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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

 

Click here to download the application form

Click here to download the evidence record