BB840: Scientific Diver Course (10 ECTS)

STADS: 04014501

Level
Master's level course

Teaching period
The course is offered in the spring semester.

Teacher responsible
Email: klundgreen@biology.sdu.dk

Timetable
Show entire timetable
Show personal time table for this course.

Comment:
Deltagere udvælges efter motiveret ansøgning. Dykkerkurset afholdes i et intensivt forløb over ugerne 12-15 med eksamen i uge 16.

Prerequisites:
None

Academic preconditions:
Necessary health prerequisites: Diving medical examination, fitness test (1000 m surface swim without fins in under 30 minutes, 2.5 km run in under 15 minutes, 25 m underwater swim without fins, 1 minute breath holding under water).

The following diagnoses/problems/diseases are not compatible with diving (especially commercially): Lung Diseases, cardiovascular diseases (syncope, valvular, arrhythmia, heart block, cardiomyopathy, intra cardiac shunts, blood pressure >160/90 mm), neurological diseases (epilepsy, organic brain damage/disease, fainting attacks), ear-nose-throat (permanent or recurring disturbance of equilibrium sense, chronic sinusitis, severe hearing impairment), diabetes, BMI> 30, some more special endocrine disorders, chronic kidney and urinary tract diseases, chronic diseases in the gastro-intestinal tract, psychiatric: In general, an applicant must not have or have had a psychiatric disorder, neurosis, behavioral disorder (eg. Asperger's or ADHD), psychotic condition, be bipolar, personality disorders, etc., some mild and stable successfully treated depression and less anxiety cases may be approved if stable (> 2-5 years + a recent statement/study by psychiatrist).

Course introduction
The marine biological diving course is a research support course with the aim of training students to the level of Danish commercial SCUBA diver in accordance with the ”Danske regler for dykning”, issued by the Danish Maritime Authority (Søfartsstyrelsen). On the course the student will be trained in safe diving and practice rescue drills and be introduced to marine monitoring of benthic ecosystems and to experimental design of underwater research. The student will be trained in using safe commercial SCUBA diving as a research tool to study the underwater environment through visual observations, sample collection, and installation of underwater measuring equipment.

Qualifications
Successful course participants are issued with the Danish Commercial SCUBA Diving License. This license allows divers to carry out light commercial work using SCUBA equipment in depths of up to 30m. It is issued by the Danish Maritime Authority, which also oversees the exams. The candidates will master required skills for professional SCUBA diving as well as planning and accomplishment of scientific underwater research campaigns.

Expected learning outcome
At the end of the course the student is expected to be able to:

• dive confidently and manage underwater scientific work
• work as part of a team and the high importance of team work in diving operations
• explain and understand theory of diving (physiology, physics, safety, legislation)
• evaluate underwater hazards and conduct risk assessments
• carry out diving first aid and rescue operations
• know how basic parts of the diving equipment works and maintenance
• do practical diving in open water down to 30 meters using SCUBA equipment
• perform different kind of basic tasks under water (search and rescue, scaffolding, rigging, use of lifting bags, use of hand tools, navigation)
• do underwater communication
• use methods and techniques in underwater research (sampling of flora, fauna, sediments, deployment of electronic equipment, quantification of flora and fauna, habitat survey, transects)

Subject overview

• Theory of diving (decompression physiology, diving medicine, diving physics, diving safety, legislation)
• Diving equipment and maintenance
• Diving first aid
• Dive rescue operations
• Practical diving in pool and open water
• Methodology and techniques in underwater research and monitoring (design of sampling, sampling of flora, fauna and sediments, quantification of flora and fauna, habitat survey, transects)

Literature

Oplyses senere.

Website
This course uses e-learn (blackboard).

Prerequisites for participating in the exam
Attendance of theoretical part (min. 80 %) and of practical diving exercises (100 %). Approval of report based on individual project in underwater research methodology.

Prerequisites apply to both examination a and b. (Pass/fail, internal evaluation by the teacher).

Assessment and marking:

1. Written exam (3 hours). Evaluated by the Danish 7-mark scale. Internal evaluation (5 ECTS). (04014502)
2. Combined practical and oral exam. Evaluated by the Danish 7-mark scale, internal evaluation (5 ECTS). (04014512)

The written exam takes place 18 April 2016. Re-exam takes place 23 May 2016.

Practical/oral exam takes place 20 april 2016. Re-exam takes place 25 May 2016.

Expected working hours
The teaching method is based on three phase model.
Intro phase: 10 hours
Skills training phase: 75 hours, hereof:
 - Tutorials: 10 hours
 - Excursion: 65 hours

Educational activities
Maximum of 8 participants. Diving theory in week 12 and practical exercises in week 13, 14 and 15. Exams Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in week 16.

The course will take place in Odense and Fredericia except week 14 which will take place in Hemmoor in Germany.

Language
This course is taught in Danish or English, depending on the lecturer. However, if international students participate, the teaching language will always be English.

Remarks
The course takes place in a 4 week period with exams in a following week. There will be an introduction meeting in September 2015.

Price:
- Students: 14,000 DKK*
- Externals (non-students): 28,000 DKK*
(both including training materials, logbook, transfer to dive sites, and excursion and accommodation in Hemmoor, Germany). Not included: Medical examination (1,500 DKK), X-ray of thorax (350 DKK), dry suit (7,000 DKK), under suit, hood and gloves.

*prices may vary

Course enrollment
See deadline of enrolment.

Tuition fees for single courses
See fees for single courses.