NAUI Technical Diver Courses address particularized areas of technical diving. Accordingly, technical courses are designed to provide more detailed training than specialty diver courses and result in more extensive qualifications. In these instances, the qualifications are described in the respective technical course standard. They provide divers the opportunity to enjoy organized diving, which yields experience and documents training in technical diving activities. Instructors with expertise in specific areas of technical diving may design their own technical training courses also.
Note: Members
and affiliates operating within areas under the United States
of America’s Occupational Health and Safety Administration
(OSHA) jurisdiction are advised that dives described in the NAUI
Standards may be inconsistent with workplace safety rules. Employee
participation in activities that are inconsistent with current
workplace safety rules are not condoned by these standards.
Unless otherwise stated, course participants shall comply with NOAA standards for oxygen time and depth exposures. However, NAUI recommends a maximum of 1.5 PO 2 ATA for Technical EANx and 1.4 PO 2 ATA for all other technical courses.
OVERVIEW
This course is to provide the EANx certified diver with the skills and knowledge needed to minimize the risks of utilizing optimal breathing gas EANx mixtures* of 25% through 80% (oxygen) for dives to a depth of 150 fsw (46 msw) not requiring stage decompression. (This course may be combined with the Decompression Techniques Diver Course. The resulting course would require ten dives for certification.) *80% EANx used for decompression and 25% to 60% EANx used for bottom mix.
QUALIFICATIONS OF GRADUATES
Upon successful completion of this course, graduates are considered competent to utilize EANx mixtures 25% through 80% (oxygen) without direct supervision provided the diving activities and the areas dived approximate those of training.
PREREQUISITES FOR ENTERING THE COURSE
COURSE POLICIES
OVERVIEW
This course is to provide the diver with a working knowledge of the theory, methods and procedures of planned stage decompression diving. As a part of the course students will plan and conduct a standard stage decompression dive not exceeding a maximum depth of 180 fsw (55 msw). Equipment requirements and configurations, decompression breathing gas mixtures (including oxygen and EANx) and decompression techniques are to be presented. (This course may be combined with Technical EANx Diver, Technical Wreck Penetration Diver or Extended Range Diver. The resulting courses require an additional six open water dives for certification.)
QUALIFICATIONS OF GRADUATES
Upon successful completion of this course, graduates are considered competent to plan and execute dives that require stage decompression utilizing air and EANx 25%+ to 80% oxygen without direct supervision provided the diving activities and the areas dived approximate those of training.
PREREQUISITES FOR ENTERING THE COURSE
COURSE POLICIES
OVERVIEW
This course is to provide the training and experience necessary to understand the hazards of and utilize air or EANx for dives to 180 fsw (55 msw) that require stage decompression, utilizing EANx mixtures and/or oxygen during decompression. (This course may be combined with the Decompression Techniques Diver Course. The resulting course would require twelve dives for certification.)
QUALIFICATIONS OF GRADUATES
Upon successful completion of this course, graduates are con-sidered competent to plan and execute extended range dives that require stage decompression and utilize air and EANx and/or oxygen for stage decompression without direct supervision, provided the diving activities and the areas dived approximate those of training.
PREREQUISITES FOR ENTERING THE COURSE
COURSE POLICIES
OVERVIEW
This course is to provide the student with the skills and knowledge needed to safely handle high pressure gases and prepare EANx breathing gas mixtures for use by divers.
QUALIFICATION OF GRADUATES
Upon successful completion of this course, graduates are considered competent to prepare EANx breathing gas mixtures for use by divers without direct supervision provided the equipment used is the same as or approximates that used in training.
PREREQUISITES FOR ENTERING THE COURSE
SKILL REQUIREMENTS
The students are to analyze the resulting breathing gas mixtures from their own breathing gas blending practice. Students shall demonstrate mastery of the breathing gas blending system used in training; that is, each student will be able to complete a blending and cylinder filling operation for each gas blend sold by the facility without prompting by the instructor and without error.
OVERVIEW
This course is to provide the diver with the skills and knowledge needed to gain experience and minimize risks in penetration wreck diving at depths beyond 130 fsw (40 msw). (This course may be combined with the Decompression Techniques Course. The resulting course would require fourteen dives for certification.)
QUALIFICATIONS OF GRADUATES
Upon successful completion of this course, graduates are considered competent to plan and execute penetration wreck dives that require stage decompression and utilize air and EANx and/or oxygen for stage decompression without direct supervision, provided the diving activities and the areas dived approximate those of training.
PREREQUISITES FOR ENTERING THE COURSE
COURSE POLICIES
OVERVIEW
These courses are to provide the diver with the skills and knowledge needed to minimize the risks of utilizing helium-based tri-mix breathing gas mixes for dives to a maximum depth of 300 fsw (91 msw) requiring stage decompression and utilizing EANx mixtures and/or oxygen during decompression. There are two levels, called Tri-Mix Diver Level I and Tri-Mix Diver Level II.
QUALIFICATIONS OF GRADUATES
Upon successful completion of the Level I course, graduates are considered competent to plan and execute technical dives that require stage decompression and utilize helium-based tri-mix breathing gas mixtures and EANx and/or oxygen for stage decompression without direct supervision to depths not to exceed 225 fsw (69 msw) provided the diving activities and the areas dived approximate those of training. Level II graduates are considered competent to plan and execute technical dives that require stage decompression and utilize helium-based tri-mix breathing gas mixtures and EANx or oxygen for stage decompression without direct supervision to depths not to exceed 300 fsw (91 msw) provided the diving activities and the areas dived approximate those of training.
PREREQUISITES FOR ENTERING THE COURSE
COURSE POLICIES
This course is designed to provide the diver with the skills and knowledge needed to minimize the risks of using Semi-closed Circuit Rebreathers to a maximum depth of 130 fsw (39.6 msw). Semi-closed Circuit Rebreathers used for NAUI certification courses must have been independently tested before NAUI will authorize NAUI training on a specific model.
This course is designed to provide the diver with the skills and knowledge needed to minimize the risks of using Closed-circuit UBA’s to a maximum depth of 130 fsw (39.6 msw). Closed-circuit UBA’s used for NAUI certification and training must have been independently tested before NAUI will authorize NAUI training on a specific model.
OVERVIEW
These courses are to provide the NAUI EANx certified diver with the training and experience necessary to understand the hazards and minimize the risks of using a closed circuit rebreather while breathing nitrox with a constant oxygen partial pressure.
QUALIFICATIONS OF GRADUATES
Upon successful completion of this course, graduates are considered competent to plan and execute unit specific closed circuit rebreather dives up to 130fsw (40msw) without direct supervision providing activities and areas dived approximate those of training.
PREREQUISITES FOR ENTERING THE COURSE
COURSE POLICIES
OVERVIEW
The NAUI Support Specialty Course is designed to train knowledgeable NAUI Divemasters and Assistant Instructors who are also technical divers to act as part of a support team for technical diving and training activities. Download the approved course outline.
QUALIFICATIONS OF GRADUATES
A NAUI Technical Support Leader (TLS) is qualified to provide assistance to teams of technical divers provided diving conditions and methods approximate those in which the TSL was trained. These duties may include shuttling of equipment, removal and replacement of staged decompression gases and equipment, rigging and setting up decompression stations and gases and monitoring divers during ascent and staged decompression stops. An active-status NAUI TSL is qualified to assist an active-status NAUI Technical Instructor in technical courses. *(NOTE: Maximum depth attained and gases used by the TSL may not exceed the qualifications of technical diver certification held by the TSL.)
WHO MAY TEACH
This course may be taught by active-status NAUI Instructor s who:
PREREQUISITES FOR ENTERING THE COURSE