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Title / Complete a dive in open water using Enriched Air Nitrox (EANx)
Level / 3 / Credits / 3
Purpose / People credited with this unit standard are able to: demonstrate knowledge of EANx diving; perform nitrox cylinder content analysis; and plan and perform EANx dives in open water.
Classification / Diving > Diving-General
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 Watercertification, or Unit 28392, SCUBA dive in open water to maximum depth of 18 metres, or demonstrate equivalent knowledge and skills.
Explanatory notes
1Industry 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.
2All 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.
3Sufficiency for this unit standard requires the analysis of the content of a filled cylinder containing EAN32 or EAN36, and a minimum of two open water dives.
4Definitions
Dive plan refers to the procedures by which the accredited dive provider’s divingoperations are implemented for all dives required to meet this standard.
Enriched Air Nitrox (EANx) refers to either of the two gas mixtures used for recreational EANx SCUBA diving which have an oxygen concentration greater than the 21% present in normal atmospheric air – commonly referred to asEAN32 and EAN36.
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 EANx diving.
Evidence requirements
1.1The benefits of EANx diving and breathing less nitrogen are described in accordance with industry technical and safety criteria.
Rangeincreased bottom time, improved safety.
1.2The disadvantages or limitations of EANx diving and breathing more oxygen are described in accordance with industry technical and safety criteria.
Rangeadditional training, special equipment, cost and convenience of cylinder fills, additional risk of oxygen toxicity.
1.3EANx diving equipment and protocols are described in accordance with industry technical and safety criteria.
Rangeusing standard equipment, regulators, gauges, valves and cylinders used for nitrox, cylinder markings, oxygen analysers, protocols for dispensing nitrox, the need to analyse cylinder content.
1.4Planning in relation to EANx diving is described in accordance with industry technical and safety criteria.
Rangemanaging exposure to nitrogen using air based dive tables, managing exposure to nitrogen using a nitrox programmable dive computer, managing exposure to oxygen.
Outcome 2
Perform nitrox cylinder content analysis.
Evidence requirements
2.1Nitrox cylinder content analysis is performed in accordance with industry technical and safety criteria.
Outcome 3
Plan and perform EANx dives in open water.
Evidence requirements
3.1Dive planning and preparation is conducted and parameters established for EANx dives in accordance with industry technical and safety criteria.
Rangeanalysing the content of nitrox cylinder, 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.
3.2EANx dives are performed in accordance with the dive plan and industry technical and safety criteria.
Replacement information / This unit standard replaced unit standard 8271.Planned review date / 31 December 2019
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 20 November 2014 / N/A
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.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact Skills Active Aotearoa Limited you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
Skills Active Aotearoa LimitedSSB Code 101576 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018