National Aquarium, Baltimore Volunteer Dive Program Apprenticeship Training Syllabus and Schedule Day 1 Apprenticeship (DRY) Orientation, Administrative, Safety, and Observation Volunteer Office Orientation, Administrative tasks, Meet the staff Level 2 o Orientation to Level 2 area Kitchen, Fridge, and Freezer Shark Back Up Area Pier 3 Lab o Hazard Communication Program o Behind The Scenes Policies (inc. visitor policy inc. Food Prep and Dive Locker) No children under 8 allowed Must be cleared with dive safety and husbandry staff o Food Prep Orientation Food Prep Steps Food Pull Clean Up o Orientation Lockers, Locks, Bathrooms, Showers o Decorum Rashguards or full wetsuits worn out of shower area o Record Keeping Food Logs Dive Logs o Gear BCDs, Regulators, Weights, Tanks, Fins o Meet the team! Atlantic Coral Reef (ACR) - Morning o Emergency equipment Backboard, Life Ring, Dive Alarm, O2, Telephone, Radio o Exhibit Orientation and Introduction o Instructional Observation w/dive Volunteer Coordinator or Dive Captain (or Co- Captain) Introduction to Fish ID Atlantic Coral Reef (ACR) - o Instructional Observation w/dive Volunteer Coordinator or Dive Captain (or Co- Captain) o Tender Role and Responsibilities for the ACR Day-End Cleanup o Food Prep: Assist w/clean up and disinfecting of food buckets, etc. o Dive Locker: Completion of Dive and Feeding logs; proper gear rinsing and storage; empty gear carts; squeegee floors, etc. Reminder: Dive Physical MUST be Completed by Day 3 of Training. In addition by the 1 st wet day 3rd Apprenticeship MUST be able to identify 15 of 25 families of animals in the ACR
Day 2 Apprenticeship (DRY) Shadowing Morning o Food Prep Instruction (1:1 w/dive Captain, Co-Captain, or designee) Learn proper techniques for weighing, preparation and distribution of food items Learn proper technique for placing vitamins in fish Learn to pull the food for the next day Learn process for cleaning and disinfecting all storage bins, utensils, cutting boards, food buckets, etc. Gear setup and Dive Briefing Observation of feeding techniques, vegetable placement/feeding, and maintenance tasks cleaning décor and windows, etc. Practice Fish ID Change tanks and Dive Briefing Continued observation of feeding techniques and strategy, vegetable distribution, and maintenance tasks. Practice Fish ID End of Day Clean Up Assists with food buckets and other feeding equipment cleanup, disinfection, and storage Dive Locker Dive equipment breakdown, rinse and store; floors squeegeed; showers mats placed in bin (if necessary), showers cleared of personal items. Information for logs recorded. Reminders/Suggestions for preparation for next session Completed Dive Physical must be received by Dive Safety Office well ahead of Apprentice Training Session #3 for evaluation of fitness to dive at NAB and continued Apprentice training sessions. By the 1 st wet day (3 rd Apprenticeship) must be able to identify 15 out of 25 families of animals in the ACR By the 3 rd wet day (5 th Apprenticeship) must be able to correctly identify each species of fish in the ACR from the following families; Angelfish (4), Butterflyfish (2), Surgeonfish Fish ID Resources http://scuba.about.com/od/marinelife/ss/reef-fish-identification-guide-20- Common-Species-Of-Florida-And-The-Caribbean.htm http://speciesidentification.org/species.php?species_group=caribbean_diving_guide&menuentry =inleiding http://www.reef.org/resources/galleries/caribbean Reef Fish Identification, Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas; Ned DeLoach and Paul Humann
Day 3 Apprenticeship (In Water) Feeding Techniques Skill Development; Maintenance Tasks Note: DSO approval to dive required for continued Apprentice Training Morning Assists with food prep duties under supervision of Dive Captain/Co- Captain or assigned designee. Testing on Fish ID (Families) Gear setup; Dive Briefing Review of safety, animal behavior, feeding strategy and direct observation of feeding by Dive Captain/Co-Captain or Designee. Underwater tour by Dive Captain/Co-Captain or Designee inc. ledges, howdy cage area; mortality bucket; and skimmers. Observe feeding of general fish population. Assist with maintenance tasks (windows, décor, skimmers, etc) as requested. Practice Buoyancy Control Try to swim a full lap of the exhibit while neutrally buoyant with minimal use of hands. Assist with preparation of food for afternoon dives briefing, etc Dive Captain/Co-Captain or Designee evaluates buoyancy control and provides tips if necessary. Assist with feeding Tarpon and Hogfish under direct supervision of Dive End of Day Clean Up Assists with food buckets and other feeding equipment cleanup; equipment breakdown, rinse and store; floor squeegeed Reminders/Suggestions for preparation for next session Review Fish ID - must be able to correctly identify each species of fish in the Food prep evaluation next session
Morning Day 4 Apprenticeship (In Water) Food Preparation Skill/Knowledge Evaluation Continued Feeding Technique Skill Development Evaluation of demonstration of knowledge, techniques and proper use of equipment in food preparation (including clean up and disinfection process) by Dive Captain/Co-Captain or Designee Gear setup; Dive Briefing Assist with feeding Puffers under direct supervision of Dive Assist with cleaning and maintenance tasks as assigned. briefing Assist with feeding Stingrays and Morays under direct supervision of Dive Assist with vegetable distribution and/or cleaning tasks as assigned. End of Day Clean Up Equipment breakdown, rinse and storage area cleanup gear carts emptied; floors squeegeed; shower rooms cleared of all personal items, shower mats removed (if necessary). Review dive log and feeding log completion. Reminders/Suggestions for preparation for next session Review Fish ID - must be able to correctly identify each species of fish in the
Morning ACR Dive Day 5 Apprenticeship (In Water) Feeding and Water Skills Evaluation (Both Exhibits) Assist with preparation of the day s food and the pull for the next day s food. Fish ID Quiz - must be able to correctly identify each species of fish in the Gear setup Morning briefing Assist with General Feed under direct supervision of Dive Assist with vegetable distribution and/or cleaning tasks as assigned briefing Assist with Squirt Bottles under direct supervision of Dive Post-Evaluation Debriefing (approx. 10 mins) Review of training sessions with apprentice by Dive Volunteer Coordinator, Dive Captain/Co-Captain or Designee. Constructive feedback with suggestions for improvement will be offered. The apprentice will be given the chance to ask questions or provide feedback on their training. Reminder for preparation for next session: There will be no training for the 6 th Apprenticeship. All tasks will be completed without assistance and an final evaluation will be done by the Dive Captain/Co-Captain or Designee