My journey towards the three stars (3*)

[Storker]

TMI, folks. TMI.

Besides, that crap doesn't build character. 0C air and 5C water does. Your loss.

 

[dmaziuk]

To mis-quote House M.D., how strong do you want your character to be?

 

[Neilwood]

TMI, folks. TMI.

Besides, that crap doesn't build character. 0C air and 5C water does. Your loss.

In that case you have a lot of character!!!

 

[Storker]

Would be a good idea to learn people here also the frogkick and backkick.

When I learned to swim, I was taught the breaststroke. And that's my default mode of swimming. So even when I used splits I preferred the frog over the flutter. My RD instructor was somewhat amused that I chose a weird breaststroke/frog hybrid rather than the flutter during the surface rescue exercises.

 

[Germie]

When I learned to swim, I was taught the breaststroke. And that's my default mode of swimming. So even when I used splits I preferred the frog over the flutter. My RD instructor was somewhat amused that I chose a weird breaststroke/frog hybrid rather than the flutter during the surface rescue exercises.

At least it is really 'DIR'.

 

[Gareth J]

Very well done Storker.

How does your agency define 3*?

The BSAC equivalent is Advanced Diver.
An Advanced Diver is defined as a diver who is comprehensively trained, experienced and responsible and who can manage and supervise

• a wide range of adventurous and challenging diving activities
• branch diving expeditions to explore unfamiliar locations
• branch diving activities including dives utilising developing technology and techniques

All BSAC divers are qualified to use Nitrox, from Sports Diver (2nd level course), everyone is qualified to complete dives involving compulsory decompression stops.
Its really a course designed for expedition diving and adventurous diving. Part of the requirement is run an expedition to an unfamiliar (to the candidate) location.
In many ways the nice thing about Advanced Diver and First Class (which is next) is that you get to do some great diving.

 

[leadduck]

To answer the question for instructors:

Here deco is a speciality course within cmas. So in the 3* only 2 simulated decodives with smb are done, max depth 30m. I am quite strict, it must be done horizontal and 12 m is not then 10 and then 14. It is a constant depth and +/- 50 cm is ok .
You see that this is for sportsdivers difficult. For techdivers easy. When a technical diver has adv nitrox or higher done with me, i know they can also do real decodives. So I dont have to do another 2 simulated dives, they are done already in the adv nitrox course.
A techcourse also starts in shallows and simulated deco.

But 3* is different from a decocourse, holding a briefing, organising dives as responsable diver is part of 3*. Guiding also.

Here the decompressiondiving specialty is something I dont completely agree with. You do it with only backgas and single tank is allowed. I will never plan decompression diving with only backgas or with just just single tank. So I only sign it off in conjunction with an adv nitrox including deco from another agency.
The advanced nitrox course is also a little bit strange: po2 of 1.4 instead of 1.6.
They know my opinion in the nob about this.

The 1* is changed in a 7 dives course where others do it in 4.
The 2* has 14 modules, and this doesnt mean 14 dives ( some clubs or instructors think that). You can combine and it can be ready with a good diver ( no time to make mistakes) in 5-6 dives, including the ''' ontop' specialty deep. The new 2* has new things like reelwork. And rescue diver is included in 2* now.

The national regulations of CMAS member organizations seem to be quite different here.
In German VDST, there is the 40m limit. No 60m air dives for CMAS*** here, you get certified for 40m (and that's the limit during training too). For deeper dives, take tec basic class, and Trimix*.
Decompression theory is taught in CMAS* class already, but training dives must be NDL dives up to CMAS** class. There's no recommendation to restrict yourself to only NDL diving after CMAS** class though. Decompression dives are OK in CMAS*** class. There's no decompression specialty.

 

[Gareth J]

The national regulations of CMAS member organizations seem to be quite different here.
In German VDST, there is the 40m limit. No 60m air dives for CMAS*** here, you get certified for 40m (and that's the limit during training too). For deeper dives, take tec basic class, and Trimix*.
Decompression theory is taught in CMAS* class already, but training dives must be NDL dives up to CMAS** class. There's no recommendation to restrict yourself to only NDL diving after CMAS** class though. Decompression dives are OK in CMAS*** class. There's no decompression specialty.

Thank you. The different approaches of different agencies are interesting.

The BSAC has always had decompression allowed from Sports Diver. At Sports Diver the depth limit is 35m. From DiveLeader, its 50m (this is historic).
Historically, like most agencies, it was all Air Diving. Then Nitrox was introduced as a specialty. Then finally Nitrox was integrated into the core diver qualifications, Ocean Diver, Sports Diver, Dive Leader, Advanced Diver, First Class Diver.

The 'technical' side of diving is done through parallel SDC's (Skill Development Courses). These cover everything from Marine Life Identification, First Aid, Seamanship, Mixed Gas diving and CCR's.

There is now a definite preference to have people move to mixed gas qualifications for deeper diving 40m+. Although the old historic 50m max still exists on paper.

One of the most surreal experience I have ever had was taking a 'student' on an Advanced Mixed Gas course under the stern of the "Murree" in the channel for his final assessment dive. A dive that had been an 'Everest' dive to get to the top of the wheelhouse, only a few years previously.

Gareth

 

[Storker]

Very well done Storker.

Thank you.

How does your agency define 3*?

It's always difficult to compare across agencies, and as we all know different countries have somewhat different flavors of 3*, but I can start by saying that CMAS 3* is supposed to comply with EN 14153-3/ISO 24801-3 Scuba Diver Level 3 and EN 14413-1/ ISO 24802-1 Scuba Instructor Level 1.

The learning outcomes for our 3* are defined as:

• The student shall have understanding of all elements regarding organizing and conducting sport dives in a safe manner
• The student shall be able to lead and organize other sports divers during ocean diving
• The student shall master techniques for self-rescue and for rescue of other divers
• The student shall master the use of sports diving equipment
• The student shall master techniques for conducting advanced sports diving
• The student shall be able to demonstrate and evaluate exercises under water while serving as assistant instructor

Requirements for certification:

• Passed the theoretical exam
• Shown the required degree of mastery of practical diving
• Shown skills at leading diver groups and supervision of diving acivity
• Demonstrate healthy attitudes and good understanding of how the safety for themself and for other divers can be maintained in classes, trips and other diving activity
• Shown ability to instruct and evaluate a group of students in basic diving activities, both in the pool and in the ocean

The theory comprises:

• Diving physics
• Physiology and anatomy for divers
• Diving medicine
• Diving tables
• Dive leadership
• Equipment
• Laws and regulations
• Seamanship and navigation
• CPR
• Advanced diving methods
• Navigation
• Deep diving
• Decompression diving
• Drift diving
• Search and rescue
• Night diving
• Wreck diving
• Multilevel diving

(from the syllabus, my translation)

Since we're a little more conservative up here about deep air diving than some of the other CMAS certification bodies are, our 3* only qualifies us to 40m. Since we've had deco theory and the exam dive is a simulated deco dive, we're qualified for backgas deco, but not for accelerated deco. Rec nitrox certification isn't a formal requirement, at least not yet, but all but one of the students were already nitrox qualified. I'm quite certain the last student will get his nitrox cert pretty soon.

Given what I can read from your link, I'd put our 3* closer to your DL than to your AD. At least not at the same level as your AD.

 

[Edward3c]

Very well done Storker.

How does your agency define 3*?

The BSAC equivalent is Advanced Diver.
An Advanced Diver is defined as a diver who is comprehensively trained, experienced and responsible and who can manage and supervise

• a wide range of adventurous and challenging diving activities
• branch diving expeditions to explore unfamiliar locations
• branch diving activities including dives utilising developing technology and techniques

All BSAC divers are qualified to use Nitrox, from Sports Diver (2nd level course), everyone is qualified to complete dives involving compulsory decompression stops.
Its really a course designed for expedition diving and adventurous diving. Part of the requirement is run an expedition to an unfamiliar (to the candidate) location.
In many ways the nice thing about Advanced Diver and First Class (which is next) is that you get to do some great diving.

That's no longer the case. Dive Leader is the 3* equivalent, see here. A CMAS 4* comes over as an Advanced Diver equivalent.