BSAC Info please.

[gansell]

Hi,

Our Uni club is transferring from a PADI based club to a BSAC club. Although I am not a student here, I can join the club as an alumni. I am a PADI DM salted over to DL, so they have asked me to be the DO, as I am the most qualified person they can find ;-)

They also do not have any instructors. Now, if I do the IFC, TIE and OWIC courses, can I start to teach them before doing the PIE, or not. I am guessing that I could teach theory, as the TIE is an exam, but actual open water training would have to wait until the PIE.

gareth

[Janos]

Originally Posted by gansell

Hi,

Our Uni club is transferring from a PADI based club to a BSAC club. Although I am not a student here, I can join the club as an alumni. I am a PADI DM salted over to DL, so they have asked me to be the DO, as I am the most qualified person they can find ;-)

They also do not have any instructors. Now, if I do the IFC, TIE and OWIC courses, can I start to teach them before doing the PIE, or not. I am guessing that I could teach theory, as the TIE is an exam, but actual open water training would have to wait until the PIE.

Congratulations. I think Talk about being thrown in at the deep end.

In answer to your specific question, I don't think you can teach until you have done your PIE.

However, I would recommend getting in touch with your Regional or Area coach. They will be able to offer help and advice, and perhaps even some instructors. I bet it will take you time and a lot of hard work to get the branch up and running and teaching, but it will be well worth it.

I'm probably a bit far from you to help (London) but let me know if you ever get really stuck and need a hand.

Janos

[purple vonny]

It might be a good idea to go to the BSAC website and look up your local headquarters. There will be a contact there who can answer your questions.

I think you can only teach as an assistant instructor under supervision of an instructor (pool and theory) after completing theory but before completing your PIE/ OWI.

[Steve S]

Hi Gareth,

Welcome to the club AFAIA to be a "full" DO you have to be an AD and possibly OWI otherwise I think the term is acting DO [DL & OWI ]we had one for 2 years.

As Janos and Vonnie said get in touch with the area coach who can advise on the best course of action and with his/her ok I could help with ow training or just to supervise if you are a IFC qualified only as we use Stoney for our trainee's.

Good luck.

Safe diving,
Steve

[Chef]

Yes, having done the TIE you will be able to teach classroom lessons unsupervised but, as you guessed correctly, pool and open water training would have to wait for the PIE - see here for details.

Being DO is, as many have said before, a thankless task but rewarding nonetheless. Good luck!

Iain

[JamesW]

Hi I thought you had to be a Advance Diver or OWI to be a DO of a BSAC club.
Thanks

[Paul Oliver]

I'll dig out the link but basically you ideally are AD and OWI at least.

However you do not have to be an instructor, if this is the case you should have an NQI as TO.

You can be a DO as a lower grade i.e. DL BUT you cannot then sign off any grades higher than you, so an AD on the committee must sign off the AD qual.

Personally i was not happy to be DO until i was AD and OWI so i then had the BASIC knowledge to do the job properly. Now in my 4th year and still learning

The best place to check is here in the branch officers handbook, straight from the horses mouth

http://www.bsac.org/branchmanage/index.shtml

Originally Posted by BSAC Branch Officers Handbook

Branch Diving Officer:
Contained in the BSAC Articles of Association the National Diving Officer has ultimate responsibility for training, testing and the award of BSAC diving qualifications. The National Diving Officer has delegated much of this responsibility to Branch Diving Officers, who (if appropriately qualified) are thus empowered to award Ocean Diver, Sports Diver, Dive Leader and Advanced Diver qualifications to members within their own Branch.

A Branch Diving Officer should hold at least the qualification of BSAC Advanced Diver and ideally be a BSAC Nationally Qualified Instructor. If not, they will require a Nationally Qualified Instructor to supervise Branch instruction and assessments, and recommend candidates before they are able to award a diving qualification.

If a Branch wishes and in the absence of a member meeting the terms of the foregoing paragraph willing to become Diving Officer, a lesser qualified member may be appointed as Acting Branch Diving Officer. However, an Acting Branch Diving Officer will not have the authority to award diving qualifications higher than those they hold themselves without further endorsement from an Nationally Qualified Instructor or a BSAC member who does hold such higher qualifications. If no Nationally Qualified Instructor is available, an Acting Branch Diving Officer will only be permitted to award qualifications to members on the recommendation of a BSAC Regional or Assistant Coach.

The Branch Diving Officer's attributes:
The person nominated for the post of Branch Diving Officer should be chosen carefully,
They should be a volunteer rather than be pressed into taking the job, enthusiasm and a desire to do things thoroughly being of great importance.
They should have a sound practical and theoretical knowledge of diving and in order to successfully impart their knowledge and ability to others must have zest for the task, patience, sympathy and understanding.

[Nick Kay]

"Yes, having done the TIE you will be able to teach classroom lessons unsupervised but, as you guessed correctly, pool and open water training would have to wait for the PIE - see here for details.
"

Not strictly correct - having done the IFC you can teach in the pool under the supervision of an NQI. This was defined (on a recent IFC) as "the NQI needs to be present in the water, but not specifically "sat" with the ADI.

However in the context of the question asked, it looks like it means No you can't teach as there would be no NQI present...

[Paul Oliver]

As an aside i thought you needed at least 1 NQI to form a branch? best look at the handbook hadn't i

Then again a TI would be an NQI as he has a number, even though he can only teach Theory unsupervised up to his grade of diver.

[Paul Oliver]

Originally Posted by Nick Kay

This was defined (on a recent IFC) as "the NQI needs to be present in the water, but not specifically "sat" with the ADI.

Yes this is how we do it, generally we have an Advanced instructor who supervises the Assistant Instructors, but not looking over their shoulder.