Fall 2010
General
Information
Instructor: Peter Oliver
Office: Texas Swimming Center
(TSC) 2.202
Phone: 512-476-6639
Office hours: Monday & Wednesday, noon - 1 p.m. and by appointment
email: p.oliver@mail.utexas.edu
Course website: www.longhornscuba.com
Co-instructors: Randy
Beckmann, Felipe Gσmez, Kat Israeloff, James
Jeffries, Andy Kramer, Navin Jagannath,
Jac Malloy, Todd Newton, David Spindler.
Instructor section assignments are posted on our website.
All sections: Classroom meetings Tuesday evening from 5:00-6:30 p.m. in Bellmont 328 lecture hall.
LAB SECTIONS WILL BE IRREGULAR FOR THE FIRST SEVERAL WEEKS BECAUSE THE TEXAS SWIM CENTER IS UNDERGOING RENOVATION. We will use a combination of Gregory Gym Pool and "dry labs" until the TSC work is completed.
Once we return to normal: Pool lab sections meet in the Texas Swim Center (TSC). Your UT ID is required to enter the TSC facility. You should be dressed out in swimming attire and on the pool deck (specifically, the Southeast corner--to the left end as you enter the pool) at the beginning of your section time. Be on time. We begin promptly so we can finish on schedule.
Pool
Lab Sections (The two weeks that we are using the Gregory Gym pool, labs will
be rescheduled to meet Monday Wednesday between 9:00 and noon and 2:00 to
5:00. Attendance selection will be by sign-up sheet.
Normal lab schedule
Tuesday 8:00 - 9:30 p.m. (11770)
Wednesday 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. (11750)
Wednesday 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. (11765)
Wednesday 8:00 - 9:30 p.m. (11775)
Monday 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. (11745)
Monday 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. (11755)
Tuesday 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. (11760)
NOTE:
The weekly lab cycle begins after the Tuesday classroom meeting.
The Tuesday afternoon lab is the LAST lab in our week.
We do not follow a standard calendar week.
Required
Course Materials
The NAUI Scuba Diver Education System (SDES) includes the NAUI Scuba Diver textbook, its workbook, the NAUI online eLearning Program Activation Code, Dive Tables, a logbook, a DVD, and other materials. All listed reading assignments refer to the NAUI Scuba Diver textbook and are paralleled in the eLearning program. The NAUI SDES can be purchased from Oak Hill Scuba (6156 Hwy. 290 West ;512-892-4900). If you cannot go to Oak Hill Scuba, they will deliver the materials to us for distribution if you pre-purchase the SDES by phone.
Scuba
Equipment
All equipment necessary for the course is included; you need furnish nothing. If you own you own equipment, you are welcome to bring and use it, but the department's equipment is available to you throughout the course.
We encourage (but don't require) you to have and use your own mask, snorkel, and fins. These are personal items, and fit, comfort, and familiarity will enhance your learning experience. If you are going to become active in this lifetime adventure sport, then you will certainly want to own at least this basic equipment. Check with our local area dive shops for special package pricing: Oak Hill Scuba, Scubaland Adventures, Tom's Dive Swim).
Lockers
The TSC has a limited number of lockers available for semester assignment. Because scuba classes only use the pool one day a week, assigned lockers are not a priority for us. If you have personal snorkeling/scuba gear that needs stowing, we can get you a designated locker assignment. The TSC supplies the lock for assigned lockers. There are many "day-use" lockers open to all; these must be cleared after each lab, and you must supply the lock for the locker. If you do not have a lock, it is more secure for you to bring your clothing and personal belongings onto the pool deck rather than leave them in the locker area.
Course
Purpose and Scope
Learning to dive safely involves both knowledge and skill mastery. Classroom presentations and pool training will cover many aspects of diving, and you will be able to become proficient in the skills of skin and scuba diving. You will learn about function, care, and handling of diving equipment; medical and physics knowledge important in diving; the aquatic environment; diving activities and dive planning; diving safety; and handling problems that may occur in diving.
Scuba
Certification
The University closes the course with the completion of the classroom meetings and the confined water (pool) training. For perceived liability exposure reasons, the University does not let us include open water training and scuba certification within the context of their entry-level course. However, open water training and certification as a NAUI Scuba Diver will be offered as an option at the end of the semester and outside of the University setting (see below). We encourage you to complete your training and achieve certification as a scuba diver, but this is not necessary, and continuing or not continuing to certification does not influence your grade in the course in any way.
Course
Prerequisites
Swimming ability: Comfort in the water is essential to being a safe diver. The first pool lab will include a swimming skills evaluation. We will ask you to demonstrate the following:
* Sprint swim
50 yards in 50 seconds
* Swim a distance of 200 yards, not timed, without
stopping, using any stroke(s)
* Float or tread water for 10 minutes
* Swim underwater or on a single breath a distance of
50 feet
If you are unable to complete any of these skills, you should work on your swimming strokes and stamina and perform the skill(s) later--preferably before the first quiz. Any of the course instructors can observe you complete a given skill. You must demonstrate all of the swim skills in order to proceed to certification. The Gregory Gym Aquatics Complex is open for Recreational Sports swimming from early morning until late at night seven days a week (check their hours). If you are a weak swimmer, you should sign up for one of the swimming classes available through the Kinesiology Department.
Medical history form: You will complete a medical history form so that we can evaluate any possible medical problems for scuba diving. For your own safety as well as that of your potential future diving partners, it is very important that you complete the form honestly. If there are any questions about your fitness for scuba diving, you will be required to obtain approval from a physician to scuba dive before you will be allowed to continue in the class. Regardless of a physician's opinion, you may still be declined for training if you have a definite contraindication to scuba diving, especially one that could pose a potential danger to a dive buddy. We are concerned about your safety as well as that of your future dive partners.
Course Requirements and Grade Determination
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following areas:
A. Knowledge
(50% of final grade)
You need to be knowledgeable about diving in order to dive safely. Two equally
weighted exams will be given during the semester. Each will count 25% of your
final grade. There is no "Final Exam. "
Exam 1 is the NAUI Scuba Diver Exam. It will cover all of the material presented in the NAUI Scuba Diver textbook. You must have a score of at least 80% on this NAUI Exam in order to proceed to certification. The quiz is scheduled for Week 8.
Exam 2 will be comprehensive and will include both NAUI text material and information presented in class and/or labs that is beyond the information in the text. This exam will be given at the last regular class meeting.
B. Skill
development and course participation (50% of final grade)
You need to become comfortable with your diving skills. Skill development takes
time and requires active participation. This grading area is determined by your
participation, your progress during the semester, and your ability to
comfortably demonstrate the basic suite of essential diving skills at the end
of the course.
Lab attendance policy: You may miss one pool lab without any grade penalty. Departmental rules impose a 3% grade penalty per non-attendance. If you miss a pool lab, you should make it up--for your own learning as well as your grade. Also, to qualify for participation in the certification dives you must have no more than one missed, un-made-up pool lab. Pool lab attendance is tracked using a sign-in sheet at each lab meeting. It is your responsibility to sign in each time to record your attendance.
Especially in the early weeks of the semester, each pool lab builds upon previously learned skills. Therefore, it is important that you meet each pool lab in its turn. Try to make up any missed lab session by attending another pool lab within the same pool lab weekly cycle. Remember, our lab cycle begins with the Tuesday evening pool session and ends with the following Tuesday afternoon's. If you are trying to make up a missed lab, preference is given to students who are registered in the specific section. The number that can be present in any lab is necessarily limited by the amount of equipment available.
An Adult CPR/AED class is included as a part of this course. If you are currently qualified in CPR, you can present your CPR card any time during the semester and be excused from attending our CPR class and lab. However, we encourage you to re-qualify.
Options
for Certification as a Scuba Diver
If you wish to achieve your NAUI Scuba Diver certification and have qualified at the end of the course to pursue certification, there are several options open:
To continue to certification, you must have a score of at least 80% on the NAUI Scuba Diver Exam (Exam 1), have completed the suite of swimming skills, and have fulfilled the pool lab attendance and scuba skill requirements.
Option 1: We will offer open water training and certification independently of the University. Open water training for this semester is scheduled for the weekends of November 13-14, November 20-21, and December 4-5 (skipping Thanksgiving weekend). Open water training dives are conducted at Lake Travis. The equipment will be supplied through arrangement with area dive shops. To cover the rental of scuba equipment, wetsuits, materials costs, instructor fees, and certification fees, we must charge for this program. The cost is $120.00 (plus your park entry fee). You will find that this option is an exceptional value, and you will have the opportunity to continue through to certification with the instructors and classmates with whom you learned.
Option 2: We can give you a referral form or letter stating that you have successfully completed the knowledge and skill performance requirements of the course. You can present this form to any NAUI or other-agency instructor as verification of your readiness for open water training and completion. You would be responsible for contracting with them for completion of your certification.
Option 3: You can independently contract another open water training time with any one of our UT scuba instructors. You can also join us for the certification dives at the end of next semester.
The
Small Print
Honor Code: The core values of the University of Texas at Austin
are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and
responsibility. Each member of the University is expected to uphold these
values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers
and community. (http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/events/sjs_honorcode.php)
Special
Accommodations for Students with a Disability: The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate
academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For
more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at (512) 471-6259,
VP: (512) 232-2937 or via email at ssd@uts.cc.utexas.edu. Please notify the professor of any special
accommodations that you may need prior to the end of the second week of class.
(http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd/)
Policy on
Scholastic Dishonesty: Students who
violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary
penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal
from the University. Since such dishonesty harms the individual, all students,
and the integrity of the University, policies on scholastic dishonesty will be
strictly enforced. For further information, the student may refer to the
Web Site of the Student Judicial Services, Office of the Dean of Students (http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/).
Week 1
Week of August 31 September 7
Class
Course Orientation
Class organization
Risk Awareness
Basic Equipment: Mask, Snorkel, and Fins:
Purpose, Features, Selection, Care
Reading: NAUI Scuba Diver Preface, Chapters 1 & 2
Pool Lab
No lab meetings this week.
Week of September 7 14
Class
Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation
Sign up for Gregory Gym pool time slots for labs during the weeks of September 14 21 and September 21 28.
Lab
CPR lab: Practice and evaluation
Meet at the Gregory Gym 4.120 at your
regularly scheduled pool time. Wear comfortable clothes.
Week of September 14 21
Class
Water Compared to Air:
Compressibility
Density
Heat Capacity and Transmission
Light
Sound
Pressure
Primary Effects of Pressure (part 1)
Pressure/Volume/Density relationships
Air consumption
Air Spaces in the Body
Squeezes
Equalization of Pressure
Reading: NAUI Scuba Diver Chapters 2, 3 & 4
Pool Lab
Week of September 21 28
Class
Primary effects of pressure (part 2)
Air Expansion Problems
Reverse blocks
Lung rupture injuries
Air embolism
Alternobaric
vertigo
Buoyancy, Archimedes Principle
Underwater Communications
Scuba Equipment: Purpose, Features, Selection, Care
Cylinders and Valves
Scuba Regulators
Diving instruments
Buoyancy Compensators
Weighting systems
Reading: NAUI Scuba Diver Chapters 2, 3 & 4
Pool Lab
Skin-diving and snorkeling skills
Week of September 28 October 5
Class
Diving accessory equipment
Thermal effects and thermal considerations
Protective clothing
Breathing and circulation underwater
Secondary effects of pressure, breathing air at depth
Nitrogen narcosis
Oxygen toxicity
Carbon dioxide in skin and scuba diving
Pure air
Tissue absorption of gases and
decompression sickness
Monitoring nitrogen levels in the body
Introduction to Dive Table theory and
principles
Reading: NAUI Scuba Diver Chapters 2, 3, 4 & 5
Pool Lab
Scuba assembly, donning, seated water entries
Introduction to scuba skills
Normal descents and ascents with equalization of pressure
Scuba use underwater
Regulator clearing, mask clearing
Proper fining techniques
Deep water exits
Scuba disassembly and cleanup
Week of October 5 12
Class
Dive Tables use (continued)
Terms and rules
Determination of dive time limits
Using Dive Tables to plan dives
Dive Tables sample problems
Special Dive Tables rules for special
situations
Using dive computers to monitor nitrogen levels
Reading: NAUI Scuba Diver Chapter 5
Pool Lab
Stride entries
Equipment handling skills in the water
Responding to problems:
Handling out-of-air situations
Kick variations
Controlling buoyancy underwater
Week of October 12 19
Class
The aquatic environment
Visibility
Water movement, currents, tides, &
surf
Introduction to dive planning
Planning your dives
Shore diving & site evaluation
Solving problems that arise in diving
Buddy system in diving: Techniques &
procedures
Environmental stressors in diving
Stress and rescue
Stress in diving / handling stress
Diving nuisances / Self rescue
Helping other divers
Diving rescues
Review for Exam 1
Reading: NAUI Scuba Diver Chapters 6, 7, 8 & Appendix C
Pool Lab
Equipment handling skills at the surface
Descent into deeper water
Equipment handling skills underwater
Controlling buoyancy underwater
Week of October 19 26
Class
Exam 1: NAUI Scuba Diver Exam
Reading: NAUI Scuba Diver (review entire book including appendices. The exam covers the entire text)
Pool Lab
Navigation, finding your way underwater
Dive compass use
When things go wrong
Self assists
Buddy assists
Diving rescues
Week 9
Week of October 26 November 2
Review of Exam
General first aid
First Aid for aquatic life injuries
Recognizing diving problems and emergencies
Handling diving emergencies
Health and fitness in diving
Reading: NAUI Scuba Diver Chapters 3, 7 & 8
Pool Lab
When things go wrong
Self assists
Buddy assists
Diving rescues
Buoyancy control practice
Combination/challenge drills
Week of November 2 9
Class
Diving in limited visibility & at night
Diving in currents
Diving from boats
Diving with nitrox (oxygen enriched air)
Reading: NAUI Scuba Diver Chapter 9 & Appendix B
Pool Lab
Lake training dives dress rehearsal
General evaluation of basic scuba skills.
Week of November 9 16
Ecology of coral reef systems
Your environmental responsibility as divers.
Reading: NAUI Scuba Diver Chapter 8 & Appendix B
Pool Lab
Combination drills & review skills
November 16 23
Class
History of Diving
What's next in Scuba Diving?
Introduction to Advanced and Technical Diving
Your Future in Diving
Pool
Combination/challenge drills
Week 13
November 23
Class
General course review and
Review for Exam 2
No
labs this week. Have a great Thanksgiving!
November 30
Class
Course wrap-up
Course evaluations
Exam 2