Courses & Units

Scientific Diving KSM306

In addition to the usual tuition fees, this unit attracts a levy of $2250 to cover running costs.

Enrolment in this unit will be limited by a quota (maximum 12 students) and subject to a minimum enrolment of 8 students.

This unit is run in spring from mid-November to early-December as a 3-week intensive block. There are no remote options for completion of this unit. Contact the unit coordinator for confirmation of dates.

Both diving and academic pre-requisites apply.

Academic pre-requisites:

  • One of KMA253 (Data Handling and Statistics 2) OR JFA207 (Data Analysis and Presentation); or equivalent plus
  • A unit relating to ecology, biology or oceanography at a 2nd year level.

Diving pre-requisites:

  • Open water diver certification
  • Current occupational diving medical (dated within 12 months from the end date of this course).
  • 40 dives and 30 hrs minimum diving logged
  • Current HLTAID014 Advanced First Aid certification or equivalent (dated 3 years from the end date of this course)
  • Current HLTAID015 Provide Advanced Resuscitation (CPR and O2 resuscitation) (dated 1 year from the end date of this course)
  • Rescue diver certification
  • Nitrox diver certification

Contact the Unit Coordinator well in advance to discuss whether you meet prerequisites for enrolment.

Introduction

This unit provides theoretical and practical training in scientific diving, focusing on both safe diving procedures in the conduct of science underwater and a range of scientific techniques used commonly by scientific divers. Emphasis will be given to the planning and management of scientific diving to maximise both dive safety and scientific return per unit dive time. Students will gain experience with and appreciation of a wide range of scientific techniques used underwater, and learn skills and procedures to conduct safe and efficient scientific diving at a professional level.

Students who complete the course satisfactorily will gain formal professional certification as an unrestricted scientific diver through ADAS. This qualification is recognised nationally and by several overseas countries. Obtaining appropriate skills and experience to allow safe underwater research to occur is vital for students wishing to undertake such operations during their scientific careers. The unit is designed to meet the requirements outlined in the Australian Standard for Training Scientific Diving (AS2815.6), and emphasises practical experience, and dealing with problems commonly encountered during scientific diving operations.

 

Summary

Unit name Scientific Diving
Unit code KSM306
Credit points 12.5
College/School College of Sciences and Engineering
Institute for Marine & Antarctic Studies
Discipline Ecology and Biodiversity
Coordinator Doctor Camille White
Available as an elective? Yes
Delivered By University of Tasmania

Availability

Location Study period Attendance options Available to
Hobart Spring school (November) On-Campus International Domestic

Key

On-campus
Off-Campus
International students
Domestic students
Note

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Units are offered in attending mode unless otherwise indicated (that is attendance is required at the campus identified). A unit identified as offered by distance, that is there is no requirement for attendance, is identified with a nominal enrolment campus. A unit offered to both attending students and by distance from the same campus is identified as having both modes of study.

Key Dates

Study Period Start date Census date WW date End date
Spring school (November) 18/11/2024 6/12/2024 2/1/2025 16/2/2025

* The Final WW Date is the final date from which you can withdraw from the unit without academic penalty, however you will still incur a financial liability (refer to How do I withdraw from a unit? for more information).

Unit census dates currently displaying for 2024 are indicative and subject to change. Finalised census dates for 2024 will be available from the 1st October 2023. Note census date cutoff is 11.59pm AEST (AEDT during October to March).

About Census Dates

Learning Outcomes

  • Use scientific principles to design and implement data collection using scientific diving.
  • Plan scientific diving activities in accordance with the Australian scientific diving standards and Australian work health & safety legislation.
  • Operate diving equipment in-water using a range of diving skills.
  • Lead a diving operation safely using Australian scientific diving standards and Australian work health & safety legislation.

Fee Information

Field of Education Commencing Student Contribution 1,3 Grandfathered Student Contribution 1,3 Approved Pathway Course Student Contribution 2,3 Domestic Full Fee 4
031799 $1,118.00 $1,118.00 not applicable $3,085.00

1 Please refer to more information on student contribution amounts.
2 Please refer to more information on eligibility and Approved Pathway courses.
3 Please refer to more information on eligibility for HECS-HELP.
4 Please refer to more information on eligibility for FEE-HELP.

If you have any questions in relation to the fees, please contact UConnect or more information is available on StudyAssist.

Please note: international students should refer to What is an indicative Fee? to get an indicative course cost.

Requisites

Prerequisites

One of KMA253 (Data Handling and Statistics 2) or JFA207 (Data Analysis and Presentation) or equivalent, PLUS a unit relating to ecology, biology or oceanography at a 2nd year level. DIVING pre-requisites also apply (Refer to CUH Notes or Unit Coordinator to ensure you meet enrolment requirements).

Teaching

Teaching Pattern

3 week intensive course

AssessmentADAS Units of Competency|Swim Assessment|Planning Scientific Diving test (10%)|The science behind diving (20%)|Practical Assessment (30%)|ADAS tests (Equipment, Physics & Physiology, Legislation, Dive Illnesses, Decompression tables) (40%)
TimetableView the lecture timetable | View the full unit timetable

Textbooks

Required

All students are expected to commence the course with a high level understanding of the dive theory, having reviewed all relevant documents prior to the course. These can be found on MyLO. It is also expected that students will have completed the online practice ADAS exams. See Attachment 11 in the Required Reading folder on MyLO to access the ADAS Portal for doing this.

PLEASE note that much of the material in the MyLO folder (e.g. Australian Standards / decompression tables etc.) is subject to copyright, and has been supplied for educational usage only, for this course. PLEASE do not distribute this information to others.

Required readings within MyLO prior to the course are:

  • ADAS AS2815.1 STUDENT PACKAGE v3.3.pdf
  • ADAS Part_1_Text_2017_v4.0.pdf
  • ADAS DIVING FUNDEMENTALS 2017 v1-1.pdf
  • ADAS SUPPLEMENTARY TEXT 123 v1-1.pdf

Students should also have viewed all the material relating to UTAS Dive Procedures prior to the course, including:

  • V7-5 UTAS Dive Procedures.pdf
  • IMAS Coordinator Information and Assessment.pdf
  • Diver Emergency Information and Assessment.pdf
  • FF project pack including Risk Assessment.pdf
  • UTAS ATE Dive Sites_2020.pdf
  • Appendix 4_IMAS KSM306 Scidive TasksRisks_2021.pdf
  • APPENDIX 9_UTAS TASK & SITE Ras-Nov2016.pdf
  • ADAS REVISION EXAM INFORMATION.docx
  • ADAS STUDENT SURVEY INFORMATION.docx
  • IMAS Scidive course Rego Form.pdf
  • IMAS Dive Induction Stat. of Understanding 2022.pdf

LinksBooktopia textbook finder

The University reserves the right to amend or remove courses and unit availabilities, as appropriate.