procedures by which the accredited dive provider’s diving operations are implemented for all dives required to meet this standard.
Open water is any natural body of water realistic of local diving conditions in terms of water movement, temperature, visibility, depth and aquatic life.
PADI refers to the Professional Association of Diving Instructors.
SCUBA refers to Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus.
SSI refers to Scuba Schools International.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Demonstrate knowledge of dry suit diving.
Evidence requirements
1.1 Types, features, selection and maintenance of dry suits are described in accordance with industry technical and safety criteria.
Range types may include but are not limited to – neoprene foam, coated fabric, crushed neoprene, vulcanised rubber, trilaminate, composite;
a minimum of two is required;
features may include but are not limited to – zippers, neck seals, wrist seals, inflation valves, exhaust valves, boots, attached hood, knee pads, pockets, suspenders;
a minimum of six is required;
selection may include but is not limited to – advantages of dry suits, disadvantages of dry suits, water temperature, individual thermal characteristics, activity level, depth, dive duration;
a minimum of five is required.
maintenance may include but is not limited to – general care, zippers, valves, seal care and adjustment, storage, packing a dry suit for transport, repair;
a minimum of three is required.
1.2 Dry suit diving equipment is described in accordance with industry technical and safety criteria.
Range may include but is not limited to – undergarments, buoyancy control device, weight systems, hood, gloves, mask, snorkel, fins, first and second stage regulators, submersible pressure gauge, compass, knife, dive computer or timing device;
a minimum of ten is required.
1.3 Dry suit diving skills and techniques are described in accordance with industry technical and safety criteria.
Range may include but is not limited to – donning and doffing, eliminating excess air, buoyancy checks and weight distribution, maintaining positive buoyancy at the surface, adjusting buoyancy underwater.
1.4 Causes, prevention and techniques for handling dry suit diving hazards are described in accordance with industry technical and safety criteria.
Range suit squeeze, excess buoyancy, overweighting, flooding.
Outcome 2
Plan and perform dry suit SCUBA dives in open water.
Evidence requirements
2.1 Dive planning and preparation is conducted and parameters established for dry suit dives in accordance with industry technical and safety criteria.
Range dry suit dive objective, assessment of dive site and environmental conditions, hazard identification, emergency procedures including lost buddy, maximum depth and bottom time, returning air pressure, entry and exit procedures, descent and ascent procedures, direction, communication, safety and specialist equipment setup, personal dive equipment selection, assembly and checks, buddy team selection and checks, roles and responsibilities including that of topside personnel.
2.2 Dry suit dives are performed in accordance with the dive plan and industry technical and safety criteria.
2.3 Dry suit dive skills are performed in accordance with industry technical and safety criteria.
Range may include but is not limited to – donning and doffing, entry, eliminating excess air, buoyancy checks and weight distribution, maintaining positive buoyancy at the surface, adjusting buoyancy underwater, disconnecting and reconnecting the low pressure hose from the dry suit inflator valve while underwater, removal and replacement of SCUBA unit and weight system whilst at the surface, controlled descent, ascent with a three minute safety stop at five metres, exit;
a minimum of ten is required.
Replacement information / This unit standard replaced unit standard 4391.Planned review date / 31 December 2019
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for Assessment /Registration / 1 / 20 November 2014 / N/A
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0099
This CMR can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
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.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact Skills Active Aotearoa Limited if you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
Skills Active Aotearoa LimitedSSB Code 101576 / Ó New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2014