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Overview ; Diver-In-Training Qualification
process
1. Diver Application
2.
Medical Exam
3. Water Evaluations
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Become a Diver-In-Training
Diver-In-Training
(DIT) status is required in order to be eligible for further training
and qualification as a UH Scientific Diver. Once DIT status is earned,
the diver is authorized to participate in further Scientific Diver
training, and may work under the supervision of a qualified UH
Scientific Diver on UH projects. Authorization is limited to conditions
and activities with which the diver has demonstrated prior experience
and proficiency.
Generally, during
DIT qualification the diver demonstrates (1) a need to dive as part of
his/her studies or employment at UH, (2) medical fitness for diving,
and diving knowledge and skills equivalent to that produced by a
rigorous entry-level recreational scuba certification through (3)
confined water evaluations and (4) open water evaluations. Following
are the steps you will need to take, in roughly the order in which they
are required:
1. Complete an Application
Complete the
"Application for University of Hawaii Scientific Diver
Authorization " forms, and return to the Diving Safety Program
(UHDSP) office. Usually UHDSP will have no way of tracking your
progress until this is done. Complete the forms, including your
sponsor's signature, and return them to UHDSP accompanied by
photocopies of your scuba certification cards and any other pertinent
supporting information (CPR, First Aid, Lifeguard, etc.). UH employees
and volunteers are required to provide proof that scientific diving is
part of their official duties of employment through completion of the
Employers Verificatin. Non-employees, including students, are required
to provide evidence of current Divers Alert Network diving medical
insurance.
The
Application for Scientific Diver Authorization must be submitted
complete and include:.
- Applicant Information
with Dept. Sponsor's signature
- Assumption of Risk,
Waiver and Release Form
- Medical Consent and
Insurability Form
- Verification of
Employment
- Diving History and
Experience
- Diving Injury History
- Applicant Signatures
- Copies of Certification
Cards
- Proof of DAN Diving
Accident Insurance (if required)
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2. Schedule and
Complete a Diving Medical Exam
Schedule and
complete your diving medical exam. The examining physician's
office should forward the completed exam, including copies of all
completed test results directly to our office.
The medical exam may
be conducted by any licensed physician (M.D. or D.O.), as long as all
required tests are conducted and included in the physician's
determination. You may choose to go to your personal medical provider.
However if this exam is for employment, it may not be fully covered by
personal medical insurance, and private providers often do not have
immediate access to required equipment for all required tests, such as
chest x-rays and pulmonary function tests. This may result in delays
and increased costs to you. Further, if some finding is a
contraindication to diving, UHDSP may need to send the exam results to
the UH Diving Medical Officer for final review and approval.
Alternately, the
University of Hawaii has arranged for diving medical examinations to be
conducted by Straub Occupational Medicine Clinic in Honolulu , which is
prepared to conduct the examination including all required tests in a
time-efficient manner and at a cost well below normal provider rates.
The Straub physicians are trained and experienced in the medical
evaluation of divers according to the standards required for workplace
diving (AAUS, NOAA, ADC, UHMS) and seldom require secondary review.
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3. Complete Water
Skill Evaluations
Skill
Evaluations: Once UHDSP receives the results of the medical exam, you will
need to complete water skills evaluations , which
allow staff to see your current level of proficiency. These may be
scheduled with UHDSP staff, or with your local Unit Diving Coordinator.
The confined-water session entails the
following:
• 400 yard swim in less than 10 minutes
• 25 yard underwater swim without push
off (no fins)
• Transport another swimmer 25 yards
• 10 minute tread water (last 2 minutes
no hands)
• Basic scuba skills, including: dive
planning; entry and exit; swimming on the surface and underwater;
buoyancy control and general awareness; mask removal and replacement;
regulator removal and recovery; removal and replacement of the scuba
unit underwater and at the surface; out of air scenarios; tired diver
and unconscious diver rescue.
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Equipment: What to
bring to the evaluation sessions
• Swimsuit and
swim goggles
• Mask,
snorkel, and heel-strap fins
• Exposure
suit, gloves and booties
• BC and
Regulator
• Depth gauge
and timing device
For open water you
will also need the following:
• Compass
• Cutting
device
If you are using
personal SCUBA equipment you must provide proof of service of your BC
inflator, regulator, alternate air source, and SPG swivel within the
previous 12 months, according to the manufacturer's service
recommendations. BCs and regulators are available for loan from UHDSP
on a short-term basis. UHDSP will provide scuba cylinders. Some weights
and belts are available, but supplies may be limited.
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Regarding
delays: UHDSP
often experiences periods in which we receive many applications, and
multiple divers are usually in the qualification process at any given
time. It is up to you, the applicant, to ensure that the requirements
listed above are completed and that the qualification process proceeds in
a timely fashion.
If you have questions
regarding policy contact Dave Pence: dpence@hawaii.edu
or 956-6420.
For questions
regarding the status of your application contact Tina Tsubota: ttsubota@hawaii.edu or
956-9643.
For scheduling
evaluation sessions or questions about training contact Kevin Flanagan: kflanaga@hawaii.edu or 956-6617.
EHSO | Back to Diving Safety Main Page
| UHDSP Manual | Staff & Contacts
This
site was created with a Template by Art
for the web
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What is a Diver-In-Training ?
.
The Diver-In-Training
permit signifies that a diver has completed and been certified as at
least an openwater diver through a nationally or internationally
recognized certifying agency, scientific diving program or its
equivalent, is medically fit and proficient in basic diving skills.
Diver's-In-Training
are undergoing the training necessary to obtain scientific diver status.
Forms for DIT Qualification:
Application
for University of Hawaii Scientific Diver Authorization
UH Diving Medical
Exam Forms
Medical
Exam Instructions
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