AAUS Research Diver Requirements

[vladimir]

Good news- I'm back from the ENT doctor, and he wrote me a note clearing me to dive. But first he talked for 7 minutes (I timed him on the wall clock) about the proper technique for clearing my ears, and even pulled out a pointer and showed me a chart, explaining what happens when you swallow to clear the ears. He then moved into a short dissertation on the importance of equalizing, and compared it to a runner's cramp, except "you can't work through this pain. If you can't equalize, cancel the dive." For minutes 1 and 2, I made small interruptions, telling him I've been diving, I know how to clear my ears... and then I realized that he was just trying to spend enough time with me to justify charging me the exorbitant sum he was going to charge me, so I looked at the chart and nodded appreciatively.

But anyway, he wrote a note for the other doc, I dropped it off, it's been added to my file, and I'm good to go. Hooray!

I think this doctor is doing a good job. I bet that most of the divers with barotrauma who claim to know how to clear their ears could benefit from his 7 minute lecture. And I bet his share of that exorbitant charge is distressingly small.

 

[scubasully]

Vladimir,
You're far more experienced than me for sure - I've only done about 100 dives - but really? People don't clear their ears properly? All he talked about was how to pop my ears with pinching and blowing and swallowing. It was nothing new. Without doing this, how would I ever have made it below 15-20 feet? Do people just keep descending? Wouldn't that be mighty uncomfortable?

Sure, like all doctors he pays for insurance and overhead. But he's the owner of the practice, he's got a gorgeous home...I'm sure he makes a nice bit of coin off my visits.

I had other concerns about my hearing (not regarding diving) that I wanted to discuss while I had him in the room. He didn't have time for those after his spiel. It's frustrating when you pay so much money for your medical care and you're not getting what you want from it. But that's another thread. Another forum, actually.

Thanks for your input. Upon reflection, I suppose both doctors are doing their best to insure the pt's safety.

 

[Thalassamania]

Thalassamania,
I can't really speak to this. Ours is only a 2 credit course. I don't know what the budget is, but by the number of grad students on assistantships in there (and I'm faculty), certainly a bunch of us our taking it for free. During the first class, the professor said that we're running on a shoe-string budget, that she and the instructor from the LDS are doing all the certs for free (we have to pay for our PADI cards if we want them).

That makes me wonder ... what is an "instructor from an LDS" doing there? Maybe a great guy, but it strikes me as inappropriate. However, Konar has a very impressive C.V., experience with (as least) the programs at both Moss Landing, UCSC and NOAA, so she knows which end is up ... let's see how it goes and what happens in the end.

The shop lets us sign out drysuits, weights, BCs, regs, and hoods, but we're on our own for drysuit underwear, gloves, boots, etc. And those are expensive.

That sounds like a pretty good deal all the way round.

That's excellent that you have volunteer staff! I don't know why there aren't volunteers to help out here. Maybe there will be once we're down there - don't know. The only thing I can think of is that the students that have passed the course are now part of the UAF scientific diving program, and so they are down there doing their own research, not helping.

One of the primary motivations of our instructors was, through teaching the class, access to a large pool of authorized buddy divers.

But again, I have no idea. Food at the lab is included in the course fee, but she gave a big spiel about how there will be no soda, no chips, nothing remotely considered a luxury food item as they only have $ for the bare necessities. It was actually pretty humorous the way she was saying it..."no carbonation. If you want that stuff, bring it yourself. We can't afford it. And there won't be much in terms of snack food. Actually, there will be no snack food. If you can't go without potato chips, bring your own!" It sounded a little like Survivor: the Alaskan Dive Episode. I'm packing a small bag of protein bars and bananas just in case I find myself starving, though I'm sure I'll be fine. I don't eat chips anyway.

I can't wait for your report.

For students, even those like me that get the credits for free, the course is pricey. We were charged a $425 course fee to cover the the stay at the lab, but we're on our own for transportation down to Homer - 14 hrs south of Fairbanks, and we have to pay an extra $65 for the ferry they're arranging for us to take us to the lab. It's expensive. I'm too old for an all nighter, so in order for me to be at the ferry dock at 2pm, that means I'm doing an overnight in Anchorage. I've got a friend to stay with, but still - parking garage, dinner. It adds up. Then there's the cost of the physical students have to pay for that. I get mine for free as I'm a U employee, but the ENT is not covered as that's extra. So an expensive course for the students.

We had no course fee, physicals were handled through student health or private insurance.

I think, though, even if it's not as intensive as some of the others that I'm reading about here, I'm really glad I have the opportunity to take a course like this up here. I'm putting everything I have into it, and hopefully I'll get a lot of out it. And it's my sincerest hope that a playful sea lion cub doesn't decide to see if my head fits in his mouth.

I will withold judgement till we hear all that there is to hear.

Here's a link to my teacher and to the course description. I don't have a PDF of the syllabus and don't see it online.

Syllabus would be real nice to see.

 

[vladimir]

Vladimir,
You're far more experienced than me for sure - I've only done about 100 dives - but really? People don't clear their ears properly? All he talked about was how to pop my ears with pinching and blowing and swallowing. It was nothing new. Without doing this, how would I ever have made it below 15-20 feet? Do people just keep descending? Wouldn't that be mighty uncomfortable?

For people who can clear easily--and it sounds like you're one of them--it is hard to imagine that other people have great difficulty. It is mostly anatomical, I think, and yes, it's mighty uncomfortable. But you can force the issue and you can get quite deep. Getting back to the surface might become an adventure, though.

Sure, like all doctors he pays for insurance and overhead. But he's the owner of the practice, he's got a gorgeous home...I'm sure he makes a nice bit of coin off my visits.

He deserves it. I want my doctor to get wealthy, rather than my HMO. After college, while you and I were partying, he spent another 4 years in medical school, then years of internship and residency, all the while making practically nothing, while I was overpaid on Wall Street. He's probably got a mountain of debt that he borrowed to finance his education, and he deserves a return on his investment in time and money. Personally, no amount of money would get me to sacrifice the fun I had in my twenties.

 

[scubasully]

For the record, I was never partying. I spent another 4 years in grad school. However, I'm a poorly paid educator now teaching college kids how to write, and I still have a mountain of debt. So perhaps he does deserve it, but I'm still not happy about paying it.

 

[ljdiver]

how long did these courses last for all of you?

I recently found out that I am going to be taking an aaus course this summer down here at ucla and it's scheduled for 6 days. seems short to me

 

[Dtaine]

how long did these courses last for all of you?

I recently found out that I am going to be taking an aaus course this summer down here at ucla and it's scheduled for 6 days. seems short to me

How did you "find out" that you're taking this course? Wouldn't you have had to sign up for that?

A 6 day course for someone with less than 24 dives (if your profile's correct).


Mine's a semester long course.

 

[Thalassamania]

how long did these courses last for all of you?

I recently found out that I am going to be taking an aaus course this summer down here at ucla and it's scheduled for 6 days. seems short to me

Seems short to me too. All that I can find on the web with resepect to UCLA's program is:

The UCLA Diving Safety ProgramÃÔ focus is scientific diving and performing research tasks while underwater. Scientific training programs are usually about four times longer than recreational diving programs. UCLA diving adheres to the standards of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS). AAUS provides universities with minimum standards for training divers to do scientific research and with standards and regulations for conducting university sponsored diving operations.

That hardly sounds like six days. Please keep us posted.

 

[ljdiver]

well i "found out" the course was being offered and decided to enroll

i have been talking with the dive safety officer and it is indeed scheduled for 6 days yet listed as a 100 hour course...

here is some the info i have received:

We will be offering an American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) 100 Hour Research Diving course on June 15-21st. The course will allow you to participate in UCLA sponsored research dives as well as have reciprocity with the many other AAUS member orgs around the globe. Here is a brief breakdown:


Conducted by the UCLA Diving Safety Program

This course is designed to meet the UCLA and American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) diving knowledge and skill requirements for authorization as a Scientific Diver. Successful completion will also result in NAUI MASTER DIVER, CPR AND FIRST AID, and DAN OXYGEN ADMINISTRATION certifications.



Lecture Sessions: Morning Sessions



Topics will include: CPR, First Aid; Oxygen Administration for Diving Accidents; Diving Rescue and Accident Management; Applied Physics and Physiology; Equipment Design, Function, Maintenance, and Field Troubleshooting; Dive Planning and Air Management; Decompression Theory, Dive Tables and Dive Computers; Physical and Biological Diving Environment; Introductions to Specialized Diving Modes.



Open Water/Practical Training: Afternoon Sessions



Training exercises will include: Diver Rescue; Dive Accident Management; Out of Air Emergency Protocols; UW Navigation; Search and Recovery; Night Diving; Deeper Diving; Marine Life Survey and Data Collection Methods.



Cost Recovery Fee: (approx.) $300.00

Payable at the start of class. Includes textbooks, registrations, Scuba BCDs, Scuba regulators, cylinders and air fills. Divers have to provide own wetsuit, appropriate weight belt, UW compass, timing device (UW watch) and diver knife. Divers using own Scuba equipment have to meet UCLA regulations, please make prior arrangements with UCLA Diving Safety Officer.



Prerequisites: Open to all Certified Scuba Divers.

1) UCLA Diver Application and AAUS Diving Medical Exam

Must be received prior to start of Class (June 15):



􀂃 Application and copies of certifications



􀂃 AAUS Diving Medical Examination and Physician's Approval to Dive



3) Diver-In-Training status

Completed prior to start of open water dives (June 18th)



􀂃 Personal Equipment Service/Inspection (regulator, alternate air source, BC inflator, gauges)



􀂃 Pool swim and dive skill evaluations



􀂃 Open water skill evaluations



IMPORTANT NOTES:

1. In case of full class, priority will be given based on order of enrollment.

2. Open to non-UCLA scientists from collaborating institutions on a space-available basis


As far as being under 24 dives (which i am unfortunately), the other aaus organizations i have seen require OW cert + 12 dives

i will put up more info as i get it

 

[Thalassamania]

Who else requires a recreational certification as a prerequisite? I think that rather a bad idea.