Indirect supervision?

[candudave]

I am in the process of taking the DM course and I have a question on what seems to be a grey area.
In the Instructor guide for Discover Scuba in the section for Subsequent Open Water Dives it states

"For subsequent Discover Scuba Diving open water dives, the
maximum ratio is two participants to one certified assistant (2:1). A
Teaching status PADI Instructor must indirectly supervise all subsequent
dives." ​

My question is what constitutes indirect supervision? Is it being on board the boat, onshore at the divesite or a phone call away?​

I dove recentley at a resort where Discover Scuba divers were trained at a sister resort adjacent to the one I was staying at, and who after their initial dive went out with the DM from the resort I was staying at who was not an instructor. Was this kosher?​

 

[ScubaCarl]

""My question is what constitutes indirect supervision? Is it being on board the boat, onshore at the divesite or a phone call away?""

I had a simular question when I went thru my DM class and my instructor answered it in this way. The instructor must be present ie. on shore for a shore dive or on the boat if it is a boat dive etc.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I believe the instructor must be present. If it's a boat dive, they must at least be on the boat. If it's a shore dive, they must at least be on shore. They have to physically be there, not on the phone. However, they do not have to be in the water or along on the dive.

 

[knotical]

What you describe does not sound legit to me.

Assuming PADI, The GS&P portion of the PADI Instructor Manual defines Indirect Supervision as: “a Teaching status PADI Instructor must be present at the site and in control of the activities, but does not have to directly supervise all activities.”
It elaborates on that but does not specifically mention boats, so I assume “at the site” means at the dive site, so he must be on the boat.
It also defines “direct supervision” and “under the direction of”, which are the other two options. What you describe is closer to “under the direction of”, which can apply to other things, like an AI conducting the PPB course, but not to DSD.

 

[philmayer]

My question is what constitutes indirect supervision? Is it being on board the boat, onshore at the divesite or a phone call away?

According to my instructor (a PADI CD), he must be on shore and be able to see where we are -- bubbles trail is good enough -- to be considered indirect supervision.

Also, once you have have completed the PADI DSD Internship, you are certified to teach DSD without instructor supervision.

I dove recentley at a resort where Discover Scuba divers were trained at a sister resort adjacent to the one I was staying at, and who after their initial dive went out with the DM from the resort I was staying at who was not an instructor. Was this kosher?​

Yes. Once an instructor has conducted the DSD course, a DM can lead DSD participants on guided tours.
​

 

[AzAtty]

"Indirect supervision" is defined in the instructor manual. It's basically what everyone else has said, with the addition of "availablility for consultation."

 

[knotical]

Actually, “available for consultation” is part of the definition of “under the direction of”.
To expand on “indirect supervision”, one might add: “on-site and able
to respond to student needs or take control, if necessary.”

 

[jviehe]

In regards to the DSD, iirc, a DM can do a DSD on their own in confined water once theyve completed the internship. They can also do OW dives with someone who has completed a OW DSD with an OWSI. They can not train a DSD student in OW.

 

[BarryNL]

Here's the full definition from the PADI Instructor Manual:

Indirect Supervision – a Teaching status PADI Instructor must be present at the site and in control of the activities, but does not have to directly supervise all activities. Responsibility for certain training activities, inwater observations, and guidance of student divers may be delegated to certified assistants. (For example, most PADI Specialty Diver courses allow indirect supervision unless direct supervision is specified. However, see individual Instructor Guides for further clarification.) When indirect supervision is allowed for training dives, the instructor must approve of all diving activities, oversee the planning, preparation, equipment inspections, entries, exits and debriefings, and be on-site and prepared to quickly enter the water. When indirect supervision is allowed for classroom activities, the instructor must be on-site and able to respond to student needs or take control, if necessary.

 

[matohead]

Indirect Supervision – a Teaching status PADI Instructor must be
present at the site and in control of the activities, but does not have
to directly supervise all activities. Responsibility for certain training
activities, inwater observations, and guidance of student divers may be
delegated to certified assistants. (For example, most PADI Specialty Diver
courses allow indirect supervision unless direct supervision is specified.
However, see individual Instructor Guides for further clarification.) When
indirect supervision is allowed for training dives, the instructor must
approve of all diving activities, oversee the planning, preparation,
equipment inspections, entries, exits and debriefings, and be on-site
and prepared to quickly enter the water. When indirect supervision is
allowed for classroom activities, the instructor must be on-site and able
to respond to student needs or take control, if necessary.