Interested in pursuing a career in diving?  

In collaboration with Ocean Quest Diving (UK), the University of Glamorgan is enrolling students on to a new course in Scientific Diving that will provide a foundation for the practical, basic and specialist training needed to operate as a scientific diver.

This 20 credit part-time or two-week residential field trip course will provide you with the internationally approved diving qualifications from PADI, or you can use existing diving qualifications and advance your training.

No previous diving or academic qualifications are required but you must be aged 18 years or older and physically fit.

What are the aims of the module?

• To achieve a minimum standard of recreational diving (minimum of PADI Open Water Diver or equivalent)
• Obtain a basic practical understanding of the challenges faced by underwater surveying
• To understand the basic principles of ecological survey work for habitat description
• Be able to identify major groups of organisms in the sub-tidal.

What is the content of the module?

Novices will be enrolled on a PADI Open Water Dive course which will introduce the students to the equipment and basic skills required for recreational diving.

Divers who have existing qualifications (minimum of PADI Open Water or equivalent) must provide proof of existing dive qualifications. They will also be expected to complete theory and practical review sessions.

As well as basic recreational diving skills, students will learn different scientific techniques in confined water or pool sessions. During these sessions, divers will be given theoretical and practical instruction in biological and ecological survey techniques. Students will be expected to complete a range of practical exercises underwater including quadrat sampling, transects, photography and video, GPS and mapping. The skills developed during practical assessments will then be assessed underwater by fully qualified instructors during separate practical examinations.

How will I study?

As well as confined water and pool diving, students will take part in at least one full weekend of open water diving as a residential field course. During this field visit novices will take part in at least four open water dives, others will have the opportunity to advance their existing dive qualifications (PADI Advanced Open Water, PADI Rescue Diver, PADI Dive Master). Existing PADI Divemasters (or CMAS 3 equivalent) will also be given the opportunity to practise the skills they used in pool and confined water sessions during open water dives. Students opting to take the course as a fully residential 14 day field trip will have the opportunity to complete all practical sessions in the confined and open water setting.

What will I achieve on completion?

At the end of this module students will achieve one of the highly acclaimed internationally approved diving qualifications from PADI and will be able to dive safely in open water, identify the major groups of marine organisms, understand the basic characteristics of major sub-tidal environments and understand the basic principles of basic ecological surveying and statistical analysis.

For further information please contact:

Tel: 0800 716925

E-mail: enquiries@glam.ac.uk

Website: www.glam.ac.uk