An Advanced European Scientific Diver is a diver capable of organizing a scientific diving team. He/she may attain this level by either a course or by in-field training and experience under suitable supervision or by a combination of these two methods.
The AESD must:
- show proof of theoretical knowledge and a comprehensive understanding of:
– Diving physics and physiology, the causes and effects of diving related illnesses and disorders and their management.
– The specific problems associated with diving to and beyond 30m, calculations of air requirements, correct use of decompression tables.
– Equipment, including personal dive computers and guidelines as to their safe use.
– Emergency procedures and diving casualty management.
– The principles and practice of dive planning and the selection and assessment of divers.
– Legal aspects and responsibilities relevant to scientific diving in Europe and elsewhere.
– Dive project planning. - Be fully competent with/in:
– Diving first aid, including CPR and oxygen administration to diving casualties.
– SCUBA rescue techniques and management of casualties.
– The use and user maintenance of appropriate SCUBA diving equipment, including dry suits and full face masks.
– Basic small boat handling, and electronic navigation.
– Supervision of diving operations. - Be fully competent with:
– Search methods, such as those utilizing free swimming and towed divers together with remote methods suitable for a various range of surface and sub-surface situations.
– Survey methods, both surface and sub-surface, capable of accurately locating and marking objects and sites.
– The basic use of airbags and airlifts for controlled lifts, excavations and sampling.
– Basic rigging and rope work, including the construction and deployment of transects and search grids.
– Underwater navigation methods using suitable techniques.
– Recording techniques.
– Roped/tethered diver techniques and various types of underwater communication systems such as those utilizing visual, aural, physical and electronic methods.
– Sampling techniques appropriate to the scientific discipline being pursued. - Show proof of having undertaken 100 open water dives, to include a minimum of:
– 50 dives with a scientific task of work, such as listed above.
– 20 dives deeper than 20m of which 10 dives deeper than 29m
– 12 dives in the last 12 months, including at least 6 with a scientific task of work.
– 20 dives in adverse conditions, such as currents, cold water, or moving water.
– 20 dives as an in-water dive leader.
All evidence must be recorded in nationally acceptable logs, countersigned by suitably qualified persons. None of the above precludes the possible requirement for a practical or theoretical demonstration of any or all of the points shown.