I. Course Overview The purpose of the HydroOptix diver specialty course is to familiarize divers with the theory, skills, knowledge, organization, procedures, benefits, and enjoyment of diving with a HydroOptix MEGA Double-Dome mask, with or without disposable one-day use contact lenses. The goals of the HydroOptix diver course are: A. To develop the student s knowledge of the theories behind the HydroOptix mask and the Ultra Wide View created by the Double-Dome design. B. To ensure the student understands the proper care and method required while using contact lenses for scuba diving. The student must also fully understand the risks involved with wearing contact lenses. C. To enable the student to plan, apply and make safe dives with the HydroOptix mask and contact lenses. II. HydroOptix Diver Course Requirements A. Must be a PADI Open Water diver or hold a qualifying rating from another agency or higher. As a stand-alone specialty course, any training that will be conducted deeper than 18 meters / 60 feet, the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver or an equivalent rating is required, with the Deep Diver rating required for any training deeper than 30 meters / 100 feet. The term qualifying is defined as proof of certification beyond the entry level with a minimum of 20 logged dives documenting experience in navigation and deep diving and at least two other specialties. B. Minimum age requirement: 10 years with a maximum depth to 12 meters/ 40 feet. C. Student-to-instructor ratio: 8:1, to certified assistant 4:1, unless a child under twelve years of age is in the class. Then the student-to-instructor ratio is 4:1. D. Depth Limits: The maximum depth for any Dive is 40 metres/130 feet. For 12-14 year olds, the maximum depth for any Dive is 21 metres/70 feet. For 10-11 year olds the maximum depth is 12 metres/40 feet. At no time shall any dive exceed the limits of the Recreational Dive Planner or the no decompression limits of the student diver s dive computer (as outlined by the manufacturer s instructions.) HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 1 of 26
E. Divers who do not fit within the Naked Eye range of the Double-Dome masks need to visit a DEC-Pro (Diving Eye Care Professional) or their own eye care professional to obtain their Diving Rx contact lenses prior to beginning any confined or open water sessions. The DEC-Pro network consists of over 1,000 affiliated DEC-Pros who can examine your eyes and prescribe the correct Diving Rx contacts for underwater use with the HydroOptix mask. F. The mask should be introduced during Dive 1 of the confined water dives for Open Water. As a stand-alone specialty, a single confined watertraining dive is highly recommended at the discretion of the instructor conducting the specialty course, as a pre-assessment before the course begins. A confined water session may include a scuba skill review. The PADI Skill evaluation or Scuba Review program is an excellent way to accomplish this review. G. Knowledge development H. Dive Data. 1. Two Scuba dives 2. The dive is to be conducted no deeper than 40 meters /130 feet. If training is to be conducted below 30 meters /100 feet, the PADI Deep Diver specialty course is a highly recommended prerequisite. 3. At no time are divers to be required encouraged or intentionally allowed to make dives that would require decompression stops. Safety stops, however, should be included on all dives. III. Student and Instructor Equipment Requirements A. Student equipment. 1. All personal standard diving equipment appropriate for the local environment including: a. HydroOptix mask (MEGA 4.5DD mask or MEGA 3.5DD mask and CoverLens or Monocle), snorkel and fins. b. Surface Interval Eyewear where necessary. c. Contacts where necessary. d. Exposure suite appropriate for local diving conditions and depths, including hood, boots, and gloves or mitts if necessary. e. Quick release weight belt or weight system. f. Alternate Air source suitable for sharing with other divers. g. BCD with low-pressure inflation devise. h. Complete instrumentation, including a means to monitor depth, time and direction. i. RDP (table, erdp or wheel). j. Diving tool or knife capable of cutting line. k. Signaling device (audible or visual). HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 2 of 26
l. Instructor and staff must have both one audible and one visual signaling device m. Log book. B. Instructor Special Equipment 1. All personal standard and specialty equipment required of students. 2. Slate for recording data 3. Tape measure or marked dive reel (100ft preferably) 4. 12 inch or 30 cm Ruler or smaller measuring device 5. Safety equipment. a. First aid supplies and equipment. Recommended: First aid kit, Pocket mask and oxygen. 6. PADI materials that may be used to teach this course. a. PADI instructor manual b. Student record file c. Dive roster 7. PADI reference materials. a. Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving. b. Diving Knowledge Workbook. c. The PADI Open Water Manual. 8. Recognition materials. a. Certificate. b. Specialty diver certification card. IV. Academic Topics The following is an actual presentation Outline. Directions to or comments for the instructor are in [brackets] A. Introductions course overview and welcome to the course. 1. Staff introductions. a. Introduce yourself and assistants. b. Have students introduce themselves and explain their interest in HydroOptix mask use. Use an icebreaker (have students tell one thing interesting about themselves, non-diving related). 2. Course goals. a. To develop your knowledge of why your vision through a flat conventional mask magnifies and hides objects blocking 75% of your view. HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 3 of 26
b. To develop your knowledge of disposable contact lenses and how they enable divers with vision outside of the Naked Eye range to use the HydroOptix MEGA 4.5DD mask and MEGA 3.5DD masks to see approximately 5x more, and objects in their true size and distance with zero distortion underwater. c. To improve your diving ability through superior awareness and eye-hand coordination, as provided by the HydroOptix mask, and through additional supervised dives. d. To encourage students to participate in other specialty training courses. 3. Course Overview. a. Classroom presentations. [Academic information may be presented through home study, class presentations and pre-dive briefings. If class presentations will be used, give the times, dates and locations] There will be one classroom presentation during this course. b. Open-water training dives. There will be two open watertraining dives during this course. [Give times, dates and locations for the dive] c. Confined water-training dive. It is highly recommended that a single confined water dive be conducted for this course. The confined water dive provides time to eliminate potential problems, allow student divers to try-out their HydroOptix masks, and or contacts, and practice basic skills. d. Performance assessment. [The instructor is to ensure that all performance requirements have been met. Skills will be assessed during open water training and directly observed. Academic assessment may be accomplished through discussions with students, knowledge reviews and an optional quiz provided. Inform students how their performance will be evaluated.] 4. Certification. a. Upon successful completion of the course, the PADI HydroOptix specialty certification card will be issued to the student. b. Certification means you are qualified to: Plan, organize, make and log open water dives using the HydroOptix mask (with contact lenses when required) in conditions generally comparable to, or better than those you trained in. HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 4 of 26
c. Once certified apply for the rating of Master Scuba Diver if: 1) you are a PADI Divemaster with certification in four other PADI specialty ratings (in addition to HydroOptix Diver), or 2) you are a PADI Rescue Diver with certification in four other PADI specialty ratings (in addition to HydroOptix Diver). 5. Class requirements: a. Cost of course. [Be sure to explain all costs involved]. b. Equipment needs. [Discuss the required equipment listed in section III.A.]. c. Materials used during this course. d. Attendance requirements. 6. Administration-Collect course fees, enrollment, standard Safe Diving Practices Statement of Understanding, PADI Medical Statement, Liability Release and Express Assumption of Risk. [The PADI Student Record File contains all of these forms. If you already have a completed file on a student, remember that the new copies of the form must be filled out. You may wish to use another Student Record File or loose copies to insert in the existing file]. HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 5 of 26
V. Academic Sessions Video Option: See www.hydrooptix.com for the How it works and the brochure for more details. For those without high-speed Internet access the website is available on a CD-Rom. A. Module One: Flat masks vs. Double-Dome masks Learning Objectives By the end of this session, you will be able to: Explain why flat masks block over 75% of your natural field-of-view, providing a vertical viewing angle just 50 to 60-degrees and 71-degrees horizontal. Explain why flat masks cause tunnel vision, fuzzy edges and warped shapes. Be able to describe Lateral Chromatic Aberration. Describe the benefits of natural panoramic vision underwater Explain the Magic-Bifocal / variable optical power phenomenon of dome optics Explain Twin-Turbo purge valves Define the following terms: MilSpec, retina, iris, cones and rods 1. Flat diving masks distort three ways. a. Tunnel vision: Refraction makes objects appear about 34%bigger and 25% closer than they really are. A 6 foot man appears to be 8 feet tall. b. Fuzzy Edges: Color fringes on the sides of objects called lateral chromatic aberration makes overall water clarity look worse than it is. c. Warped shapes: Straight lines warp outward at the corners (called pincushion distortion). Above water: There is no distortion when air is on both sides of the diving mask Below water: Tunnel Vision, Fuzzy Edges & Warped Shapes. HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 6 of 26
2. A psychological trick occurs when looking through a flat mask. a. Above water you believe your flat mask gives a wide field-ofview, because your eyes angle far to the sides. But when underwater, your actual field-of-view is just 75% of what you experience on land. Only if you extend your arms in front of your face while underwater do you realize your actual view. This is an example of Total Internal Reflection. If you cannot see in, this diver cannot see out another symptom of Tunnel Vision. 3. Chromatic Aberration through flat masks. a. Water clarity appears worse than it actually is and colors are less vibrant, because light breaks-up into its constituent colors, just like a prism. b. Military specifications (MilSpecs), is a term that the U.S. Military and government applies to products. Distortion free viewing is required through dust goggles and pilots visors. c. HydroOptix MEGA series Double-Dome masks deliver stunning clarity, virtually free of distortion of any kind (10 times better than MilSpec). By comparison, flat masks distort shapes and are blurry when not looking ahead (10 times worse than MilSpec when viewing 30-degrees off axis). 4. Double Dome Benefits a. There are five ways HydroOptix masks improves your underwater experience: 1. Restores natural vision (as you now see on land) Panoramic view is 170 x 90, giving divers a 350% greater field-of-view compared to any flat mask. Razor sharp images, colors are more vibrant. Objects appear at their true size and true distance, as they would appear on land, because each eye is at the center of a dome. This eliminates refraction because all viewing angles are perpendicular to the dome wall 2. Enhanced situational awareness Easier to keep track of your buddy. Navigation is easier because of an easier sense of surroundings. Improves maneuvering within wrecks and caves. Photographers notice subjects that might have been missed while wearing a tunnel-vision flat mask. HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 7 of 26
3. Improves eye-hand coordination Managing all gear on your person with better dexterity. Useful when manipulating double strobe arms or juggling more than one housing. Solving the age-old problem of aiming your lights and strobes at apparent images. 4. More relaxing for photographers Underwater photography and videographers working with flat masks must pull the housing firmly against their faceplate, thereby locking their skull s relationship with the viewfinder. That means to frame a shot that s above, down, left or right either their neck or entire body must rotate pointing their nose at the subject. With the HydroOptix masks, your shooting eye can rotate naturally in its socket, in a very wide cone (about 60-degrees) and still see into the viewfinder. 5. Twin-Turbo Purge Valves These allow fast hands-free venting of water from the mask. HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 8 of 26
5. Older divers enjoy the Magic Bifocal effect of Double-Dome masks a. The Magic Bifocal delivers superior near vision compared to any other possible method to correct Presbyopia because 100% of the view area can focus close, not just a small bottom portion (i.e. glue-in bifocal). b. The dome shape creates a variable-power optical phenomenon that vastly expands focus range. This variable power allows younger divers within a broad range of naturally nearsighted vision to wear a Double-Dome mask with their naked eyes. As every diver ages, their eyes lose the ability to focus close called Presbyopia. Older divers need reading glasses or bifocals in air, and an optical aid underwater to help read their gauges. Above-water (fixed Rx) vs. Domed Lens (Vari-Rx) HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 9 of 26
B. Module Two: Vision Health Learning Objectives By the end of this session you will be able to: Explain the risks and benefits of wearing disposable one day use contact lenses Explain the difference between an Ophthalmologist, Optometrist and Optician Define the following terms: Cornea, Acanthamoeba Keratitis, Psuedomonas Aeruginosa and LASIK 1. See your Eye Care Professional - Contact Lenses Are an Rx Device. a. No new exam required if you have a current contact lens prescription. HydroOptix will contact your contact lens provider on your behalf to explain diving Rx requirements. b. Nothing is more precious than your sight, and you should never put it into risk. A contact lens is a prescription device and it must only be fit and prescribed by an eye care professional. c. Borrowing contact lenses or obtaining them without a prescription could lead to serious problems due to incorrect fit. Even if you ve been wearing contact lenses for years, it s a good idea to have your eye care professional check your prescription to make sure that your lenses offer the best possible fit for your unique eyes. d. In order to take good care of your eyes, we recommend yearly visits to your eye care professional (even if you have normal vision) to detect vision changes, as well as any unseen problem. You ll find DEC-Pros (Diving Eye Care Professionals) are exceptional Ophthalmologists, Optometrists and Opticians. In addition, they understand your special needs as a scuba diver. 2. Ophthalmologists, Optometrists and Opticians a. An Ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and medical and surgical treatment of eye diseases. To become an Ophthalmologist one must first obtain a medical degree (M.D. or D.O. in North America) and then complete further specialty training. Technically, ophthalmologists are surgeons. Trained to write vision prescriptions where the Cyl power is a positive number. HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 10 of 26
b. An Optometrist (OD) specializes in the examination, diagnosis, treatment, management and prevention of diseases and disorders of the visual system. Optometrists, most often complete a Bachelors of Science degree with very specific requirements, followed by an optometry degree program that requires eight years to complete. Trained to write a prescription where the Cyl power is a negative number c. An Optician is an expert in the art and science of making and fitting glasses according to prescriptions determined by an eye doctor (Ophthalmologist or Optometrist) The Optician may also dispense and or fill contact lenses, depending on local licensing practices. Understands these are the exact same prescription: -4.0-1.0 @ 020 Note 90 difference in -5.0 +1.0 @ 110 rotation angle. 3. Risk Management a. If you are fit to dive you are fit to wear contact lenses. The risk of eye infection is infinitesimal when a few simple hygiene protocols are followed. If you have an existing eye infection or corneal damage (e.g. scratched/very red eyes) and you have an impaired immune system (e.g. fever) you should not use contacts due to the elevated risk of eye infection during this time and you should not be diving. b. Swimming with contact lenses does not raise the risk of eye infections. But keeping contacts in for many hours or days after swimming IS VERY RISKY. Double-Dome divers who wear Diving Rx contacts are highly motivated to remove their contacts after their last dive, to return to their normal vision. Timely removal of contacts virtually eliminates the bacteria found in water. c. The cornea is remarkably robust and resistant to infection, but the risk to one s vision, if basic hygiene protocols are ignored, can be severe. These protocols are detailed by your eye care professional during your contact lens wear instruction. It is the individual diver s responsibility to carefully obey these guidelines for proper use and to preserve the health of your eyes. HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 11 of 26
d. Immediately remove your contact lenses after your last dive in a chlorinated pool, the ocean or a lake and throw them away or disinfect as per your eye care professional. Chlorinated Hot Tubs can bread bacteria that may cause eye infection. Studies have shown tap water can contain trace amounts of bacteria that can cause eye infection, which is why mixing your own saline solution is strongly discouraged. e. For the technically inclined, the two most common forms of eye infection risk caused by bacteria when swimming are Acanthamoeba Keritis (AK) a type of amoebae found mostly in fresh water and Psuedomonas Aeruginosa (Pa). The incidence of AK and Pa is so rare, less than 1 in 250,000 contact lens wearer s contract either disease as a result of swimming followed by improper hygiene or lens disinfecting. In fact, the risk of irreversible damage due to LASIK is 75,000 times greater than acquiring AK or Pa. Pay attention to the warning signs (impaired immune system and red eyes), and following hygiene protocols f. LASIK (Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis) is a vision correction surgical procedure to treat Hyperopia, Myopia and Astigmatism. The curvature of the cornea is altered by first raising a flap of cornea, ablating the tissue underneath with an excimer laser (PRK) machine, and then closing the flap on top. HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 12 of 26
C. Module Three: Refraction & Optical Lenses Learning Objectives By the end of this session you will be able to: Video Option: This module is covered in the How it Works Flash Animation on our website. Explain what refraction is Describe the different types of lenses Explain how Double-Dome & Flat masks work optically above & underwater 1. Refraction a. The bending of light is called refraction. When photons hit a clear material that s denser than air (like water), the photons slow down. b. Light moves even slower when traveling through diamonds, because diamonds are much denser than water. Examples of refractive materials are water, glass and plastic. c. Refractive index is a number describing the optical density of transparent materials. Denser materials or substances have higher numbers. For example: Air 1.0 Fresh Water 1.33 Sea Water ranges 1.38 to 1.71 Plastic ranges 1.44 to 1.71 Glass ranges 1.44 to over 2.2 Diamond 2.41 d. The higher the refractive index the slower light will travel and the more it can be bent. e. If a light ray hits a refractive medium at an angle, the photons will tilt. This tilting causes the photon to change direction. When photons hit the super-dense diamond, the speed of light slows radically so there s more bending of the light. 2. Types of lenses a. The controlled bending of light rays is what optical design is all about. Optical designers have infinite ways to curve the sides of glass and plastic, and thereby create lenses. However, there are only two types of lenses. b. Positive lenses are always thick in the middle and thin at the edge. A Plano Convex lens is a positive lens. c. Negative lenses are always thin in the middle and thick at the edge. A Plano-Concave lens is a negative lens. d. Positive lenses converge light rays. e. Negative lenses diverge light rays. HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 13 of 26
3. Air to water refraction a. When looking through a window with air on both sides your view path doesn t change. b. With water on the other side of the conventional flat mask, your center view angle doesn t bend, but all of the off-axis rays bend. That s called refraction. The further off-axis the view, the more the light ray bends. This is why objects look bigger and closer under water than they really are. c. When a camera lens inside an underwater housing is at the center of a dome, every direction the lens sees is perpendicular to the dome wall (not off-axis), which eliminates all bending of light rays. This prevents refraction and eliminates the magnification and distortions produced by a flat lens. d. Above water a dome has no optical power. Underwater the water forms around the dome lens and is curved into a negative power lens and shifts the focus. e. All negative lenses have a thin center and thick edge, just like concave/plano lens. f. Water curves against the camera dome forming a concave shape. Notice that in this side view (see illustration) the water column has a thick edge and thin center. Water is being shaped like a negative lens. g. To fix the focus shift problem we must combine lenses of equal but opposite power. The result is zero power. HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 14 of 26
h. Photographers use accessory close up lenses (positive diopters) inside the housings to neutralize the negative power caused by the water curved on the dome i. The cornea on a normal eye allows a person to focus both near and far away. However, the eye of a person with normal vision cannot focus as close as someone who s nearsighted. A person who is nearsighted has a thicker than normal cornea, just like a camera behind a dome port. This naturally nearsighted eye has excess positive power attached. This is why nearsighted divers can use the Double-Dome series masks with their naked eye. j. If you have 20/20 vision you can wear contact lenses to become temporarily nearsighted in order to use the Double- Dome mask. Why? For the same reason underwater photographers using dome ports attach power accessory lenses to the front of their wide-angle lenses. 20/20 diver with + power contact lens D. Module Four: Vision Types Learning Objectives By the end of this session you will be able to: Determine eye type Be able to define the following terms: Emmetropia, Myopia, Hyperopia, Astigmatism, Presbyopia, and Accommodation Describe the aging effects on the human eye 1. Types of vision a. Perfect vision 20/20 or better (Emmetropia). In a normal eye without any refractive error, light enters the eye through the clear cornea (the windowpane of the eye) and the pupil to form an image on the retina at the back of the eye. HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 15 of 26
b. Nearsighted (Myopia). Cannot focus on distant object, but enhanced ability to focus on close objects. The cornea is too steep, or the globe of the eye is too long. Light is focused in the front of the retina making images in the distance blurry. A negative power Rx lens diverges the light rays to fall properly on the retina. The amount of Rx negative diopter power is the opposite of the naked eye s excess positive power. c. Farsightedness (Hyperopia). Farsightedness occurs when the cornea is too flat or the globe of the eye is too short, and the light comes to focus at a point somewhere behind the retina. Both distant and near objects appear blurry. d. Astigmatism. This is a condition where the shape of the cornea is oval rather than spherical. Light entering the eye is focused at multiple points on the retina causing an image to have a ghosting effect. Both nearsighted and farsighted people can have astigmatism. Their Rx lens has a toric shape, defined in the prescription as a cylinder power (cyl). An axis number is also provided, so that they cyl is rotated correctly (90 counter to the eye s distortion) e. Presbyopia. Over time we lose our ability to focus on nearby objects (accommodation). The crystalline lens loses flexibility and our ciliary muscles weaken. This limits our minimum focusing distance. Presbyopes with 20/20 vision need reading glasses; presbyopic myopes and hyperopes need bifocals. Some older divers believe that the magnification caused by flat mask solves Presbyopia when in fact the magnification only makes the fuzzy images appear larger, not clearer. HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 16 of 26
E. Module Five: Determine Contact Lens Diving Rx Learning Objectives By the end of this session you will be able to: Determine if a diver needs Dive Rx contacts to use Double-Dome mask Explain the benefits of soft contact lenses Describe options for older eyes, eyes with astigmatism Now that you understand from Module Three how optics behave underwater, determine what you need to use the HydroOptix Double-Dome mask. Diving Eye Care Professional (DEC-Pros) examine your eyes and prescribe the Diving Rx contact lenses for underwater use with the HydroOptix mask, but it is ok to use your own Eye Care Professional (ECP). HydroOptix can coordinate with your ECP but it is easy to use the Rx Conversion Chart yourself. 1. Using the Rx Conversion Chart for your Double-Dome mask (See Attached Rx Conversion Chart) a. The Double-Dome mask restores natural panoramic vision because your eye is positioned at the center of a dome. However, the focus is shifted and the mask becomes a corrective lens for a broad range of nearsighted vision. b. Many nearsighted divers will be able to use the Double-Dome series mask with their naked eye. If the nearsighted diver is outside the Naked-Eye-Range of the Double-Dome mask they can use the Rx Conversion Chart to determine their Diving Rx contact lens prescription. c. The Rx Conversion Chart is very easy to use. It is important to have your current eyeglass prescription written in diopters. Looking at the Rx Conversion Chart: 1) Start by finding your In-Air Prescription (Rx) in the top row. 2) Then Read down to the row of your Age Group to find your Diving Rx contact lens Example 1: If a diver is 46 years old and has a +1.5 sphere in both eyes the diver would wear +6.00 Diving Rx contact lenses to dive with the MEGA 4.5DD mask. d. If you have mild astigmatism (CYL under +2.00 or 2.00) add 1/2 your CYL to your Sphere (SPH) to find your Sphere-only HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 17 of 26
In-Air correction. Use this number to find your Dive Rx on the Rx Conversion Chart. Example 2: If a diver is 33 years old and has a 3.0 sphere and 1.5 cylinder in both eyes = Sphere-only Rx = 3.75. The Diver will not require contacts lenses to use the mask because the Sphere Equivalent has moved them into the Naked-Eye- Range. e. If your astigmatism is strong / cylinder Rx (Cyl) is over +2.00 or 2.00 then wearing the latest generation of disposable toric contact lenses will give you dramatically sharp vision. f. If an older diver needs contacts with the Double-Dome they can use the latest progressive disposable contact lenses, or choose traditional monovision (different Rx powers in each eye) to achieve both near and far focusing ability. g. A little preconditioning before diving with contacts is recommended. Use eye drops several times a day for three days to help condition your eyes natural blink reflex. Wear the contacts with your mask in a pool before you go diving in open water. If never worn, wear your Surface-Interval Eyeglasses over the contact lenses for two hours a day, for two days, before you go diving. 2. Never worn Contact Lenses before a. Local DEC-Pro members can be found on the HydroOptix website using the Zip-Code Locator. b. Divers who need contact lenses to use the Double-Dome mask and have never worn them will need to visit a DEC- Pro (Diving Eye Care Professional), or their own eye care professional to get fitted with contact lenses. 3. For people who now or used to wear contact lenses a. If you already wear soft disposable contact lenses (CLs) for in-air vision, but are not in the Naked-Eye-Range, use the same brand and Base Curve contact lens and just change the diopter strength - use the Rx Conversion Chart to find your Diving Rx Sphere value. b. If switching from a semi-rigid lens to a soft disposable contact, pick a Base Curve (BC) close to what you now wear. HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 18 of 26
F. Module Six: Double-Dome Preparation and Care Learning Objectives By the end of this module you will understand: How to properly care for and store your Double-Dome mask 1. Review Double-Dome User Guide 2. Advise student on care of NanoFOG lens 3. Have student practice putting on and taking off CoverLens 4. Secure Stowing plate & retractor to the BCD appropriately. HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 19 of 26
VI. Confined Water Activities. A. Module One: A-to-B Comparison of Flat vs. Double-Dome Objectives In confined water dive: Review basic diving skills and procedures. Perform underwater skills and activities that allow divers to become accustomed to their Double-Dome mask and compare the vision against that of their traditional flat mask. Students should start the pool session wearing their diving contact lenses. Allow enough time for insertion of contact lenses. This always takes more time with contact lens beginners. After going through the following activities and documenting their experience, students will remove the contacts lenses and do the same exercises with their regular flat mask and compare the results. 1. Horizontal and Distance Perception In Shallow end of pool use the distinct structure (walls, swim lines, ladder, etc.) in the pool as fixed reference points. If in a lake / ocean with no fixed reference points make your own. Materials: - Weight belt weights (1-5 lbs) - Empty pop bottles with lids - Yellow nylon rope (easy to see) - Student s regular flat mask - Student s HydroOptix mask - Dive Gear not required Instructors should measure the distance from the fixed objects in the pool/ apex of the triangle to where the student will stay in a fixed position. This will allow the students to compare their estimated distance to the actual distance. HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 20 of 26
This skill works best with immediate comparison. The students should wear their contact lenses so they get clear vision while wearing their HydroOptix mask. It is not necessary for the student to remove their diving contact lenses when using their traditional flat mask. Their vision will be a little blurry with the flat mask, but they will be able to count the bottles. After all the students have done the A- to-b comparison, have the group compare their estimated distance with the actual distance measured by the instructor. First: Using their flat mask: 1) Have the student stand in the shallow end of the pool with their back to the edge of the pool facing the apex of the triangle. While above water have the students hold their arms straight out from their shoulders. The student will arc their arms further in front of them until they just see their fingers (if they are using a multi window mask only look thought the front window) holding their breath they will slide underwater. Can they still see their fingers? How far do they have to move their arms until they can see their fingers again? Surface. How much further in front of your face are your hands than before. 2) Holding their breath they will slide underwater. Looking straight ahead at the apex of the triangle and keeping their head in a fixed position have the student count how many floats they can see and take a mental note on the distance from the student to the apex float. 3) Then surface. Second: Using HydroOptix Double-Dome Mask: Follow the same steps as before: 1) Have the student stand in the shallow end of the pool with their back to the edge of the pool facing the apex of the triangle. While above water have the students hold their arms straight out from their shoulders. The student will move their hands further in front of them until they just see their fingers (if they are using a multi window mask only look thought the front window) Holding their breath they will slide underwater. Can they still see their fingers? How far do they have to move their hands until they can see their fingers again? Surface. How much further in front of your face are your hands than before. 2) Holding their breath they will slide underwater. Looking straight ahead at the apex of the triangle and keeping their head in a fixed position have the student count how many floats they can see and take a mental note on the distance from the student to the apex float. 3) Then surface. 4) After the entire group has done the A-to-B comparison have them discuss what the differences were between their flat mask and the HydroOptix Double-Dome mask. Have them share their estimated distances to the apex of the triangle and then the instructor should tell them the actual distance. HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 21 of 26
2. Split Water Test Materials: - Regular Flat Mask - HydroOptix Mask - In Shallow end of pool To show the magnification effect caused by the refraction of water, the student will stand in the shallow end of the pool, backed against the wall or other fixed object. 1. First using their flat mask the student will hold their breath or breathing off their snorkel the student will crouch down so half their mask us submersed while the other half is still above water. 2. The student will look at several objects comparing how much larger and closer they appear under water. (Tiles on pool wall, etc) a. Keeping your eyes fixed on the object rotate your head left and right. Notice how much the distortion / refraction increases at the edges of the mask s view. b. Repeat using your flat mask. Keep your contacts in but focus on your partially submerged finger. These images were shot using a flat lens camera: Notice the size differences above and below water caused by HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 22 of 26
3. Fill and Clear Double-Dome mask After donning scuba gear, fill and clear your Double-Dome mask to experience how quickly the Twin-purge system works. Be sure students bring their heads fully upright, so the water is against the flapper valves. 4. Underwater Slalom Course Materials: - Weight belt weights (1-5 lbs) - Empty pop bottles with lids - Yellow nylon rope Or polypropylene (easy to see) Use the yellow rope to attach the weights and bottles. The bottles will act as floats and the yellow rope will form the poles and cross bars for the diver to swim around, over and under. Two poles can be attached by a new piece of yellow rope forming an H shape. A hula-hoop could also be used to make an obstacle that the diver must swim through. Having the student layout the course using their HydroOptix Double-Dome mask will be good test of eye-hand coordination. Have the students retrieve the course using their flat mask. HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 23 of 26
5. Other Eye-Hand Coordination Suggestions: These following skills are important for diver review. Doing them once with the HydroOptix Double-Dome mask and later with a traditional flat mask, the student can experience the differences of having better eye-hand coordination with the Double-Dome mask and the poorer coordination with the flat mask. - Underwater weight belt removal / replacement - Buddy breathing - Buddy breathing while swimming. - Alternate air source - Buoyancy control (fin pivot / hover) - BCD removal replacement It is not necessary to do all these kills or limit the session to only these skills. We want to give the student experience with accurate eye-hand coordination with the HydroOptix mask and how it is better than a conventional flat mask. HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 24 of 26
VII Open Water Dive A. Module One: HydroOptix Double-Dome Mask Objectives In open water dive one you will: Prepare your HydroOptix Double-Dome mask for diving Proper use of the CoverLens system Underwater Tasks During the Dive: Becoming aware of your sphere of reference. Have the student hover 15 to 20 feet (3 to 4 meters) from the bottom. While maintaining their hover have them extend their arms out to each side, perpendicular to their body. Keeping their heads facing forward can they see their hands? If no how far do they have to turn their head before they can see their hands? Using your compass start facing north with your buddy due south (behind you), turn and pause at each direction (E,S,W,N), straight up and straight down. Observe your environment - become aware of your Sphere of Reference. These tasks will be repeated in the second dive wearing a flat mask. After both dives discuss how the experience was different. Distance Estimation On the bottom, group the students in a semi-circle. The instructor will choose one fixed object that is equal distance from the students. The students will estimate the distance to the object and record their estimate on their slate. The instructor will measure the actual distance using an underwater measuring tape or a marked dive reel. Once on the, surface compare estimated distances to actual distances. During the dive tour ask the students to keep a mental note on how easy or difficult it was to keep track of their buddy. 1. Briefing a. Prepare equipment b. When applicable, apply contact lenses and wear surface interval eye glasses c. Don Gear d. Pre-dive safety check e. Attach CoverLens to MEGA 4.5DD mask f. Enter water g. Perform underwater tasks when appropriate. h. Begin 5 point ascent i. Re-attach CoverLens during safety stop j. Exit and debrief k. Sign logbooks HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 25 of 26
VIII Open Water Dive Two A. Module Two: Conventional Flat Mask Objectives In open water dive one you will: Prepare your flat mask for diving Underwater Tasks During the Dive: Becoming aware of your sphere of reference. Have the student hover 15 to 20 feet (3 to 4 meters) from the bottom. While maintaining their hover have them extend their arms out to each side, perpendicular to their body. Keeping their heads facing forward can they see their hands? If no how far do they have to turn their head before they can see their hands? Using your compass start facing north with your buddy due south (behind you), turn and pause at each direction (E,S,W,N), straight up and straight down. Observe your environment - become aware of your Sphere of Reference. After the dive discuss how the experience was different. Distance Estimation On the bottom, group the students in a semi-circle. The instructor will choose one fixed object that is equal distance from the students. The students will estimate the distance to the object and record their estimate on their slate. The instructor will measure the actual distance using an underwater measuring tape or a marked dive reel. Once on the surface, compare estimated distances to actual distances. Keeping track of your buddy During the dive tour ask the students to keep a mental note on how easy or 1. Briefing a. Prepare equipment b. Don Gear c. Pre-dive safety check d. Enter water e. Perform underwater tasks when appropriate. f. Begin 5 point ascent g. Exit and debrief h. Sign logbooks HydroOptix Double-Dome PADI Distinctive Specialty Course Student Material 26 of 26