Divemaster Roles and
Responsibilities
Objectives
• Identify and discuss the roles of the NAUI
divemaster.
• List and describe the duties of the NAUI
Divemaster.
• Distinguish between the roles and duties
of the NAUI divemaster.
Definitions
• Role
– A function or office assumed by someone
• Duty
– Conduct based on moral or legal obligation.
– Any action, task, etc. Required by or relating
to one’s occupation or position.
(Taken from Webster’s New World Dictionary)
Divemaster Roles
• NAUI leader role model
– Promote NAUI = promote yourself
• All Assistant Instructor Roles
– When acting as an AI
– See later slides
• Emergency management leader
– As long as you are the most qualified
• Dive activity Organizer and coordinator
– Certified divers only
Divemaster Roles
• Dive trip Organizer and leader
– Certified divers only
• Diving Advisor
– Private/recreational
– Professional
– Transfer Responsibility
• Underwater guide
– Arranged in advance
– Business contract
Divemaster Duties
• All AI duties and responsibilities
– When assisting
• Planning, organizing, promoting and
coordinating diving activities for certified divers.
• Conducting pre-dive equipment inspections
– Transfer responsibility
• Announce everyone is responsible for his/her own equipment
• You are all certified divers
– Perform inspections
• For everyone or no one
• Only by request
• Not at all
Divemaster Duties
• Helping divers estimate weighting
requirements
– Transfer responsibility
– Provide estimates
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•
•
•
For everyone
For no one
Only by request
Not at all
Divemaster Duties
• Helping divers prevent or resolve
problems
– When is the best time to do this
– Suggested techniques
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Get to know your divers
Listen
Ask open ended questions
Be approachable not judgemental
Anticipation/Advanced visualization
No undue pressure
Divemaster Duties
• Guiding certified divers underwater
– When pre-arranged
• Managing emergency situations
– Until instructor or more qualified individual
takes over
Acting as an Assistant Instructor
Objectives
• Describe the relationship between the
divemaster and the instructor.
• Describe the relationship between the
divemaster and the students.
• Describe who other than instructors, may
escort entry level students, when they may
do so, and the maximum allowable ratio.
Divemaster/Instructor Relationship
• Instructor is in charge
• Teaching/supervision Style vs Technique
– What if the instructor is unsafe?
• Standards
• Burnout
• Job description
– What does the instructor expect of you?
• Challenging students
• Compatible styles and personalities
Divemaster/Instructor Relationship
Divemaster/Student relationship
• Responsible for teaching
– Skills demo must be teaching quality
– Knowledge of scuba theory
– Equipment knowledge and comfort
• Responsible for student safety
• Role model as a diver
Instructor / Student Ratios
Maximum ratios apply to ideal conditions!
Entry Level
• Instructor alone
– 8 students
• Instructor with 1 active-status assistant
– 10 students
• Instructor with 2 or more active status assistants
– 12
Instructor / Student Ratios
Courses beyond entry level
• Instructor alone
– 10 students
• Instructor + 1 Active status assistant
– 16 students
• Instructor + 2 active status assistants
– 20 students
• Instructor + 3 active status assistants
– 22 students
Active Status Assistants
• NAUI Instructor
– Active status
– Sustaining with insurance
• NAUI DMs active status
• NAUI AI active status
• NAUI Skin Diving Instructor
– Scuba certified
– Rescue certified
• Other agency members with corresponding
ratings
Escorting Students
• Certified assistants may escort students
during
– Surface excursions and exits
– Ascents and exits
– Temporarily attend to students while the
instructor conducts a skill with other students.
Touring
• During the second or subsequent open
water dives, pairs of students may be
escorted on tours
• The instructor must evaluate the following
skills for each student before that student
is allowed to tour with a certified assistant:
Touring
Student skills to be evaluated:
• Regain, replace and clear a regulator
• Regain primary regulator from behind the
shoulder
• Mask clearing including removal and
replacement
• Hover without support or significant movement
• Give, recognize and respond appropriately to
common underwater communications
Touring
• Share air with another diver as both donor
and recipient
• Monitor air supply and, upon request,
communicate amount remaining
Training Assistant
Does not count toward ratios but may escort 2
students on underwater tours
Requirements
• NAUI Advanced or Equivalent
• NAUI Scuba Rescue or Equivalent
• CPR and FirstAid
• Navigation
– Reciprocal course within 10 feet
– Square pattern within 10 feet
Training Assistant
• Assist divers simulating
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Muscle cramp
Anxiety
Breathing difficulty
Signs of pre-panic
• Assist/escort a tired and an incapacitated diver
to safety
• Be in charge of and satisfactorily act as an
escort during an open water dive for 2 other
divers
• Demonstrate a satisfactory scuba diver rescue