NOAA science diver cert

[wrybosome]

Hi all.

If you've done the NOAA cert I'd like to hear your experience of it. Back in college I spent my electives on archaeology and have since spent several vacations on field work sites as a volunteer. Does the NOAA cert provide an opportunity to do that with diving?

 

[Diving Italy]

I would also be interested in hearing about this!

 

[Kingpatzer]

As far as I can tell, the NOAA cert is limited in availability and is primarily reserved for government employees.

From the NOAA website, the requirements are:

Trainee

• NOAA employee
• Successfully complete the academic portion of the NOAA Working Diver Course
• Logged less than 25 dives and/or failed to demonstrate diving proficiency required for certification
• Not authorized to perform working dives, training only
• Must accompany other NOAA diver also performing training only dive.

So step 1, unless you have some connection that can get you an exception to the very first requirement, is to get employed by NOAA.

 

[adm3745]

Introduction to AAUS and Scientific Diving . Around campus I have heard that this is a scientific diving training program. I don't know if you have to be a part of a university to get the training.

 

[muddiver]

You might be confusing a government agency's requirement for their employees with the American Academy of Underwater Science's Scientific Diver certification.

To be AAUS certified you need to be affiliated with either a university or an organization doing research that is scanctioned by the AAUS. I assist with the annual certifying course through the California State University in Long Beach, California. Usually the canidates are local university and college students that will be using diving for either their student projects or for research under the guidence of an affiliated professor.

The AAUS certification (it's a reccognition and rating as opposed to a C card like the scuba certs) is an introductory step into doing field work in marine biology, underwater archaeology and other scientific work, paid or volunteer. If you are in a scientific program then you might be eligable to go through the training course.

 

[M_Bipartitus]

Muddiver is correct about AAUS. It also happens to be that one of the only diving certs NOAA accepts other than their own is the AAUS cert. Since both internal NOAA training and AAUS training require affiliations with a scientific organization, it isn't too likely that these are options. NOAA also has a policy for divers "observing" underwater projects, but I don't know anyone who has done it. I suspect it's more for external review/oversight than letting divers come along to watch.

I have heard about a program in Florida and Georgia where recreational divers are allowed to participate in projects in National Marine Sanctuaries. The name of the program escapes me at the moment. If I remember the website, I'll post a link.

If you are interested in underwater archeology, you may want to look into a program like http://www.nasportsmouth.org.uk/ They have a few programs in North America open to recreational divers.

 

[wrybosome]

Thanks, it was AAUS I was thinking of. NOAA came to mind because of some interviews I've been listening to about the national marine sanctuaries.

 

[Diving Italy]

So (and forgive me for asking this) but what does the PADI National Geographic cert do for you?

I guess I assumed this line defined you as a "scientific diver" that could volunteer to assist scientist:

You'll learn to observe and explore like an underwater scientist.

I guess I should have smelled something fishy when this cert was available for Open Water divers. :sarcasm:

"P.A.D.I." = Put Another Dollar In

 

[M_Bipartitus]

While I think the extra focus on the ocean and lakes as an ecosystem and natural resource is good, I don't think there is much to PADI's marketing you reference.

Scientists and archeologist who use diving tend to view it as a tool to get to where they need to be for their research, just as a car or train is a tool to get to the office. In fact since the 60's many underwater archeologists tend to prefer to take an trained archeologist and teach them to dive rather than take a diver and teach them to be an archeologist. It's my personal opinion that this is a detriment to the field as it has a tendency to preclude some excellent divers from participating. There are many divers out there who have the attention to detail required to do this sort of work, but are seen as "just divers" by many archeologists. But I'm getting a bit off-topic...

 

[wrybosome]

In fact since the 60's many underwater archeologists tend to prefer to take an trained archeologist and teach them to dive rather than take a diver and teach them to be an archeologist

As I've read here several times, it's easier to teach someone to dive than it is to teach them to weld.