wetrocksrock
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Up until about 6 months ago, I had no idea that SDI offered a Scientific Diver certification. No, not their Research Diver program that can be found via a quick Google search. Scientific Diver is a whole separate certification.
Earlier this month, I was given an opportunity to proctor both of these courses over 2 exhaustingly long weekends. 6 days and 18+ dives. I rarely feel the need to let the world know about something that I saw or experienced, but quite frankly, these two courses were absolutely extraordinary and deserve to be detailed for the entire dive community.
To start, let's discuss the "why". Why would a diver want to become a Research and Scientific Diver? Most of the students in this course were enrolled in a Florida-based university and were either on track to become marine scientists or were interested in the STEM fields as potential career tracks. However, one student was simply a citizen scientist who was interested in participating in research projects and volunteering at local aquariums. These courses are designed to give divers the tools needed to participate in whatever level of science interests them, and it teaches them how to be part of a research-oriented team that is being managed by a Dive Safety Officer (DSO).
Now let's jump to the "how". How are these courses structured, and what are the outcomes? Well, one thing that you will notice is that both Research Diver and Scientific Diver have one common theme...making divers safer and more confident by building water comfort. Once water comfort exist, the actual scientific techniques can be executed flawlessly based on the needs of a project and the procedures that are outlined by the DSO. Here is what these students endured:
Day 1 (Lake Denton):
- General Course Overview
- Responsibilities of a DSO
- Knot Tying Techniques
- Precision Buoyancy Control
- Proper Ascent and Descent (Rate and Body Positioning)
Day 2 (Lake Denton):
- Search Patterns (3 Types)
- Navigation
- Kick Cycles
- Buoyancy, Trim, Propulsion (Frog Kick and Back Kick), and Balance
- Gear Streamlining
- Documentation Techniques
- Advanced Equipment Use (i.e. Reels, Underwater Metal Detectors, Sifters, Etc.)
Day 3 (Lake Denton):
- Advanced Documentation Techniques
- Grid Establishment
- Small Site Excavation and Documentation Using All Techniques Learned
Day 4 (Hudson Grotto):
- Entanglement Management
- Lift Bag Usage
- DSMB Deployment (Neutral and Over a Platform)
- Rescue Skills Review
- Site Survey and Sketching
- Soil and Water Sample Collection
Day 5 (Hudson Grotto):
- DSMB Deployment (Neutral and Without Visual Reference)
- Advanced Navigation
- Advanced Site Documentation
Day 6 (Fanning Springs):
- Full, 10'x10' Site Excavation Using All Techniques Learned
Amongst all of the skills listed above, the weekend consisted of endless conversations about a variety of topics where the students learned small tips and tricks through asking curious questions. The improvement in diver performance that I witnessed from Day 1 to Day 6 was equivalent to what I have seen in many technical courses. Despite these students arriving as strictly recreational divers, they left as working divers with buoyancy, trim, and propulsion techniques that would rival those displayed by any newly-certified technical diver.
Like I said, I rarely feel the need to share my experience during a course, but these instructors went above and beyond every expectation I had. The lone citizen scientist student summed up my feelings perfectly when he looked at one of the instructors and said "You guys really don't charge enough for these classes. The knowledge I just gained is far greater than the money I just spent."
I am always happy to chat more about what I experienced, and connect you with an instructor if you think these courses would be something of interest!
Happy diving
Earlier this month, I was given an opportunity to proctor both of these courses over 2 exhaustingly long weekends. 6 days and 18+ dives. I rarely feel the need to let the world know about something that I saw or experienced, but quite frankly, these two courses were absolutely extraordinary and deserve to be detailed for the entire dive community.
To start, let's discuss the "why". Why would a diver want to become a Research and Scientific Diver? Most of the students in this course were enrolled in a Florida-based university and were either on track to become marine scientists or were interested in the STEM fields as potential career tracks. However, one student was simply a citizen scientist who was interested in participating in research projects and volunteering at local aquariums. These courses are designed to give divers the tools needed to participate in whatever level of science interests them, and it teaches them how to be part of a research-oriented team that is being managed by a Dive Safety Officer (DSO).
Now let's jump to the "how". How are these courses structured, and what are the outcomes? Well, one thing that you will notice is that both Research Diver and Scientific Diver have one common theme...making divers safer and more confident by building water comfort. Once water comfort exist, the actual scientific techniques can be executed flawlessly based on the needs of a project and the procedures that are outlined by the DSO. Here is what these students endured:
Day 1 (Lake Denton):
- General Course Overview
- Responsibilities of a DSO
- Knot Tying Techniques
- Precision Buoyancy Control
- Proper Ascent and Descent (Rate and Body Positioning)
Day 2 (Lake Denton):
- Search Patterns (3 Types)
- Navigation
- Kick Cycles
- Buoyancy, Trim, Propulsion (Frog Kick and Back Kick), and Balance
- Gear Streamlining
- Documentation Techniques
- Advanced Equipment Use (i.e. Reels, Underwater Metal Detectors, Sifters, Etc.)
Day 3 (Lake Denton):
- Advanced Documentation Techniques
- Grid Establishment
- Small Site Excavation and Documentation Using All Techniques Learned
Day 4 (Hudson Grotto):
- Entanglement Management
- Lift Bag Usage
- DSMB Deployment (Neutral and Over a Platform)
- Rescue Skills Review
- Site Survey and Sketching
- Soil and Water Sample Collection
Day 5 (Hudson Grotto):
- DSMB Deployment (Neutral and Without Visual Reference)
- Advanced Navigation
- Advanced Site Documentation
Day 6 (Fanning Springs):
- Full, 10'x10' Site Excavation Using All Techniques Learned
Amongst all of the skills listed above, the weekend consisted of endless conversations about a variety of topics where the students learned small tips and tricks through asking curious questions. The improvement in diver performance that I witnessed from Day 1 to Day 6 was equivalent to what I have seen in many technical courses. Despite these students arriving as strictly recreational divers, they left as working divers with buoyancy, trim, and propulsion techniques that would rival those displayed by any newly-certified technical diver.
Like I said, I rarely feel the need to share my experience during a course, but these instructors went above and beyond every expectation I had. The lone citizen scientist student summed up my feelings perfectly when he looked at one of the instructors and said "You guys really don't charge enough for these classes. The knowledge I just gained is far greater than the money I just spent."
I am always happy to chat more about what I experienced, and connect you with an instructor if you think these courses would be something of interest!
Happy diving
