Scuba Diving for gap year and career break divers

Programme Overview

A dedicated training course to educate volunteers in the skills required to become part of ongoing research projects to collect and collate data on coral reefs in the South Sinai. The programme is suitable for beginners as well as those with previous diving experience. Projects start once a month and last up to 5 weeks. All course days begin at 9:00am with 1 day off per week, for recreation, self study or project work.

Full details of this programme, including the taught modules, can be found by using the links to the right.

Details

The course begins by teaching students to become internationally recognised advanced scuba divers with all the necessary skills to operate underwater safely and with confidence. For beginners this involves doing the PADI National Geographic Open Water, PADI Advanced Open Water and 12 recreational dives. For Open Water qualfied divers, you do a Scuba Review, PADI Advanced Open Water and 12 recreational dives. For Advanced Open Water Divers you do a Scuba Review, 12 recreational dives and practice Peak Performance Buoyancy (PPB).

The course is specifically designed to teach students the knowledge and skills required to give a solid foundation in marine biological and geographical research. It covers aspects of marine research data collection and surveying techniques vital to becoming a competent marine sciences volunteer or future researcher. It also increases the student’s environmental awareness while promoting organisational skills, problem solving abilities, self confidence as well as the social and technical skills needed to allow a student to work as part of a marine scientific research team.

The course is separated into 8 modules with each module divided into academic and practical sessions specifically designed to compliment the seceding module (these modules are detailed in more detail under the 'programme modules' tab). The days start at 9am and end around 5pm. All course days begin at 9:00am with 1 day off per week, for recreation, self study or project work.

This is a superb project for anyone with an active interest in marine conservation, particulary university students studying marine biology.

Weeks 1 and 2

Module 1 - PADI Diver Training
Beginners: - PADI National Geographic Open Water, PADI Advanced Open Water and 12 dives
Open Water Divers: - Scuba Review, PADI Advanced Open Water and 12 dives
Advanced Open Water Divers: - Scuba Review and 12 dives

Weeks 3, 4 and 5

Module 2 - Safety Equipment handling and Rescue
• Psychology of rescue
• Basic Decompression theory (trip to diving chamber)
• Diving in potentially dangerous environments
• Accident management and responding to emergencies
• Boat safety
• Tool handling and equipment maintenance
• Missing diver procedures
• Safety and application of O2
• Knowledge Review
• Towing techniques

Module 3 - Underwater Navigation, Search and Survey Patterns
• Environmental and equipment assessment.
• Size and distance estimation
• Compass and natural navigation
• Search patterns underwater
• Introduction to cartography
• Organise and co-ordinate search for lost object/survey area
• Survey, locate and mark objects in a limited area

Module 4 - Topographical surveying
• Equipment, GPS, scale and detail considerations
• Grid mapping
• Triangulation map positioning
• Standard Ordinance Survey
• Team roles and site organisation.

Module 5 - Knots, Splicing, and Rigging
• Knots
• Splicing
• Rigging

Module 6 - Recovery and Lift bag Techniques
• Recovery Techniques and Lift Calculations
• Lift Bag, Types, Techniques and hazards
• Team Roles and Site organisation
• Signals, Verbal, Line and Bell, Hand and Flag

Module 7 - Introduction to Marine Biology
• Ecosystems - Coral reef, Mangrove, Sea grass
• Environmental impact of surveys
• Species identification and habitats
• Handling and collecting specimens
• Live handling, tagging, dangerous species
• Information gathering and cataloguing techniques
• Plant and Animal identification (Photographic)
• Collecting allocated specimens (Photographic)
• Cataloguing

Module 8 - Benthic Survey Techniques
• Study sites and methodology
• Hand signals
• Transect and grid survey set up
• % Benthic cover
• Benthic surveys – in-situ assessment
• 6 Points of intercept
• Point Intercept (Reef Check)
• Line Intercept
• Belt Intercept
• Quadrant Estimate and 10 point Intercept
• Photographic Assessment
• Photographic Transects
• Photographic Analysis

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Flights

Flights are not included and they need to be arranged by you. Flights to Sharm el Sheikh operate throughout the year from many International Airports. A return flight typically costs between £200 and £400. Full details of flight options are sent to you after booking. We recommend the British Airways flight on Mondays. It leaves at 11pm and gets in on Tuesday morning at around 6am.

Transfers

All customers are met at Sharm el Sheikh Airport and transferred to Dahab by minibus (approx 1 hour). You are also taken back to Sharm el Sheikh Airport at the end of the programme.

Accommodation

We have two self-catered houses which have been specifically designed for our customers. There's a maximum of 8 people per house with a maximum of two people per room i.e. twin room. Each house is equipped with a TV room, satellite TV, a fully equipped kitchen, 3 bathrooms, 3 showers, private gardens and a BBQ area.

Meals

It is self-catered accommodation. We do not provide meals but you will find that eating out and shopping for food is cheap in Dahab.

Course prerequisite

- Minimum of 20 logged dives and 20m qualification - hence the dive training in weeks 1 and 2.

Certification

A Red Sea Research diploma will be awarded for each module successfully completed with a log book is to record the modules, specialised courses completed and any surveys or research projects on which they have actively participated. A Red Sea Research ID card will be awarded to all students upon completing the basic skills practised in modules 1-4. The certification fee is applicable once only as courses are recorded in the logbook and updated in the Red Sea Research member’s database.

Membership

A membership number is given is given to all students upon enrolment and is printed on all further documentation. The membership fee is included in the initial course fee and will be deducted from future courses. An annual renewal fee of €15.00 is required to retain membership. Members will be invited to join research projects and specialised courses as well as receive an on-line monthly newsletter, internet updates and receive discounts on further education and accommodation expenses. Membership is available to non-divers allowing them to participate in shore- or boat-based projects.

Requirements

1. You must be able to swim 400m
2. You cannot do this programme if you are under 18
3. Please remember to bring your PIC cards & logbook with you if you have dived before

PADI Materials

All PADI materials have been included in this programme. Materials are despatched to your home address before you leave so that you can start preparing for your diving trip!

Money / Living costs

Egypt is cheap and you will find that your money goes a long way! ATM's are widely available and foreign currency can also be exchanged. We recommend you budget around £50 to £70 per week for food, water, soft drinks and alcohol. Some people manage to get by on less than £50 whilst other may spend over £100 in a week. Everyone has different eating, drinking and spending habits!

Prices

2010 Dates