Global Underwater Explorers General Training Standards, Policies, and Procedures

Transcription

1 Global Underwater Explorers General Training Standards, Policies, and Procedures 2009 Global Underwater Explorers 1

2 1.0 PURPOSE OF GUE GOALS Education Research Exploration TRAINING PHILOSOPHY Education Equipment Experience TRAINING STRUCTURE Outline of Diver Training Diver Assessment (Qualification, Provisional Qualification, Failure) Training Categories General Training Standards GENERAL TRAINING LIMITS PO 2 Limits END Limits Breathing Gas Requirements Parameters for Critical Skills Dual Qualification Issuing Qualification under Other Agencies Teaching and Rebreathers Buoyancy Considerations Conservation Decompression Parameters Course Size GENERAL DIVING SKILLS GENERAL PREREQUISITES FOR ALL GUE COURSES CYLINDER MARKING STANDARDS QUALITY CONTROL Instructor Evaluations Instructor Peer Review Instructor Renewals Instructor Re-Qualification Diver Re-Qualification RECOGNITION OF CREDENTIALS Waivers COMPLAINTS Complaint Submission Complaint Procedure Penalties and Remedial Actions Rights of Appeal Executive Suspension of Membership CONDUCT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES RECORDS GUE COURSE TRAINING STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES RECREATIONAL DIVER CURRICULUM GUE Recreational Diver level Purpose Prerequisites Duration Course Limits

3 Course Content Required Training Materials Academic Topics Land Drills and Topics Required Dive Skills and Drills Equipment Requirements GUE Recreational Diver level Purpose Prerequisites Duration Course Limits Course Content Required Training Materials Academic Topics Land Drills and Topics Required Dive Skills and Drills Equipment Requirements GUE Recreational Diver level Purpose Prerequisites Duration Course Limits Course Content Required Training Materials Academic Topics Land Drills & Topics Required Dive Skills & Drills Equipment Requirements GUE Fundamentals Course Purpose Prerequisites Duration Course Limits Course Content Required Training Materials Academic Topics Land Drills and Topics Required Dive Skills and Drills Equipment Requirements TECHNICAL DIVER CURRICULUM Technical Diver Level Purpose Prerequisites Duration Course Limits Course Content Required Training Materials Academic Topics Land Drills and Topics Required Dive Skills and Drills Equipment Requirements Technical Diver Level Purpose Prerequisites Duration Course Limits Course Content Required Training Materials Academic Topics Land Drills and Topics Required Dive Skills and Drills

4 Equipment Requirements Technical Diver Level Purpose Prerequisites Duration Course Limits Course Content Required Training Materials Academic Topics Land Drills and Topics Required Dive Skills and Drills Equipment Requirements CAVE DIVER CURRICULUM Cave Diver Level Purpose Prerequisites Duration Course Limits Course Content Required Training Materials Academic Topics Land Drills and Topics Required Dive Skills and Drills Equipment Requirements Cave Diver Level Purpose Prerequisites Duration Course Limits Course Content Required Training Materials Academic Topics Land Drills and Topics Required Dive Skills and Drills Equipment Requirements Cave Diver Level Purpose Prerequisites Duration Course Limits Course Content Required Training Materials Academic Topics Land Drills and Topics Required Dive Skills and Drills Equipment Requirements AUXILIARY TRAINING CURRICULUM GUE Doubles Course Purpose Prerequisites Duration Course Limits Course Content Training Materials Academic Topics Land Drills Required Dive Skills and Drills Equipment Requirements GUE Dry Suit Course Purpose Prerequisites

5 Duration Course Limits Course Content Training Materials Academic Topics Land Drills Required Dive Skills and Drills Equipment Requirements GUE Primer Course Purpose Prerequisites Duration Course Limits Course Content Training Materials Academic Topics Land Drills Required Dive Skills and Drills Equipment Requirements Diver Propulsion Vehicle Level Purpose Prerequisites Duration Course Limits Course Content Required Training Materials Academic Topics Land Drills and Topics Required Dive Skills and Drills Equipment Requirements Diver Propulsion Vehicle Level 2 / Cave DPV Purpose Prerequisites Duration Course Limits Course Content Required Training Materials Academic Topics Land Drills and Topics Required Dive Skills and Drills Equipment Requirements Rebreather Diver Purpose Prerequisites Duration Course Limits Course Content Required Training Materials Academic Topics Land Drills and Topics Required Dive Skills and Drills Equipment Requirements GUE INSTRUCTOR STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES ACTIVE STATUS INSTRUCTOR Maintaining Active Status SUSTAINING STATUS INSTRUCTOR Maintaining Sustaining Status INACTIVE STATUS INSTRUCTOR PROVISIONAL STATUS INSTRUCTOR

6 3.5 INSTRUCTOR STATUS CHANGES INSTRUCTOR CANDIDATE TRAINING PROCEDURES Description ITC Prerequisites Recreational Instructor Training Courses Technical Instructor Training Courses Cave Instructor Training Courses GUE Instructor Training Progression GUE Instructor Upgrades within the Same Training Category Fulfillment of Internship Requirement INSTRUCTOR TRAINER (IT) QUALIFICATIONS Purpose IT Prerequisites IT Appointment INSTRUCTOR EVALUATOR (IE) QUALIFICATIONS Purpose Prerequisites Instructor Evaluation Appointment RECREATIONAL DIVING INSTRUCTOR COURSES GUE Fundamentals Purpose ITC Prerequisites Duration Program Limits Program Content Required Training Materials Academic Topics Land Drills and Topics Required Skills (Academic and In-Water) Equipment Requirements GUE Fundamentals Instructor to GUE Recreational Diver Level 1 Instructor GUE Fundamentals Instructor to GUE Recreational Level 2 Instructor Cave or Tech Instructor to Recreational Level 1 Diving Instructor Technical Diver Instructor Course Purpose Prerequisites Duration Program Limits Program Content Required Training Materials Academic Topics Land Drills and Topics Required Skills (Academic and In-water) Equipment Requirements Progress from Tech 1 Instructor to Tech 2 Instructor Prerequisites Progress from Tech 2 Instructor to Tech 3 Instructor Prerequisites Progress from Tech 2 Instructor to Rebreather Instructor Prerequisites Equipment Requirements Cave Diver Instructor Course Purpose Prerequisites Duration Program Limits Program Content Required Training Materials Academic Topics

7 Land Drills and Topics Required Dive Skills and Drills Equipment Requirements Progress from Cave 1 Instructor to Cave 2 Instructor Prerequisites Progress from Cave 2 Instructor to Cave 3 Instructor DPV Instructor Course Purpose Prerequisites Duration Program Limits Program Content Required Training Materials Academic Topics Land Drills and Topics Required Dive Skills and Drills Equipment Requirements Progress from DPV 1 Instructor to DPV 2 Instructor

8 1.0 Purpose of GUE Global Underwater Explorers was founded to improve the quality of aquatic education and to actively engage in the exploration and conservation of the underwater world. It was founded by conservationists, explorers, and educators with a desire to share the mystery of the underwater world. 1.1 Goals Education GUE s educational platform was designed for divers seeking quality dive instruction. Its courses combine rigorous in-water training with comprehensive academic instruction, to produce divers who are skilled, competent and safe. GUE s instructors, like its other representatives, are carefully chosen for their ability to enrich the organization not for their capacity to generate revenue. As a result, GUE brings together a wide array of professional talents, ranging from expertise in training, exploration and the sciences, to expertise in education and conservation. GUE is also dedicated to the global dissemination of educational information. To this end, our educational outreach programs provide valuable information to schools, the media, and the general public Research GUE is committed to promoting underwater research, focusing significant resources on scientific study. GUE supports the efforts of a membership conducting original research around the globe. GUE seeks to promote the research interests of other organizations. This is done by sharing successful methodologies, helping to cultivate effective funding and sponsorship strategies, and constructing a comprehensive database available to anyone working in education, conservation, or exploration. This datasharing will include both conventional publications and technological advancements e.g., an interactive web database Exploration GUE is committed to global underwater exploration. It focuses assets on long-term exploratory activity; it helps other organizations develop effective exploration techniques; and it shares the results of its findings with other exploration groups. 1.2 Training Philosophy Education GUE maintains that a good education is vital for the safe enjoyment of recreational and technical diving, and must include both a strong academic component and a rigorous practical one. This is achieved by: 1. Standards: GUE s curriculum maintains the highest training standards, combining strong academics with exacting practice (in-water training). Additionally, GUE requires diver and instructor currency and a gradual building of experience. 2. Classes: GUE classes are lengthy and rigorous, demanding preparation before they begin. 3. Instructors: GUE instructors are encouraged to exceed minimum training standards when these safely contribute to a participant s learning process. Instructors are also actively encouraged to deny qualification to students who are not completely prepared for the level pursued. 8

9 1.2.2 Equipment GUE is committed to a standardised equipment configuration, a holistic approach to equipment configuration that sees each element of a system as an integral part of the whole Experience GUE maintains that extensive in-water diver experience is at the core of diver proficiency. To cultivate this proficiency, GUE incorporates critical-skills training, experience dives, and post-class practice in its divertraining platform. 1. Critical-Skills Training This is the first step toward acquiring the requisite skills that prepare divers for the rigors of diving. Undertaken during formal training conditions, GUE employs a building-block method and allows trainees to learn at their own rate, introducing new skills only when students are able to incorporate them. An important aspect of critical-skills training is that failures and stressful situations are simulated in a controlled and safe environment. Competence is established by skill review, practice and repetition. 2. Experience Dives Undertaken during formal training conditions, this phase of training seeks to cultivate real diving experience, while providing a controlled context for further skill solidification. 3. Interim Class Requirement GUE requires that formal diver training be punctuated by breaks, during which students must practice a given skill set before progressing to a higher level of training. Before entering a higher level of training in a given curriculum, all students must have undertaken a minimum of twentyfive practice dives. 1.3 Training Structure Outline of Diver Training 1. Screening GUE seeks to promote the best interests of students by establishing whether they are capable of meeting the demands made on them during training. This is done by careful screening during registration, during which all student candidates must furnish GUE representatives with a completed registration outlining their personal experience, medical history and previous training. 2. Advance Preparation GUE maintains that some advance preparation is necessary for student s to optimize their training. Such preparation may include familiarisation with a certain set of materials and/or a set of skills. 3. Academics GUE academic sessions seek to instill in students a detailed comprehension of the theoretical components of relevant diver training. Ideally, academic portions of GUE classes rely on advance student preparation, so that the theoretical component of the class is more substantive. 4. In-water Training (confined and open water) GUE in-water training is designed to help students cultivate essential diving skills and to test student knowledge in a controlled environment; skills include problem-solving and emergency management. By confined water, GUE means areas: that do not exceed 30 feet/9 meters in depth 9

10 where visibility is sufficiently good to allow instructors to maintain a view of their students that are not overhead areas that are illuminated by daylight where surface conditions are relatively calm (no greater than 1- to 3-foot surge) where currents are negligible (under 1 knot). Such environments allow instructors maintain maximum control over trainees. Suitable open-water conditions are areas that allow instructors reasonable control over students; depths are contingent on specific course requirements. 5. Testing, Evaluation and Qualification Testing and evaluation is a vital part of the GUE training process. GUE requires students to pass final exams with a score of 80 percent or higher. On review, students must demonstrate proficiency with all test questions. Student in-water performance is evaluated during post-dive debriefs. Upon completing a course, instructors submit a Course Completion Form to GUE HQ, outlining student strengths and weaknesses; such forms are available to students upon request. GUE qualification is ultimately an instructor s decision. However, students, on request, should be provided with a written account of what remedial training they need in order to progress further with their training. At any point during their training, GUE trainees may request an evaluation from their instructor. GUE s evaluation scale ranges sequentially from 1 (failure) to 5 (excellence) as follows: Grade 1: Indicates an unsafe diver in both ability and/or demeanor. The student should be removed from the course immediately. Grade 2: Indicates that the student cannot complete the required skill/task satisfactorily. If, at the discretion of the instructor, continued practice of a skill/task places either the student or the class at risk, the instructor may decide not to continue practicing a skill/task and fail the student. Grade 3: Indicates that the student has completed the skill/task satisfactorily (passed) but needs improvement. Grade 4: Indicates that the student has completed the skill/task well. Grade 5: Indicates that the student has completed the skill/task extremely well and deserves commendation Diver Assessment (Qualification, Provisional Qualification, Failure) At the completion of GUE training, instructors must: a) decide whether a student is properly qualified to pursue the type of diving for which they sought training; b) decide to make qualification conditional on a student s improving a given skill-set, specific to the particular diving activity; or c) decide that the student is not able to dive in that environment. These assessments take the form of: 1. Full qualification 2. Provisional qualification 3. Failure Provisional qualification allows a student the opportunity to resolve skill deficiencies before being reassessed at a later date. Provisional qualification is not a form of accreditation, and does not represent any certification status within GUE. Provisionally qualified divers are upgraded by their initial GUE instructor. After verifying that previous deficiencies are resolved, the initial GUE instructor will submit a course 10

11 completion form to GUE HQ. Before any additional diver training can be undertaken, and before students can dive at the full limits of the course in question, they must meet the standards of this course and have full qualification Training Categories Recreational Diver This training category is designed for individuals seeking training in the fundamentals of sound recreational diving; recreational diving here is to be understood as diving in non-overhead environments. Technical Diver This training category is designed for divers seeking training in technical diving. Technical diving goes beyond the domain of recreational diving by exposing divers to (among other things) greater depths, longer diving exposures, decompression, and to the requirements of gases other than air. Rebreather Diver Rebreather training is a subcategory of technical training; this training is designed for divers seeking training in the use of Halcyon semi-closed circuit technology. GUE rebreather training is intended to teach individuals to use a Halcyon rebreather across a spectrum of diving applications. Cave Diver This training category is designed for divers seeking training in cave environments. Cave-diver training focuses on the skills and knowledge most specifically geared toward cave-diving penetrations, yet these techniques are invaluable in a wide array of diving environments. DPV Diver This training category is designed for divers seeking instruction in the use of Diver Propulsion Vehicles. The class outlines the necessary information, as well as skills needed to safely use tow behind DPV s General Training Standards The general standards outlined below govern all GUE courses and those involved in them. These standards seek to ensure that GUE courses remain consistent with respect to a common foundation (primary skills and knowledge) necessary for building further skill and knowledge. Additional standards, governing specific training categories and specific levels within these categories, are outlined in the relevant course sections. 1. An Active Status GUE instructor, qualified to teach the level of training being conducted, is to be present and in control during any and all activities, including academic and in-water training. 2. With the exception of GUE cave instructors during cave or Rebreather training courses, no GUE instructors may conduct critical-skill training in an overhead environment during any GUE training course. 3. Experience portions (experience dives) of Technical or Rebreather classes may be conducted in a cave environment, provided that the following requirements are met: Students engaged in such experience dives must be cave-qualified, to the skill level required by the environment in which diving is undertaken. GUE instructors conducting experience dives in the cave environment must be cave instructors. 11

12 Instructors must be certified at least one level higher than that of the experience dive. For example, dives carried out within Cave 1 limits require an instructor who is Cave 2 rated. 4. The minimum number of required dives for a given level of training must be completed before moving on to the next level of training. Dives cannot be credited across curricula or across levels of a given curriculum. Students may not take two courses concurrently (at the same time). 5. Students must receive full qualification for a level of training before progressing to the next level of training. 6. GUE instructors conducting a particular course are required to use the equipment required of that course. 7. All decompression and/or stage cylinders are to be clearly labeled in accordance with the Cylinder Marking Standards set forth in section Visibility is defined as the minimum distance in which divers can see one another and communicate effectively. 9. GUE instructors should refrain from conducting training dives and drills in areas that contain: Delicate or sensitive formations Structures that are in relatively pristine condition Sensitive biological or archeological resources 10. GUE instructors should consider the impact of training on the sites they select, and should opt for sites that are appropriate to the current skill and training level of their student(s). Instructors should also refer to the recommended locations for certain training drills (see Appendix A), and are encouraged to seek the advice of local divers and instructors when conducting training in unfamiliar areas. 11. Careful selection of dive sites should take place during DPV training 12. GUE instructors must ensure that instructor-to-student ratios during land or surface drills do not compromise the quality of student education. 1.4 General Training Limits The following limits apply to ALL GUE classes (course-specific limits can be found in the relevant sections) PO 2 Limits All dives are to maintain a working PO 2 of no greater than 1.4ATA and a resting PO 2 of 1.6ATA +/-.05. Oxygen partial pressures are adjusted downward, according to the demands made by diving conditions with an average working PO 2 of approximately 1.2ATA. Resting dives are defined as dives during which it is not reasonably expected that a diver will have to expend any unusual amount of energy, for example during decompression END Limits No dives are to be planned to exceed an Equivalent Narcotic Depth (END) of 100 feet/30 meters; END is established by the following equations END(m) = (( 1 fhe) D ATA ) 1 END( ft) = ( ) 10m ((( 1 fhe) D ATA ) 1) 33 ft Where END is the equivalent narcotic depth in meters or feet and D ATA is the depth, expressed in ATAs. 12

13 1.4.3 Breathing Gas Requirements All dives must begin with minimum gas. Minimum gas is defined as the volume needed for two divers sharing gas to reach the surface or another breathable gas supply Parameters for Critical Skills Drills or skills that involve loss of visibility; loss of lights; simulated out-of-gas scenarios; simulated manifold failures; and rescue techniques involving assisting panicked divers, convulsing divers and unconscious divers, are to be considered critical skills. Critical skills must first be conducted in a confined-water setting, after which instructors can progressively increase the depth and/or penetration in which these are executed. Mask removal is restricted to confined water; under such training conditions, only the trainees themselves are allowed to remove their masks, at the prompting of their instructor. Mask removal is not permitted in any overhead environment (save decompression). For the DPV program the following skills are considered critical: out of gas, towing a diver and dealing with a runaway DPV. Air gunning, a form of simulating manifold failure, is restricted to Technical, Cave, and Rebreather and DPV level 2 courses. Under no circumstance should critical skills be conducted in delicate cave environments where damage to the environment may occur. GUE instructors are prohibited from turning off student cylinder valves (right, left, or isolator) EXCEPT in the event of a real regulator or manifold failure where turning off the relevant valve would be required. However, during rebreather training, instructors may interrupt gas addition to the rebreather Dual Qualification Another agency s qualifications may be awarded to a student as a dual qualification only if the student has met GUE standards and has been awarded full GUE qualification. The student can then receive both a GUE qualification card and the equivalent qualification of another agency Issuing Qualification under Other Agencies Qualification from another agency may not be issued instead of a GUE qualification. This means that if a trainee does not warrant full qualification under GUE s standards and procedures, no qualification from another agency can be awarded in its stead Teaching and Rebreathers GUE instructors may not teach GUE courses while on a rebreather. The only exceptions are when training rebreather instructors during an instructor training course (ITC), or when critical-skill testing is complete during rebreather classes Buoyancy Considerations Some diving environments (e.g., shallow caves) permit divers with no buoyant lift (e.g., failed buoyancy compensator) to exit along a floor of reasonable depth; other environments, because of their depth, do not. Divers should account for such conditions and seek to ensure that their systems enable them to return safely to the surface in the event of a loss of buoyancy or a low-on-gas situation. 13

14 1.4.9 Conservation As part of GUE s commitment to global environmental conservation, Appendix A details recommended areas for simulated zero-visibility drills, required by all GUE Cave programs Decompression Parameters GUE recognizes that events may conspire to result in decompression sickness, despite the care exercised by those involved. Nonetheless, GUE requires that, when training, GUE instructors follow conservative decompression schedules and evaluate decompression schedules using GUE s DecoPlanner as a standard. Decompression times during training should approximate the time indicated by DecoPlanner when using either gradient factors of 30/85 when using the Buhlmann algorithm, or on a conservatism setting of 2 when using the Variable Permeability Model. These profiles will be known as Unadjusted Decompression profiles. These may be adjusted in a pragmatic manner to enable simpler in-water implementation. Dives where DecoPlanner does not indicate any decompression requirement longer than one minute at any single stop depth are known as Minimum Decompression dives. These should be implemented by slowing the ascent rate in the final half of the ascent Course Size GUE courses must not be run with only one student. The only exception to this stipulation involves instructor training courses, which may be conducted with one candidate. 1.5 General Diving Skills All GUE courses must ensure proficiency in the following diving skills; proficiency is measured by a final grade of 3 (satisfactory) or better when demonstrating the skill. Course-specific requirements including any deviation from a particular skill will be listed under the appropriate course section. The standards below do not bind GUE Recreational Diver courses or GUE Fundamentals courses, which are governed by a more restricted skill sets (see relevant sections). 1. Demonstrate proficiency in safe diving practices; this would include pre-dive preparation, in-water activity, and post-dive assessment. 2. Demonstrate awareness of team-member location and a concern for safety, responding quickly to visual cues and dive partner requirements. 3. Efficiently and comfortably demonstrate how to donate gas to an out-of-gas diver in multiple gassharing episodes. 4. Be able to comfortably demonstrate at least three propulsion techniques that would be appropriate in delicate and/or silty environments; one of these kicks must include a backward kick. 5. Demonstrate a safe and responsible demeanor throughout all training. All GUE instructors are encouraged to exceed minimum training standards when by doing so they are promoting the best interests of the student. Instructors are actively encouraged to deny qualification to students when students have not met the standards of the certification level they are pursuing to the satisfaction of the instructor. 1.6 General Prerequisites for All GUE Courses All GUE courses have the following prerequisites (any additional prerequisite, as well as any deviations from the following, will be listed under the specific course section): 1. Must submit a completed registration form, complete with medical history, and liability release to GUE Headquarters. 14

15 2. Must be physically and mentally fit. 3. Must hold insurance that will cover diving emergencies such as hyperbaric treatment e.g. DAN Master-level insurance or equivalent. 4. Must be a nonsmoker. 5. Must obtain a physician s prior written authorization for the use of prescription drugs, except for birth control, or for a prior medical condition that may pose a risk while diving. A partial list of such conditions may be found on GUE s medical history form. Conditions that pose a risk to students while diving require a physician s written approval to dive; this information must be disclosed to their GUE instructor before the onset of training. Physician clearance for a specific condition is valid for one year from the date it is given, assuming there are no further changes to the student s medical conditions. Physician clearance to dive under a specific medical condition does not obligate GUE or a GUE representative to clear a trainee for diving; this remains at the sole discretion of the instructor. 1.7 Cylinder Marking Standards 1. Dive cylinders should be free of unnecessary stickers and markings. They should bear a current Visual Inspection sticker and Hydro test sticker, as detailed by current country-specific regulations. VIP stickers (if required) should be placed so as to create minimum distraction from the MOD markings. 2. All stage/decompression cylinders must be marked with the maximum operating depth (MOD) in approximately 3-inch/7.5-centimeter numbers. Markings should be oriented in such a way as to be easily read by both divers and their team members. 3. In countries where the metric system is used in diving, stage/decompression cylinders should be marked in METERS. 4. In countries where the imperial system is used in diving, stage/decompression cylinders marking should be in FEET. 5. In all countries, in addition to the MOD, Oxygen cylinders should be marked with the word OXYGEN (or the local equivalent) in approximately 3-inch/7.5-centimeter-high letters running horizontally down the side. No additional Nitrox stickers, or indication that the cylinder does not contain air, are required. 6. Once filled, cylinders must be all analyzed and the results, to the decimal point, placed near the neck of the cylinder. The label should include the date the cylinder was analyzed and the tester s initials. 1.8 Quality Control GUE s quality control program seeks to ensure that GUE courses, instructors, and members maintain the highest standards possible before, during, and after training. This is done through: instructor evaluations, instructor renewals, instructor and diver re-qualification, detailed course completion objectives, and rigorous training in conformity with agency standards Instructor Evaluations GUE s qualification process requires all GUE trainees to complete an Instructor Evaluation Form at the completion of their training. Available electronically, GUE s Quality Control Form enables: 1) students to evaluate their training experience; and 2) GUE to monitor instructional quality. 15

16 1.8.2 Instructor Peer Review GUE maintains a peer-review program that encourages instructor cooperation and requires them to report to GUE Headquarters any practices not in keeping with GUE s standards Instructor Renewals To insure currency of qualifications, all GUE instructors are required to renew annually Instructor Re-Qualification GUE instructors must formally requalify in EVERY curriculum (Recreational, Tech, Cave) in which they are qualified to teach by December of the third year of their initial certification or last requalification. This requirement is fulfilled by co-teaching a class with a training director in each curriculum in which requalification is due. Instructors may also requalify by joining a GUE-sanctioned instructor re-qualification workshop. Instructors may choose to reset the three-year clock at any point within this three-year window. In the event an instructor is qualified to teach at different levels of a given curriculum (e.g., Tech 1 or 2), it is the prerogative of the training director to decide at which level the instructor will work toward requalification. GUE instructors must also requalify anytime the safety or effectiveness of their training is questioned. In such a case, GUE s Quality Control Board may immediately suspend an instructor s teaching privileges until a thorough review of these allegations is made. Instructors who fail to requalify within three years will be put on inactive status and required to return their instructor cards to GUE Headquarters at once Diver Re-Qualification All GUE diver-qualification cards expire three years after the date of issue. A diver can be re-qualified six months before or six months after the expiration of their qualification period by having his/her individual dive experience reviewed by either a qualified GUE instructor or by GUE Headquarters. To maintain GUE qualification, GUE divers must a) complete and log at least twenty-five dives at the level of their qualification within a three-year period, and b) must provide evidence of such by producing their logbook or by mailing in or faxing copies of their logbook pages to a relevant GUE representative. Upon review, divers can be issued a new qualification card for a nominal fee. 1.9 Recognition of Credentials Accomplished divers from other agencies who wish to be qualified as GUE divers may petition GUE HQ to have their training and experience recognized, and a suitable level of GUE qualification issued. Upon receipt of such a request, GUE HQ will arrange for an in-water evaluation of the petitioning diver by a GUE instructor trainer. If, upon evaluation, the GUE IT considers that the petitioning diver s request should be honored, s/he should recommend to GUE HQ, in writing, that it issues an appropriate level of GUE qualification. Upon receipt of this recommendation, GUE HQ will consider awarding the petitioning diver a suitable level of GUE qualification Waivers Qualified GUE divers seeking upper-level qualification can petition a GUE training director to waive the 25-dive prerequisite between GUE courses. 16

17 1.10 Complaints GUE s Quality Control Board is responsible for handling complaints promptly and thoroughly. Following an investigation of a complaint, the Quality Control Board will decide whether or not disciplinary action is warranted Complaint Submission Complaints can be lodged against any GUE member, all of whom are bound by GUE s standards and procedures. Formal complaints against any GUE member must be sent to GUE s Director of Quality Control at GUE Headquarters and must include: A written statement outlining the nature of the complaint, Name and contact information The date, time, and location of incident A complete account of the event, including names and contact information (if possible) of any witnesses Complaints can be lodged either by mail or electronically. Mail should be sent to the Director of Quality Control, Global Underwater Explorers, 15 South Main Street, High Springs, FL, 32643, USA. should be send to qc@gue.com. No action, other than review, can be taken as a result of an anonymous or a verbal complaint Complaint Procedure 1. Following review of a complaint, a summary of the complaint is sent to a charged member by regular and/or electronic mail. Charged member(s) must respond in writing to the complaint (by mail or electronically) within thirty days from the date the review was sent. It is the responsibility of GUE members to maintain current contact information with GUE HQ. 2. Charged members who fail to respond to a written complaint within thirty days are automatically suspended, and all membership privileges are revoked until resolution of the matter. 3. Charged members who respond to a written complaint are able to maintain their membership privileges until a final determination is reached by GUE s Quality Control Board. Upon receipt of a charged member s response, GUE s Quality Control Board can decide to dismiss the complaint, resolve the matter by negotiation, suspend the member in question, or terminate his/her membership Penalties and Remedial Actions GUE s Quality Control Board is empowered to render the following decisions: 1. Private censure 2. Public censure 3. Prescribed educational rehabilitation 4. Defined probationary period 5. Defined suspension 6. Revocation of membership and/or teaching privileges 17

18 Rights of Appeal Charged members who have been subject to an unfavorable decision by GUE s Quality Control Board may, within thirty days of the decision, appeal the decision to GUE s Board of Directors. Such an appeal must be lodged in writing to the Board of Directors, Global Underwater Explorers, 15 South Main Street, High Springs, FL, 32643, USA Executive Suspension of Membership In cases where GUE s Director of Training or GUE s officers suspect that student safety has been or is believed to be compromised, GUE HQ has the right to immediately suspend the GUE instructor(s) in question WITHOUT going through a formal complaint process. This suspension will be followed by a review of the case by GUE s Quality Control Board, who will be responsible for rendering a final decision Conduct Policies and Procedures 1. GUE representatives must promote the best interests of GUE. 2. GUE members and its representatives must demonstrate financial responsibility when transacting business with GUE. 3. GUE instructors must process student Course Completion Forms in a professional and timely fashion. GUE instructors must cooperate with GUE Headquarters when certification-card issues arise. 4. All correspondence found on the Instructors Forum, instructors@gue.com, is confidential. Any instructor who knowingly allows these discussions to become public may be subject to disciplinary action. 5. GUE instructors must behave professionally when interacting with GUE trainees, with GUE HQ and with other persons who have been solicited to help promote GUE (e.g., diving facilities). 6. All GUE members and its representatives are bound by the standards and procedures outlined in this document. 7. GUE membership and renewal applications do not constitute perpetual offers of membership. GUE HQ reserves the right to refuse membership or renewal to any party without assigning any reason. 8. GUE instructor qualification cards issued by GUE Headquarters are the property of Global Underwater Explorers, and must be surrendered upon request to the Board of Directors or their representatives Records GUE headquarters will maintain the following records (if applicable) for each instructor, student, and class for up to seven years after the class: 1. Student Registration 2. Student Liability and Release and Assumption of Risk 3. Student Agreement 4. Student Medical Questionnaire 5. Accident Report 6. Instructor Registration 7. Instructor Liability and Release and Assumption of Risk 8. Instructor Agreement 18

19 9. Course Completion Form 10. C-Card Replacement Form 11. Instructor Evaluation Form 12. Membership Registration 19

20 2.0 GUE Course Training Standards and Procedures 2.1 Recreational Diver Curriculum GUE Recreational Diver level Purpose The GUE Recreational Diver level 1 course is designed to develop the essential skills required in all sound diving practice. This course provides the non-diver with an opportunity to develop fundamental diving skills that will support comfort, confidence, and competence in the water. This course also provides a solid diving foundation for individuals with aspirations for more advanced diver training. Divers who successfully complete the GUE Recreational Diver level 1 course will not be required to pursue the GUE Fundamentals course Prerequisites 1. Must meet GUE general course prerequisites as outlined in section Must be a minimum of sixteen years of age. This may be reduced under exceptional circumstances, and with written approval from GUE HQ, Duration The GUE Recreational Diver level 1 class must be conducted over at least eight full days; course time should total at least sixty hours, encompassing both classroom and in-water work Course Limits 1. General training limits as outlined in section Student-to-instructor ratio is not to exceed 4:1 during any in-water training, and should be adjusted downward to account for bad conditions and/or poor visibility. 3. Maximum depth 70 feet/21 meters. 4. No decompression. 5. No overhead environment diving. 6. No night diving Course Content The GUE Recreational Diver level 1 course is normally involves a minimum sixty hours of instruction including ten lectures, ten confined water dives and 10 open water dives. If the course is conducted in drysuit there will be additional confined and open water dives. The GUE Recreational Diver level 1 course emphasizes creating the fundamental diving skills required for all sound diving practice. This focus in creating a proper set of skills increases diving fun by reducing stress and increasing diver proficiency; this is accomplished through educating students on GUE principles including but not limited to proper control of buoyancy, trim, propulsion, breathing gases and teamwork Required Training Materials 1. Submerged: Mastering the Art and Science of Scuba Diving. Global Underwater Explorers, 2006, High Springs, Florida. 20

21 2. Beginning with the End in Mind - The Fundamentals of Recreational Diving. Jesper Berglund. Global Undwerwater Explorers Stockholm, Sweden Academic Topics 1. Introduction to Scuba Diving 2. Physics, Physiology, and basic diving techniques 3. Diving Equipment 4. The Balanced Rig and Going Beyond the Basics 5. Going Beyond Basic Physiology and Physics 6. Breathing Gas Dynamics 7. Decompression 8. Dive Planning 9. Accident and Problem Solving Underwater 10. The Aquatic Realm Land Drills and Topics 1. Equipment fit and function 2. Dive team protocols 3. Analyze and mark cylinders 4. Pre-dive drills 5. Basic 5 scuba skills 6. S-drill and valve-drill 7. Propulsion techniques 8. Surface-marker deployment 9. Straight line compass navigation 10. Basic 5 Rescue skills Required Dive Skills and Drills 1. All skills and drills as outlined in General Diving Skills Must be able to swim at least 300 yards/275 meters in under fourteen minutes without stopping. This test should be conducted in a swimsuit and, where necessary, appropriate thermal protection. 3. Must be able to swim a distance of at least 16 yards/15 meters on a breath hold. 4. Demonstrate proficiency in safe diving techniques, including pre-dive preparations, in-water activity, and post-dive assessments. 5. Demonstrate awareness of team-member location and a concern for safety, responding quickly to visual cues and dive-partner needs. 6. Efficiently and comfortably demonstrate how to donate gas to an out-of-gas diver. 7. Efficiently and comfortably demonstrate how to donate gas to an out-of-gas diver followed by an ascent to the surface, utilizing Minimum Decompression. 21

22 8. Comfortably demonstrate at least two propulsion techniques that would be appropriate in delicate and/or silty environments; students should demonstrate comprehension of the components necessary for a successful backward kick. 9. Demonstrate a safe and responsible demeanor throughout all training. 10. Demonstrate proficiency in the ability to deploy a surface marker while utilizing a spool. 11. Demonstrate good buoyancy and trim, i.e. approximate reference maximum of 30 degrees off horizontal while remaining within 5 feet/1.5 meters of a target depth. Frequency of buoyancy variation and the divers control of their buoyancy and trim are important evaluation criteria. 12. Demonstrate proficiency in underwater communication. 13. Demonstrate basic equipment proficiency and an understanding of the GUE equipment configuration. 14. Demonstrate aptitude in the following open-water skills: mask clearing, mask removal and replacement, regulator removal and exchange, long hose deployment. 15. Demonstrate safe ascent and descent procedures. 16. Demonstrate proficiency in executing a valve drill. 17. Demonstrate dive rescue techniques Equipment Requirements Each student should have, and be familiar with, all of the following required equipment: 1. Tanks/Cylinders: Students may use a single tank/cylinder with a K-, H-, or Y-valve. Students may also use dual tanks/cylinders connected with a dual-outlet isolator manifold, which allows for the use of two first-stages. 2. Regulators: One of the second-stages must be on a 5 to 7 foot/1.5 to 2 meter hose. One of the firststages must supply a pressure gauge and provide inflation for a dry suit (where applicable). 3. Backplate System: A rigid and flat platform of metal construction with minimal padding, held to a diver by one continuous piece of nylon webbing. This webbing should be adjustable through the plate and should use a buckle to secure the system at the waist. A crotch strap attached to the lower end of this platform and looped through the waistband prevents the system from riding up a diver s back. A knife should be secured to the waist on the left webbing tab. This webbing should support five D-rings; the first should be placed at the left hip, the second should be placed in line with a diver s right collarbone, the third should be placed in line with the diver s left collarbone, and the fourth and fifth should be affixed to the crotch strap to use while using a DPV or towing/stowing gear. The harness below the diver s arms should have small restrictive bands to allow for the placement of reserve lights. The system should retain a minimalist approach, with no unnecessary components. 4. Buoyancy Compensation Device: A diver s buoyancy compensation device should be backmounted and minimalist in nature. It should come free of extraneous strings, tabs, or other material. There should be no restrictive bands or bungee of any sort affixed to the buoyancy cell. In addition, diver lift should not exceed 50 lbs/25kgs for a single tank and 80 lbs/40kgs for double tanks. Wing size and shape should be appropriate to the cylinder size(s) employed for training. 5. At least one time-/depth-measuring device 6. Mask and fins: Mask should be low-volume; fins should be rigid, non-split 7. At least one cutting device 8. Wet Notes 9. One spool with 100 feet/30 meters of line per diver 22

23 10. At least one surface-marker buoy per diver 11. One wrist compass 12. Exposure suit appropriate for the duration of exposure Note: Prior to the commencement of class, students should consult with a GUE representative to verify equipment requirements. Whether or not a piece of equipment fulfills GUE s equipment requirement remains at the discretion of GUE and its instructor representatives. Participants are responsible for providing all equipment or for making provisions to secure the use of necessary equipment before the start of the course. In general, it is better for the student to learn while using his or her own equipment. However, students should exercise caution before purchasing new equipment to avoid acquiring substandard equipment. Please contact a GUE representative prior to making any purchases. Information about recommended equipment can be obtained from the equipment considerations section of GUE s Web site GUE Recreational Diver level Purpose GUE s Recreational Diver level 2 course is a no-decompression class structured to prepare divers for deeper recreational diving using proper equipment, diving techniques, and breathing mixtures. In this class, students will be introduced to the theory and practice of decompression and schooled in correct ascent procedures. GUE s Recreational Diver level 2 training focuses on expanding the fundamental skills learned in GUE s Recreational Diver level 1 course and/or the GUE Fundamentals course (or elsewhere), and is designed to cultivate, integrate, and expand the essential skills required for safe deeper diving. This will include problem identification and resolution, and building the capacity for progressively more challenging diving. In this class, students will be trained in: a) the use of single or double back gas tanks/cylinders, and in the potential failure problems associated with them; b) the use of Nitrox and Triox for extended bottom times; and c) the use of Helium to minimize narcosis, CO 2, gas density, and post-dive nitrogen stress Prerequisites 1. Must meet GUE general course prerequisites as outlined in section Must be a minimum of eighteen years of age. This may be reduced under exceptional circumstances, and with written approval from GUE HQ, 3. Must have passed the GUE Recreational Diver level 1 class or a GUE Fundamentals class 4. Must have a minimum of twenty five dives beyond open-water qualification, ten of which should be non-training dives Duration The GUE Recreational Diver level 2 class is normally conducted over a four-day period. It involves a minimum of thirty hours of instruction, encompassing both classroom and in-water work Course Limits 1. General training limits as outlined in section Student-to-instructor ratio is not to exceed 6:1 during land drill or surface exercises, but cannot exceed 3:1 during any direct in-water training 3. Maximum depth 100 feet (+/- 10 feet)/30 meters (+/- 3 meters) 4. No overhead environment diving 23