NZQA Expiring unit standard
Title
Complete cavern dives
Level
3
4394 version 4
Page 1 of 3
Credits
5
Purpose
People credited with this unit standard are able to: prepare to
cavern dive; perform a cavern dive; and communicate while
cavern diving.
Classification
Diving > Diving - Recreational
Available grade
Achieved
Entry information
Critical health and
safety prerequisites
Prerequisites: Unit 4384, Scuba dive and perform rescues in
open water to a maximum depth of 18 metres, and proof of 20
logged dives showing experience in navigation, and deep and
night diving, or demonstrate equivalent knowledge and skills.
Explanatory notes
Version 4 was republished to correct the Standard Setting Body (SSB) name and the SSB
Code.
1
Industry technical and safety criteria are specified in the training manuals of the
agencies approved by the Sport Fitness and Recreation Industry Training
Organisation (Sfrito).
2
Acceptable unit standards that can contribute to the prerequisite of proof of 20 logged
dives are: Unit 4385, Navigate prescribed routes underwater; Unit 4386, Complete
computer-aided dives; Unit 4388, Complete a night dive; Unit 4389, Take still
photographs underwater; Unit 4390, Complete an underwater video; Unit 4391,
Complete a dry suit dive; Unit 4392, Complete drift dives on SCUBA; Unit 4395, Dive
at an altitude greater than 300 metres; Unit 4397, Complete dives using a diver
propulsion vehicle; Unit 4400, Identify marine species at a dive site; Unit 4401, Hunt
and collect preselected objects underwater; Unit 4402, Complete a dive off a boat;
and Unit 4403, Complete a shore dive.
3
All workplace diving practice must comply with the requirements of the Health and
Safety in Employment Act 1992 and Health and Safety in Employment Regulations
1995. All practice must also comply with Accident Rehabilitation and Compensation
Insurance Act 1992 and the Occupational Safety and Health guidelines for
Occupational Diving.
Skills Active Aotearoa Limited
SSB Code 101576
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
4
4394 version 4
Page 2 of 3
All training providers assessing against any instruction diving unit standard must
ensure that the training is conducted by a qualified instructor currently registered with
one of the listed agencies: National Association of Underwater Instructors,
Professional Association of Diving Instructors, Scuba Schools International,
Confédération Mondiale des Activitiés Subaquatiques, International Diving Educators
Association, or an equivalent, determined by Sfrito, that meets the requirements of
the Recreational Scuba Training Council, the instructor must provide training in
accordance with the standards and procedures of the respective training agency.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Prepare to cavern dive.
Evidence requirements
1.1
The types of caverns are identified and located geographically.
Range
1.2
Guideline terminology is used and its meaning explained.
Range
1.3
sea, coral, lava tubes, siphon.
tie-off, line trap, tension, line crossing, entanglement, placement.
Cavern diving equipment selected matches the diver’s build and experience,
and meets industry technical and safety criteria.
Range
lights, reel, compass, cylinders, alternative air source.
Outcome 2
Perform cavern dives.
Evidence requirements
2.1
Neutral buoyancy and body trim are maintained with minimum weights.
2.2
Cavern dive practice limits any potential effect of environmental hazards.
Range
2.3
ceiling, limited space, currents, darkness, chemicals, gases,
silting.
Guideline use complies with industry technical and safety criteria.
Range
deployment, handling, retrieval.
2.4
Body position and propulsion techniques minimise silting.
2.5
Cavern diving equipment is used without drag and entanglement.
Skills Active Aotearoa Limited
SSB Code 101576
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
2.6
4394 version 4
Page 3 of 3
Dive practice meets industry technical and safety criteria.
Outcome 3
Communicate while cavern diving.
Evidence requirements
3.1
Communication is maintained with other divers while cavern diving.
Range
3.2
visual, touch, command signals.
Signals are given, received, and responded to, using the guideline.
This unit standard is expiring. Assessment against the standard must take place by
the last date for assessment set out below.
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process
Version Date
Last Date for Assessment
Registration
1
24 November 1995
31 December 2016
Revision
2
17 July 2001
31 December 2016
Review
3
21 February 2005
31 December 2016
Review
4
20 November 2014
31 December 2016
Republished
4
5 February 2015
31 December 2016
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference
0099
This CMR can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA,
before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses
of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by
NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and
which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that
applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies
to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The
CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing
to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors
and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Skills Active Aotearoa Limited
SSB Code 101576
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016