BSAC

4.2.1 Conduct of Branch Training
It is not the intention of this manual to tell you how to conduct lessons in the classroom, pool or open water. The best way to learn these techniques is to qualify as a BSAC Qualified Instructor. Full information on instructor courses is available on the BSAC Web site under The Instructor Training Scheme. However, a number of points need to be presented to suggest how a Branch can train efficiently and effectively.

4.2.2 Diving Instruction
If training is to be efficient and effective, it must be carefully organised and thoroughly conducted. This is the one area that above all, requires attention to detail and a professional attitude on the part of all concerned. While a dictionary defines a 'professional' as one who provides a service for financial reward, the word is also associated with someone who takes a pride in doing a job thoroughly. It is this latter definition, which should apply to teaching within a BSAC Branch. Efficiently conducted training will keep members happy: it also minimises the possibility of accidents.

Having joined a Branch, new members typically expect to begin training without delay and to make speedy progress - as perhaps they were promised when they took part in an Introduction to Diving / Try a Dive Course run by the Branch. Is the Branch able to keep this promise? BSAC Centre staff face the possibility of Consumer Protection Legislation if promised goods and services are not supplied. While such legislation does not apply to voluntary clubs such as BSAC Branches, they have the same moral responsibility to provide the opportunities and services that were promised to new members when they were recruited.

A professional approach to the organisation and conduct of training will see that such promises are met as far as possible, and that comprehensive training is given. Not only is this good for the trainee, it also safeguards the instructors.

4.2.3 Instructional Aids
Each BSAC Instructor should ideally have their own copies of the following documents:

Snorkel:
Snorkel Instructor Manual 'Ocean Explorer', which includes all the training material needed to teach BSAC snorkelling.

• Snorkelling for All Manual
• Pool prompt cards for the Basic and Snorkel Diver training
• Open Water prompt cards for the Ocean Snorkel Diver training
• A range of student workbooks and certification, badges
• Snorkel Dive Managing slate
• Snorkelling Qualification Record Books
• Snorkel Diver and Instructor qualification cards

SCUBA Instruction:
BSAC Instructor Manual, which is DVD based (issued March 2007), for all SCUBA diver qualifications.  The Manual contains instructor notes for each theory and practical lesson and is supplied with the original visual aids, together with Sample Theory Assessment papers.

Prompt Cards - waterproof slates on which practical lesson contents are printed are available for the Ocean Diver, Sport Diver, Dive Leader and Advanced Diver Training Programmes.

Branch Resource of Training Materials:
Branches are advised to hold a resource of the above BSAC publications, and for the appropriate sections / individual lesson materials to be made available to those who actually present lessons, for preparation and presentation purposes. Care needs to be taken in setting up and running a system, which ensures that these materials are made available in good time, and recovered soon after each lesson.

Student Study Packs:
Study Packs, containing Student Workbooks, The Diving Manual and Qualification Record Book, are available for Ocean Diver to Advanced Diver training. Student Workbooks give trainees the opportunity to read up theory lessons in advance / as revision, and give advice on what should be studied before each practical lesson.

4.2.4 The Content of Diver Training Lessons
The BSAC Instructor Manual contains the BSAC's recommendations for a comprehensive programmed learning course in diving. After commencing with a statement of the Achievement Targets for the lesson, abbreviated instructor notes (and the associated supporting materials) set out the information to be presented, the standards to be reached and a progression, which the instructor can follow to reach the desired lesson targets.

While every effort should be made to follow the recommended course progression and qualifying standards, there may be flexibility in the individual lessons that achieve the lesson targets.  The BSAC believes that they are within the scope of the majority of Branches and Centres but if local conditions or individual ability, see Access to BSAC Branch Services (Section 3.4.8) make compliance with any aspect of a lesson impractical, then common sense and ‘Safe Diving’ must prevail.

A Branch Diving Officer, BSAC Branch or BSAC Centre shall not add to or subtract from the BSAC's training and qualifying requirements for any diver qualification. Branches that require additional skills and knowledge because of unusual or unique diving circumstances are not permitted to include them as a mandatory requirement for any diver qualification. Students should gain these additional skills and knowledge as required for the conditions and for no other reason.

Apart from suggesting in the BSAC Instructor Manual the duration of each course leading to a BSAC qualification, the Club does not require any minimum period of time to elapse between the achievement of qualifications. Once all qualifying conditions are met there is nothing to be gained by demanding 'yet more experience'. It simply serves to alienate the member.

4.2.5 Who can Teach - and What?
It is BSAC's policy that all instruction shall be undertaken by Qualified Instructors (Section 2.2.1). All instruction must be carried out or supervised (the definition of supervision is contained in the BSAC Instructor Manual) by a Qualified Instructor. A 'supervising' Qualified Instructor may be assisted in presenting individual lessons as shown in Table 4.1.

Training for:	Instructor must be at least (minimum level):
Ocean Diver	Sports Diver + Assistant Diving Instructor (under supervision of Qualified Instructor)
Sports Diver	Sports Diver + Assistant Diving Instructor (under supervision of Qualified Instructor)
Dive Leader	Dive Leader + Assistant Open Water instructor (under supervision of Qualified Instructor)
Advanced Diver	Advanced Diver + Qualified Instructor (some elements require a minimum of Advanced Instructor)

Table 4.1 - Minimum Instructor Qualification
The Qualified Instructor (minimum Open Water Instructor) who oversees open water training should acquaint the instructor with the aims of the training course and lesson contents, which are published in the BSAC Instructor Manual. Providing instructors with relevant lesson materials from the Branch Resource of Training Materials does this best.

Club Instructor is a pre 2002 Qualified Instructor qualification, because no open water assessment was required. Club Instructors are not permitted to supervise Assistant Diving Instructors, Assistant Open Water Instructors or Practical Instructors at open water locations.  However, they are permitted to teach open water lessons (to their diver qualification) without the need for another Qualified Instructor to be present.

A Technical Instructor is, as a minimum, an Open Water Instructor with an appropriately recognised technical qualification. The course and instructor standards are defined for each individual course and are available for download from the Diving Resources area of the BSAC website

4.2.6 Sequence of Instruction
In the ideally run training programme, theory and practical lessons are presented in the order listed in the BSAC Instructor Manual / Qualification Record Book. It is useful to distinguish between knowledge, skill and experience. Practical ability is frequently best built on a foundation of relevant theory, yet the reverse is seldom true. Hence, Branches should avoid practical training getting well ahead of classroom lessons. Classroom lessons getting ahead of practical skill development are much less of a problem, so try to keep it that way. Logical progression should be observed where appropriate. However, it should be noted that full understanding of Dive Leader and Advanced Diver theory depends on established practical ability and actual diving experience. Maintaining the sequence of lessons also ensures trainees remain focussed on a single body of knowledge.

Attending Theory Lessons for Higher Qualifications:
Where there is no progressive build-up of knowledge over a series of qualifications, there is no real problem in trainees attending lessons for higher qualifications. Members under training for one level of qualification may wish to take a full and active part in classroom lessons for higher qualifications, and this might be encouraged in appropriate cases, for example, a trainee Ocean Diver might attend a Boat Handling theory lessons. However, in subject areas where there is a progressive build up of knowledge over a series of BSAC diving qualifications training should only be signed up when trainees have appropriate prior knowledge. For example:

An Ocean Diver trainee who has passed the Ocean Diver theory assessment could benefit from Sports Diver theory lessons.

An Ocean Diver trainee who has not passed the Ocean Diver theory assessment or who’s theory training is incomplete, should be discouraged from attending higher qualification theory lessons. The higher-level theory lesson could be disrupted as the instructor may be forced to cover material from lower-level theory lessons.

Attending Practical Lessons for Higher Qualifications: The principles described in the above sub-section apply equally to trainees wishing to attend practical lessons for higher diver qualifications.

4.2.7 Diver Training through Skill Development Courses
Branch Diving Officers and Instructors should bear in mind that elements of the Diver Training Programme can be achieved by attending a Skill Development Course e.g. Oxygen Administration or Practical Rescue Management. A trainee wishing to attend a Skill Development Course is required to meet the entry requirements of that course. A full list of courses with the entry requirements can be found in the annual publication 'Programme of Courses & Events' or obtained from BSAC Headquarters.

4.2.8 Refresher Training
If many months or years have passed between attending lessons and actually gaining a diver qualification, it is quite reasonable for the Branch Diving Officer to require the student to undertake refresher training by attending / conducting specific lesson(s) again.

Qualified divers who have not dived for many months, or those rejoining / returning to the sport after a long absence, should undertake refresher training to bring them back to the qualification level, before being allowed to take an active part in Branch diving at their particular level. The longer the interval since the last dive, the greater the amount of refresher training needed.

BSAC does not publish Refresher Training programmes, since the needs of every 'reactivating' member are likely to differ widely. A few pool sessions, some theory study and a few supervised open water divers are usually sufficient, but if the Branch Diving Officer feels that more extensive retraining is necessary, they are at liberty to require it.

Refresher training is also useful for all members over the winter months and in particular, just before the start of the diving season. The BSAC's 'Safety First' programme is designed for this purpose. Full information and support materials are downloadable from the BSAC Website.

4.2.9 Physical Contact During Practical Training
During some aspects of pool and open water practical training, especially when teaching rescue skills, physical contact may be necessary. Some sensitive people may object to this, and it is important that the reasons why contact is at times necessary are clearly explained at an early stage in the training programme, perhaps during section "Ocean Diver Training - The Course" of the first Ocean Diver theory lesson 'Introduction - our BSAC Branch and Ocean Diver Training'. In the case of children undertaking training, the reasons for such contact should also be explained to parents or guardians.

The problems of possible offence caused by necessary physical contact can be largely avoided by arranging for 'buddy pairs' under training to be of the same gender. Where contact is necessary, say so and explain why during lesson briefings. If pairing trainees by gender is not possible, consider using a trained member of the same gender as the subject for a trainee to practice 'close contact' training such as during Basic Live Support training .

For the reasons contained in the 'Welfare of the Vulnerable' (Section 2.1.1), Rescue Breaths and Chest Compressions should not be directly demonstrated, or mimicked, on minors by an adult. They should be taught by one of the following means

• The instructor demonstrates on another adult whilst the child watches
• The instructor talks the child through the drill, with the child using another child as the partner
• The instructor talks the child through the drill with the child using a parent as a partner

If the child shows any discomfort at the prospect of actually making a seal during Rescue Breath training with any partner, then the drill should be carried out with a simulation or using a resuscitation manikin. The use of resuscitation manikins is strongly recommended for all who are learning Rescue Breaths and Chest Compressions skills.

4.2.10 Classroom Lessons
A proper classroom is by far the best place to present theory lessons. The efficient presentation of a classroom lesson requires these special facilities:

• Students should be comfortable, in terms of seating (at desks or with writing surfaces available if notes are to be taken), suitable temperature, illumination, and ventilation.
• There should be no visual or audible distractions. The instructor and the teaching aids used should be the focus of student attention.
• Teaching aids such as chalkboard, overhead projector (OHP) and screen, video monitor screen, etc. should be available - and the room should be large enough for their use.

Dedicated classrooms provide the right mood for learning and should be the first choice. As classrooms become more improvised so the teaching suffers from an increasing number of distractions and hence is less efficient. Therefore it is recommended the instructor carries out a Risk Assessment prior to the commencement of lessons.

4.2.11 Practical Lessons - Sheltered Water (Pool)
Risk Assessment:
In line with BSAC policy on Health & Safety (Section 2.1.2) carrying out a Risk Assessment is recommended for all Sheltered Water activities. The guidance contained on the BSAC Website at Risk Assessment should be followed.

The Training Pool:
The ideal and safest place to learn initial diving skills is in the confines of a swimming pool, or some other sheltered water training area where the conditions approximate those of a swimming pool. Branches and Centres may train in open water, but the more extreme conditions met in the UK often mean that the rate of learning - initially, at least - may be slower than in the clearer and warmer waters of a swimming pool.

The ideal pool for diver training will have an area with a depth of between 3 - 4m and good water clarity. There should be safe access / exit points and ladders able to bear the weight of fully kitted divers. Where a depth of 3 - 4m is not available, including a longer underwater approach can simulate activities where descents to such depths are required.

Diver training is not compatible with other uncontrolled / public activities going on in the pool at the same time unless they are clearly zoned off, so exclusive use by a diving club is preferred.

Make-up of Groups for Training:
This depends on the Branch's policy about membership recruitment. It is administratively and instructionally simpler to recruit and teach groups of students, rather than take members on individually and hope to fit them into the Branch training scheme.

The ratio of students to instructor should also be considered. An ideal aqualung-training group is either two or four trainees, so they get used to the concept of the buddy system. A larger aqualung group is less efficient because trainees are waiting (and getting cold) while others practice the drill, and the instructor cannot devote so much time to each individual. Larger groups may be more manageable when teaching surface oriented activities such as snorkelling.

Managing of Pool Sessions:
In a busy Branch training pool, it may be advantageous to appoint a Pool Manager to supervise the overall safety of each session. The Pool Manager must liase closely with the Branch Diving Officer / Training Officer and as a result, be aware of what each group under training is doing and where - and what other uncontrolled / non-training activities are taking place. If Branches are required to provide their own Lifeguard cover (but see Pool Safety Officer Guidelines) the responsibilities of Lifeguards may mean that the role of Pool Manager is superfluous.

The instructor in charge of each group under training will be primarily responsible for their safety, but other supervision, especially of any 'free swimming' / practice activities, may be desirable. The terms of a Branch's pool hire contract are likely to help a Branch decide whether a Pool Manager is a necessary function.

The Need for Control and Discipline - Pool Training:
There are various references in this guidance to the need for a degree of control and discipline in Branch training and diving activities. The Branch Diving Officer or an instructor should make the point in the Ocean Diver course Theory Lesson - OT1 'Introduction - our BSAC Branch and Ocean Diver Training' that, for safety and overall efficiency during Branch training and diving activities, members must behave responsibly and accept the need for a degree of control and discipline. For those under training at Branch pool meetings this will include such apparently mundane matters as:

• Attend training sessions regularly and on time
• Bring all you need for both theory and classroom lessons
• Help yourself to progress by private study of Study Guides and The Diving Manual

Lifeguards at Branch Pool Meetings:
In the UK, the Health and Safety at Work Regulations oblige swimming pool management to provide lifeguard cover when members of the public are using the pool. Branches may find that similar requirements are imposed upon them in respect of their own Branch pool hirings. Pool management may require the Branch to pay for the presence of staff lifeguards at their sub-aqua training session - and yet the staff lifeguards, who usually hold the RLSS Pool Bronze Medallion award, are unlikely to be experienced in diver rescue skills.

When the Diving at Work Regulations 1997 were introduced, BSAC met with the Health & Safety Executive and it was agreed that the BSAC Lifesaver Award was a much more appropriate rescue qualification for life-guarding sub-aqua training pool sessions. This is enshrined in a publication prepared jointly by the Health & Safety Executive and Sports England entitled 'Managing Health and Safety in Swimming Pools'. Further guidance is available from "Pool Safety Officers Guidelines" Technical Note T.1.

Should your Branch be asked to pay for the provision of Lifeguards at your pool meeting, or to accept increased pool hire charges to pay for them, ask the Pool Manager or Pool Management Committee to consider allowing you to provide your own team of BSAC Lifesaver Award holders instead. If they have worries about doing so, invite them to seek clarification concerning Health & Safety Executive acceptance of the BSAC Lifesaver Award as an alternative standard for sub-aqua pool session lifeguards. BSAC Headquarters can provide an information sheet on the subject, which may be helpful in such cases.

All Branches, in the UK or overseas, should provide lifeguards / safety cover at pool training sessions: it is a sensible and responsible action to take. Encourage members to gain the BSAC Lifesaver Award and to join the Branch pool lifeguard team and take their turn in it. Lifeguards should keep a continuous watch on all pool activities by patrolling round the poolside and should be relieved by another lifeguard at 30 - 50 minute intervals. Both Pool Managers and Lifeguards should be conspicuously identified.

Making the most of Pool Time: The high cost of hiring a swimming pool for Branch training sessions means that every available minute of water time should be used in order to get the best value for money. Consider applying these recommendations:

• Keep groups under training together and with the same instructor if possible. Time will not then be wasted as students find their instructor and the rest of the group. Instructors should tell their group exactly where to assemble on the poolside.
  
• As far as possible, have students assemble and check equipment prior to the pool session so time is not wasted doing it on the poolside.
• Keep lesson briefings as short as possible. If the class assembles in the foyer of the building, or in the changing room before your pool-time starts, start briefings then and just do buddy and equipment checks on the pool side. De-briefings can also be covered in the same way.
• All instructors should plan the contents and progressions of lessons, and have extra activities planned to occupy students usefully if the lesson is finished early. BSAC Pool Prompt Cards are helpful in this respect.
• Zone the pool by area, depth and (if appropriate) time, so that each activity has the optimum water space for each specific lesson. Ask pool attendants to provide lane-marker ropes to help in zoning. The Branch Diving / Training Officer is likely to be responsible for zoning the pool in accordance with the requirements of each lesson and should tell each instructor where they are to conduct their lesson.
• Identify those in authority. It may be helpful if instructors - as well as the Pool Manager and Lifeguards - are clearly identified by different coloured T-shirts.

4.2.12 Practical Lessons - Open Water
Risk Assessment:
In line with BSAC policy on Health & Safety (Section 2.1.2) carrying out a Risk Assessment is recommended for all Open Water activities. The guidance contained on the BSAC Website at Risk Assessment should be followed.

Progression:
There is a fairly simple and logical progression from practical training in the swimming pool to that in open water and generally, the same safeguards apply. Open water training should only begin once all relevant practical training in the pools has been satisfactorily completed.

It helps if trainees embarking on open water practical lessons do so with the same instructor who taught them in the pool. Students know the instructor and the instructor knows them, and may be able to anticipate who is likely to need most care and attention.

Introducing Diving Suits:
In UK waters, progression to open water practical lessons is likely to include the first use of diving suits. It will be necessary to teach students how to dress in diving suits and to give them the opportunity of suit familiarisation in the water before open water lessons actually begin. If this can be done in the pool, so much the better: treat it as an extra pool lesson between Ocean Diver Pool Lessons and the first Open Water Lesson.

With drysuit diving now commonplace in UK, the usual problem when providing drysuit training in the pool is overheating, in which case provide it as an additional open water session before the first Ocean Diver open water lesson. Any diving suit will initially introduce problems of buoyancy control and acclimatisation to cold water, and allowances should be made during initial open water dives.

Some drysuit training is included in the Diver Training Programme and also the BSAC Drysuit Training skill development course is available from the Instructor Resource Centre on the BSAC Website.

Structure of Open Water Practical Lessons:
In addition to devoting the greater part of each dive to underwater exploration, Ocean and Sports Diver open water lessons are deliberately structured to include opportunities for trainees to repeat and develop skills initially learned in the pool, but with the added challenges of the real diving environment. These challenges are usually the added factors of protective clothing and associated buoyancy changes, and perhaps cold, turbid and moving water. Some skills such as use of an Alternative Air Source, or Controlled Buoyant Lift, need to be repeated 'on a larger scale' while others (e.g. entry and exit to / from open water in full kit, and use of a compass for navigation) can only be learned in open water.

To ensure the development of the trainee into a qualified diver, it is important that all Ocean and Sports Diver open water practical lessons should be seen as structured lessons first and foremost, during which the teaching / training objectives as described in the Training Programme are carried out early in each dive. These drills will only take a few minutes, leaving the greater part of the total dive duration for enjoyable exploration. During the exploration phase, demonstrate and encourage buddy monitoring, dive leadership and safe diving.

Should any trainee fail to achieve a satisfactory standard or fail to reach the stated achievement targets in any of the required drills, the open water practical lesson should not be accepted as satisfactorily completed. It should be repeated, but the failed lesson may be recorded as an experience dive.

Instructors for Open Water Lessons - Instructor / Student Ratio:

The BSAC Instructor Manual contains the guidance on Instructor / Student ratios.

Diving Conditions:
Ocean Divers are required to gain experience of a variety of different dive sites and diving conditions concurrently with their open water lessons. Dive Managers and Instructors should plan these lessons accordingly. On the day, the conditions at the site should be safe and manageable by the trainee, bearing in mind their previous exposure and experience. Even though it will lead to disappointment, it would be foolish to put a trainee into rough water and very restricted visibility.

Gaining Experience Concurrently - Ocean and Sports Diver Training:
Foregoing text has explained that the 'Exploratory Dive' element of each Ocean Diver open water lesson requires more emphasis on buddy monitoring and dive leadership rather than specific skills learning and practice. In this case, the Branch Diving Officer can choose to have the dive led by someone who has been assessed as a BSAC Dive Leader, or above. A Dive Leader should be more than capable of supervising a trainee practising and repeating their diving skills while gaining experience hence building confidence and competence in their new underwater environment.


It is also recognised that, in many branches, trainees are taken on 'experience dives' to maintain their interest and build confidence levels whilst working towards their diver qualification. Dive Leaders are able to lead these sessions so long as they do not exceed the skill levels achieved and depths reached by the trainee thus far. Clearly such dives are for fun and experience only, and should not be portrayed to the student as a required part of training or lessons completed.

Please refer to the BSAC Instructor Manual for further guidance.

4.2.13 Using up Gas Residues during Pool Training
After weekend dives, it is common practice to use up gas residues in diving cylinders at the next midweek Branch pool training session. These residues may now include Nitrox. BSAC does not consider this to be a problem for either the Instructor or the trainee in the pool only, but use of Nitrox residues by students does not represent any form of official Nitrox training.

4.2.14 Instructor's Record of Training Given
BSAC Qualified Instructors are advised to record the hours they spend in teaching in their personal copy of the BSAC Instructor's Training Log Book.