What is the first BSAC level where "Staged Decompression" is taught?
To answer sigxbill, BSAC Sports Diver is the first qualification where staged decompression is taught.
We have;
Ocean Diver - PADI OW (20m max)
Sports Diver - PADI AOW + Rescue Diver [1] (35m max) + Staged Decompression
Dive Leader - PADI DM (50m max)
Advanced Diver - No equivalent
First Class - No equivalent
We also have SDC (Skill Development Courses).
Rescue based
Seamanship based
Technical Diving
The other significant difference is that within the diving qualifications we have seamanship skills, chart work, navigation, boat handling, coxswain etc.
If you are seriously interested, have a look at
Core diver skills
Skill Development Courses
Like PADI, the Skill development courses also tick boxes on the next qualification.
One of the amusing things for me, is I used to have a PADI school locally. I used to DM for them on trips occasionally. But they also taught BSAC. A lot of their divers did the BSAC Diveleader course after Rescue Diver, because it gave them a staged decompression qualification.
Fundamentally, and a major difference from most American structures. The BSAC is a club based structure, where you join a club and receive training and mentoring from fellow club members. Good clubs can be excellent, bad clubs can be awful.
I started with PADI, then BSAC, later IANTD, and TDI.
John.
We are two nations separated by a common language. As Chris said, some American terminology could cause huge offence in the UK, and vice versa! We are quite forgiving with our American cousins, so we cut them some slack with their misuse of the English language [2].
You are correct that there is physics and terminology. What I was trying to say was that our terminology is also sometimes different.
As a further example, your American diving agencies use OTU's (Oxygen Toxicity Unit's), we use UPTD (Unit of Pulmonary Toxic Dose) - which is the medical term, which I believe is the same medical term in the USA.
Gareth
[1] In fairness there are Rescue diver is a bit more advanced, closer to our PRM - Practical Rescue Manager
[2] In fairness, a lot of American terminology and grammar is old English 1700's and 1800's.