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Title / Instruct and assess client underwater navigation SCUBA dives in open water
Level / 6 / Credits / 3
Purpose / People credited with this unit standard are able to: instruct and assess clients’ knowledge of navigation; plan and prepare for instruction and assessment of client navigation dives; and instruct and assess client underwater navigation SCUBA dives in open water.
Classification / Diving > Diving - Instruction
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 PADI Divemaster certification and have completed an Instructor Training Course, or SSI Dive Control Specialist certification and have completed an Instructor Development Course, 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
Assessment refers to the candidate instructor’s assessment of a group of divers applying industry technical and safety criteria. A group is considered to be a minimum of two people.
Clients refer to individuals who are certified as open water divers.
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.
Instruction refers to the candidate instructor’s act of imparting knowledge or skills as per industry technical and safety criteria.
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.
5 Assessment may be undertaken in simulated conditions.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Instruct and assess clients’ knowledge of navigation.
Evidence requirements
1.1 Clients are instructed and assessed on underwater navigation in accordance with industry technical and safety criteria.
Range may include but is not limited to – identifying natural features and how they can aid in underwater navigation, types and features of compasses;
a minimum of one is required.
1.2 Clients are instructed and assessed on compass use in accordance with industry technical and safety criteria.
Range may include but is not limited to – holding the compass and setting a heading, setting a reciprocal, plotting a three sided, four sided and multi heading course, fixing a position, drift correction, dead reckoning;
a minimum of one is required.
1.3 Clients are instructed and assessed on measuring distance and ascertaining speed underwater in accordance with industry technical and safety criteria.
Range may include but is not limited to – kick cycles, arm spans, measured line or tape measure, elapsed time, cylinder pressure;
a minimum of one is required.
Outcome 2
Plan and prepare for instruction and assessment of client navigation dives.
Evidence requirements
2.1 Dive planning and preparation is conducted and parameters established for client navigation dives in accordance with industry technical and safety criteria.
Range pre dive briefing, dive objective, assessment of dive site and environmental conditions, hazard identification, emergency procedures, maximum depth and bottom time, returning air pressure, entry and exit procedures, descent and ascent procedures, direction, communication, safety and specialist equipment setup, instructor and client dive equipment selection, assembly and checks, buddy team selection and checks, roles and responsibilities including that of topside personnel.
Outcome 3
Instruct and assess client underwater navigation SCUBA dives in open water.
Evidence requirements
3.1 Client navigation dive planning and preparation is assessed in accordance with the dive plan and industry technical and safety criteria.
3.2 Clients are instructed and assessed to conduct navigation dives in accordance with a dive plan and industry technical and safety criteria.
Range entry, descent, buoyancy control, monitoring of time, depth, air supply, equipment, direction, proximity to buddy, underwater communication, ascent, exit.
3.3 Clients are instructed and assessed to conduct underwater navigation skills in open water in accordance with industry technical and safety criteria.
Range may include but is not limited to – a straight line and its reciprocal, a prescribed three sided route, a prescribed four sided route, a prescribed multi heading route, measuring distance using kick cycles and arm spans, measuring speed via elapsed time and a measured line, navigation using natural phenomena;
a minimum of two is required.
3.4 Post dive procedures are conducted in accordance with the dive plan and industry technical and safety criteria.
Range debriefing, client feedback regarding skill performance and adherence to the dive plan, logging dives.
Replacement information / This unit standard replaced unit standard 8277.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