Training BULLETIN A Training and Education Update for PADI Members Worldwide FIRST QUARTER 2014 Product No. 01220 In This Issue... PADI Open Water Diver Course Revision 2 2014 Edition PADI Pro Manuals Available 4 Self-Reliant Diver Specialty Prerequisite Change 4 Altitude Diver Specialty Requirements Change 4 Enriched Air Diver Exam Supplement Available 5 New Free Diving Distinctive Specialty 5 Discover Scuba Diving Leader Assessment Revised 5 Discover Scuba Diving Benefits Age Limit Clarification 5 Training Bulletin Live! Webcast 5 Earn Seminar Credit 6 New Project AWARE IDC Presentation Available 7 Conservation Conduct AWARE s New 10 Tips 7 Emergency First Response Shift to Annual Renewal Cycle 8 Rebreather and Advanced Rebreather Courses Update 8 Training Bulletin Required Reading This update is the primary training communication from your PADI Regional Headquarters to you. It announces PADI training standards and procedures changes and their implementation date. Your PADI Membership commitment requires you to keep abreast of PADI standards by reviewing and putting into practice the information in this quarterly update. The Training Bulletin is published quarterly by PADI, Professional Association of Diving Instructors 30151 Tomas, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 USA +1 949 858 7234 PADI 2013 All rights reserved
Training PADI Open Water Diver Course Revision Please note the following is an update to the Fourth Quarter 2013 Training Bulletin article, PADI Open Water Diver Course Revision in regard to launch and implementation. Diver Materials Launch of the English-version diver materials (PADI Open Water Diver Manual, PADI Open Water Diver Video and PADI Diver s Log and Training Record as well as the new PADI Skill Practice and Dive Planning Slate and Crew-Paks) began in the PADI Americas region in late 2013, and will release in PADI Asia Pacific and Japan, and PADI Europe, Middle East and Africa regions in both English and other languages mid-2014. The new PADI Open Water Diver Touch (English) Apple version is scheduled to release globally this quarter, with the Android version following early second quarter 2014. The revised PADI Open Water Diver Online (English) is scheduled to launch early second quarter. Languages Diver materials in these languages will become available mid 2014 or earlier: Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Spanish and Russian. Professional Materials The following revised materials are available to all members on the Pros Site Training Essentials/ Curriculum/Revised Open Water Diver Course: Open Water Diver Course Instructor Guide Open Water Diver Course section from PADI s Guide to Teaching Open Water Diver Course Presentations Notes Open Water Diver Course Knowledge Review answer keys Open Water Diver Course Quizzes and Exams answer sheet and answer keys Open Water Diver Course Referral form Open Water Diver Online Quick Review For Instructor Development, reference Training Essentials/Curriculum/Instructor Development/IDC: Open Water Diver Course IDC presentation Open Water Diver Course presentation IDC Lesson Guides Other revised Open Water Diver course professional materials, such as Prescriptive Lesson Guides, Confined Water and Open Water Cue Cards, Quizzes and Exams are either available now, or check with your PADI Regional Headquarters for availability. IDC Crew-Paks will be retrofitted as materials are available. Revised IDC Online (English) presentations will be updated soon. Implementation Materials supporting the existing course will be available during the transition period, giving you time to read and review the revised instructor materials while continuing to teach the existing course. Because the existing Open Water Diver course is valid and effective, there is no required implementation date for use of the revised course standards (an update to what was announced in the last Training Bulletin). You may continue to teach the existing course to use up your stock of existing materials, or make the change as soon as revised materials are available in your region. Quizzes and Final Exams When Teaching the RDP The revised PADI Open Water Diver Course Quizzes and Final Exam booklet (Product 71023 v 4.0) continues to have four quizzes with 10 multiple choice questions and 50 questions for the Final Exam with A and B versions. What s new is that if you teach the RDP Table or erdpml, there are five supplemental quiz questions and 10 supplemental Final Exam questions. Administer the five supplemental RDP/eRDPML questions sometime after Knowledge Development Four, ideally with Quiz Four. Administer the 10 Final Exam questions in conjunction with the main exam. Separately mark and score the supplemental questions and remediate missed questions as you normally would. If student divers earn less than 75 percent on either the RDP/eRDPML quiz or Final Exam questions, have them complete the B version as applicable. Note that the revised PADI Open Water Diver Course Prescriptive Lesson Guides do not include lesson guides for these supplemental questions. Use the related Instructions for Use booklet to guide your remediation. Page 2 Training Bulletin First Quarter 2014
Referrals During the transition period from the previous Open Water Diver course and materials to the revised, be aware that referred student divers may have started the course using a version different from the one you are teaching. In general, follow these guidelines: If a referred student diver needs to complete additional knowledge development segments, it s simplest to complete knowledge development using the same course version the student diver started including quizzes, exams and use of prescriptive lesson guides. This prevents the student diver from missing any information. If a student diver has completed all knowledge development, but no inwater sessions, you may continue with either course version conducting all confined and open water dives for that version. If a referred diver has completed some, but not all, confined or open water diver, it s simplest to continue with the same course version the diver started. Again, this prevents the diver from missing any skills. If a referred diver completed confined water dives from the existing course, you can conduct open water dives using the revised course as long as you orient the diver to the new or changed skills before the open water training dives. If a referred diver completed confined water dives from the revised course, you can conduct the open water dives from the existing course as long as you orient the diver to differences before the open water training dives. As always, when receiving a referred student, assess the diver s skills and comfort level inwater and generally assess dive knowledge to determine if there is a readiness to progress and if any remediation is necessary. During the inwater assessment is when you should orient referred divers to any skill differences, as appropriate. Track course progression using either the existing course training record and referral form when teaching the existing course; or, by using the revised course training record and referral form, which you can download from the Pros Site. You identify what version of the course the diver has taken by the referral form the diver presents and through your assessment. Use the tools you have, along with your training and experience to guide you in completing the diver s training. Keep in mind that both versions of the course are valid and appropriate for training new divers. Don t hesitate to contact an Educational Consultant for recommendations as needed. Computer Diving Crew-Paks and New Simulator As mentioned in the Fourth Quarter 2013 Training Bulletin, the revised Open Water Diver course features dive computer use for dive planning. The How to Use and Choose Dive Computers book content is now contained in the course curriculum. What hasn t changed, is that your student divers must have one of three dive planners a dive computer, or RDP Table or erdpml (and the associated Instructions for Use booklets). What s new is that if you choose to use dive computers for dive planning there s a new dive computer simulator product, divepal TM (dive Planner, Analyzer, Log) to help them apply what they ve learned in the manual. Similar to the previous PADI Computer Diving Simulator TM, divepal allows student divers to plan and execute simulated dives to see how no-stop times change with different dive profiles, making it easy to understand what information a dive computer supplies during a dive. In addition to a generic simulator, the program also offers many productspecific simulators that appear and function like dive computers student divers may purchase or use during training. When ordering Open Water Diver Crew- Paks, choose the product appropriate for the dive planning tools you plan to teach during your courses. The PADI Open Water Diver Computer Crew-Pak (Product No. 60335) includes a Dive Computer Simulator Access Card. Each card has a unique code that provides access at no cost to the generic divepal simulator, as well as to one of several computer-specific simulators of their choice. Help guide your students simulator selections based on what dive computer they will use during the course. Student divers log on to ScubaEarth TM to access their dive computer simulator, which is available to them for 12 months (www.scubaearth.com/computer simulator). The simulator access card and simulator web site are English only. Please note that due to internet privacy laws, student divers aged 10-12 cannot register on ScubaEarth; an alternate access solution is currently being investigated. Training Bulletin First Quarter 2014 Page 3
Training PADI Open Water Diver Online Revision Transition Up until the launch of the revised PADI Open Water Diver Online English version early second quarter, elearners will enroll in the existing version, and will continue to have 12 months to complete it. Here s how you can manage course completion for students during the transition between the existing and the revised online segment of the course. The erecord for the revised PADI Open Water Diver Online will clearly distinguish it from the existing version so that you will know which version of the Quick Review to administer. You can also identify which online version your elearner registered for by reviewing the Student Reports in your virtual classroom. Make sure you administer the correct, corresponding quick review (and use related lesson guides for any remedial follow up) for the elearning version used. You may complete confined and open water training using either existing or revised standards, depending upon whether or not you have switched to teaching with the revised course standards or are still teaching the existing course. Learn More Find out more about Open Water Diver course revisions and how to use materials by checking out related articles in The Undersea Journal, and by attending programs and seminars conducted by PADI Staff such as Training Bulletin Live!, Course Director Update and IDC Staff Instructor Update and others offered through your PADI Regional Headquarters. 2014 Edition PADI Pro Manuals Available Make sure your courses are up-to-date by securing revised reference materials and identifying what has changed. PADI Instructor Manual As a benefit of PADI Membership, download your 2014 version of the PADI Instructor Manual along with the errata document from the PADI Pros Site Training Essentials/Digital Instructor Manual. Translations will be added as they become available. The 2014 manual includes the revised PADI Open Water Diver Course Instructor Guide. PADI s Guide to Teaching and PADI Course Director Manual PADI s Guide to Teaching and PADI Course Director Manual have been revised, also incorporating the Open Water Diver course revisions, as well as other standards and program changes that have occurred in the last couple of years. They will be available first quarter 2014 in English, with translations to follow. To become familiar with specific changes, download the errata documents for these two manuals from the Pros Site: Training Essentials/Digital Instructor Manual. Self-Reliant Diver Specialty Prerequisite Change As of 1 January 2014, a certified and current PADI Divemaster can enroll in the Self-Reliant Diver specialty with 60 (instead of 100) dives as long as all other prerequisites are met. The training received during the Divemaster course provides enough experience to begin the specialty course. However, the divemaster must have 100 dives and meet all certification requirements to become a PADI Self-Reliant Diver. Altitude Diver Specialty Requirements Change The PADI Altitude Diver Specialty Instructor Guide currently states that Altitude Diver students must have an erdpml and its Instructions for Use Guide. This is not correct. As with other PADI courses, Altitude Diver student have a choice to use either the RDP Tables, erdpml or dive computers. This is also consistent with the Altitude Adventure Dive requirements in the Adventures in Diving program. If you are a PADI Altitude Diver Specialty Instructor, please make note of this change. Page 4 Training Bulletin First Quarter 2014
Enriched Air Diver Exam Supplement Available If you choose to teach the PADI Enriched Air Diver course using dive tables rather than dive computers, a table set is available (metric or imperial) that includes the Equivalent Air Depth Table, Oxygen Exposure Table, EANx32 RDP, EANx36 RDP and an illustrated study guide that shows the student diver how to use them. When teaching the course using the table option, you ll need to supplement the PADI Enriched Air Diver Course Final Exam with additional, table-based questions. Download the Supplemental Questions document from the Pros Site (Training Essentials/Curriculum/Exams and Assessments/Specialty Diver Course/Enriched Air Diver), available in several languages. The document includes an answer sheet and answer key. The next revision of the PADI Enriched Air Diver Course Final Exam (Product No. 70122) will include these questions. New Free Diving Distinctive Specialty Free diving is becoming increasingly popular in many areas, and now PADI Instructors with suitable experience can offer training in this field by applying to become a PADI Free Diver Distinctive Specialty Instructor. The PADI Free Diver distinctive specialty has two parts: PADI Discover Free Diving and PADI Free Diver. PADI Discover Free Diving is a confined water experience that introduces participants to the basic principles and techniques associated with static and dynamic apnea. The PADI Free Diver distinctive specialty then builds on this training and includes additional open water training. PADI Discover Free Diving experience participants are recognized through a wall certificate, while the PADI Free Diver distinctive specialty results in a specialty certification. The two parts combine to introduce people to free diving, and help them develop the skills and knowledge required to participate in free diving activities. Free diving specialty students must be at least 15 years old, and CPR training is recommended. Use the Release of Liability/Assumption of Risk/Non-Agency Acknowledgement Form Discover Snorkeling and Skin Diving (product 10089) or EU equivalent. Contact your PADI Sales Team for the specialty outline (Product No. 70245). You can also find the required paperwork and Specialty Instructor Application form on the PADI Pros Site. Discover Scuba Diving Leader Assessment Revised The PADI Discover Scuba Diving Leader Assessment has recently been revised to capture two necessary edits. Question 9 Change Discover Scuba Diving brochure in the first answer option to Discover Scuba Diving Participant Guide. Question 11 Change answer from 30 to 7 on the answer key. Download a revised assessment from the PADI Pros Site under Training Essentials/Curriculum/Exams and Assessments/Discover Scuba Diving, available in English, Dutch, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Discover Scuba Diving Benefits Age Limit Clarification PADI Discover Scuba Diving participants who complete the program using the new Discover Scuba Diving Participant Guide (72200) receive several benefits when registered: 90-day trial membership to ScubaEarth Premium and the PADI Diving Society, free access to Section One of the PADI Open Water Diver Online and a PADI DSD ecard. These benefits are accessed by the participants after they register at ScubaEarth. Due to international internet privacy laws, participants under the age of 13 can t register at ScubaEarth, and, therefore, don t have access to these benefits. An alternate benefit delivery method for those aged 10-12 is being investigated. Training Bulletin Live! Webcast You ve seen PADI invitations in your inbox to a webinar series called Training Bulletin Live! These webinars are a benefit of PADI Membership, providing background information and insight on each of the most recent Training Bulletin topics. There is opportunity for you to submit your questions and comments to the PADI staff conducting the webcast. Available in several languages, these programs will continue through the year due to their popularity. Please join us by following the directions in your invitation email; or, go to the PADI Pros Site (Training Essentials/Training Bulletin/Training Bulletin Live) to sign up. If you can t attend the live webinar, you can view the recorded version, which is posted on the Pros Site at the same location, soon after the live presentations conclude. Training Bulletin First Quarter 2014 Page 5
Instructor Development Earn Seminar Credit Besides gaining knowledge and insight on current training topics and valuable information on running a thriving dive business, participation in PADI-sponsored seminars can earn you credit for higher-level PADI credentials by demonstrating your commitment to staying current: 1. Master Instructor rating requires participation in three PADI seminars. 2. Course Director Training Course (CDTC) applicants list the PADI-sponsored seminars they ve attended in the past three years. Those who have participated in more seminars rank higher in seminar attendance which is one of the five key ranking categories. PADI IDC Staff Instructor Updates and PADI Business Academy are highly beneficial for CDTC candidates due to the additional content and credits. Besides the live presentation PADI seminars, there are a variety of online and recorded webinars to increase your scheduling options. If you do not have a confirmation of seminar attendance, you can receive credit for participating in a webinar, by writing a brief synopsis about what you have gained from the seminar and submit it to your PADI Regional Headquarters along with your Master Instructor or Course Director Training Course application. Also, credit will only be given once for any specific seminar although it may be repeated online or live in various regions. Though this list is not comprehensive, it gives you an idea of what seminars qualify for credit. Note that these seminars are PADI-sponsored; meaning they are offered and conducted by PADI staff. Seminar Seminar Credit Member Forum 1 Member Forum Online 1 IDC Staff Instructor Update 1 credit toward MI (live or online) IDC Staff Instructor Update (online) 2 credits for CDTC IDC Staff Instructor Update (live) 3 credits for CDTC Business of Diving Academy 5 PADI Miniseminars at DEMA Show 3 miniseminars = 1 credit Business of Diving webinars 3 live or recorded webinars = 1 credit Training Bulletin Live!* 3 live or recorded webinars = 1 credit Other training webinars 3 live or recorded webinars = 1 credit *Maximum 1 credit from Training Bulletin Live! may apply toward higher level ratings. You can learn about upcoming seminars and view webinars on the PADI Pros Site (Toolbox/Member/ Business of Diving Webinars). Page 6 Training Bulletin First Quarter 2014
PROJECTAWARE.ORG New Project AWARE IDC Presentation Available PADI Course Directors and IDC Staff Instructors inspire future dive industry leaders, and this influence can have a positive effect on the health and abundance of our oceans. To help you explain Project AWARE s mission and how divers fit in, there is a new presentation designed to integrate into your IDCs. You have the flexibility to use it as a whole, break it up into small pieces, add your own photos and/ or use the content to run quizzes and games. Make it fun, make it real and challenge candidates to engage in local concerns and to come up with fundraising ideas. The Project AWARE website (www.projectaware.org) is packed with information, info-graphics and up-to-date news to supplement this presentation. The Project AWARE IDC presentation is available for download on the Pros Site (Training Essentials) and is an optional, but recommended, tool for your IDCs. You can also use it in other PADI training programs, or, adapt it for your dive center or community events. Use your creativity and passion for the environment to show other divers how PADI, Project AWARE and divers are working together to protect the ocean and how everyone can be a part of this global effort. Conservation Conduct AWARE s New 10 Tips Last year, Project AWARE updated its conservation tips for divers to realign with AWARE s current focus on top global ocean issues. The resulting 10 Tips for Divers to Protect the Ocean Planet invites divers to make a difference when they travel, dive, photograph, etc. The content is timeless, reflecting the broad concerns of a global conservation community. PADI Members role-model care for the environment by following the practices and intent of 10 Tips for Divers to Protect the Ocean Planet in all PADI-related activities. PADI s Membership Commitment Code of Practice has been updated to incorporate the revised AWARE tips. PADI courses are full of opportunities to communicate the importance of protecting our aquatic resources. Use the 10 Tips to engage divers at all levels (Discover Scuba Diving through Divemaster) and inspire, guide and shape the next generation of divers who protect the ocean. If you train dive professionals, you have the opportunity and the responsibility to train leaders who will transfer the conservation message to countless future student divers. Use the new 10 Tips to help you prepare an ocean-conscious generation, while you stay relevant and influential. (See the article about the New Project AWARE IDC Presentation.) Download the 10 Tips at projectaware.org/resource/ten-tipsdivers-protect-ocean-planet. Distribute them to all your customers, and encourage them to frequent the Project AWARE website to find out how to get involved. 10 Tips for Divers to Protect the Ocean Planet Divers share a deep connection with the ocean. You can make a difference for ocean protection every time you dive, travel and more. Be a Buoyancy Expert Underwater plants and animals are more fragile than they appear. The Be a Role Model day. Regardless of Take Only Photos - Leave Only Bubbles Protect Underwater Life Become a Debris Activist less. Training Bulletin First Quarter 2014 Page 7
Emergency First Response Historically, the EFR professional credential renewal cycle has been every two years, while PADI Membership is renewed annually. To make things simpler and more streamlined for you, EFR Instructor and Instructor Trainer credential renewals are transitioning to an annual cycle, aligned with PADI s membership renewal cycle. Here s how the transition works: 1. If your EFR credential was due to expire at the end of 2013, you began your EFR annual renewal cycle by renewing for 2014. 2. If your EFR credential is due to expire at the end of 2014, you will begin your EFR annual renewal cycle with your 2015 renewal. If you renew online, both PADI Membership and EFR credential renewal applications will be available to you in one document. If you renew by mail, you will receive both PADI Membership and EFR credential renewal applications when you are due to renew. Note that you can choose to auto renew both PADI Membership and EFR ratings at that time. Shift to Annual Renewal Cycle Update Your EFR Materials Change the following EFR renewal references from every two years to every year: Emergency First Response Instructor Trainer Guide Course Overview and Standards Section heading: Emergency First Response Instructor Renewal, first paragraph. Section heading: Instructor Trainer Qualifications and Renewal, sub heading Renewal Requirements, first paragraph. Appendix EFR Instructor Course Exam: question 42, answer C. Emergency First Response Primary & Secondary Care Instructor Guide Course Overview and Standards Section heading: Emergency First Response Instructor Renewal, first paragraph. EFR Instructor Course Exam booklet Question 42, answer C. TecRec Rebreather and Advanced Rebreather Courses Update The latest course updates result from the last two years experience, which show that more experienced divers can learn to rebreather dive faster than with older technologies. Therefore, the updated PADI Rebreather and Advanced Rebreather Diver integrated courses now have a minimum of six dives (one confined water, five open water), rather than eight. Field data show that experienced tec rebreather instructors can reach the required level of skill on Type R rebreathers without excessive time diving them, so the prerequisite minimums have been adjusted accordingly. There has been no change to the Rebreather Instructor Course, so be aware that some candidates may require more experience before they possess the skill level and comfort to become an instructor. The Rebreather Instructor Trainer course is now available remotely, making it more widely accessible to PADI Instructors globally. For specifics on these revisions, please see the PADI Pros Site Training Essentials/TecRec/Revisions and Teaching Tools/PADI Rebreather Instructor Guide Update. Page 8 Training Bulletin First Quarter 2014