ORPHEUS ISLAND RESEARCH STATION
DIVING REGULATIONS - SUMMARY

QUALIFICATIONS

Divers & Dive Leaders must be at least 18 years old and present the following:

a diving certification card

a log book validating experience of 15 hours underwater, excluding training dives

a medical certificate dated within the past 12 months stating that he/she is fit to SCUBA dive

a completed diver registration form

EQUIPMENT

The following equipment must be carried by each diver unless specifically exempted by the Diving Officer:

mask, snorkel, fins

buoyancy compensator with both oral and scuba-feed inflation

watch or other submersible timekeeper depth gauge

tank contents gauge

secondary air source, e.g. octopus regulator

DIVE SUPERVISOR/LEADERS RESPONSIBILITIES

ensuring that the dive team operates within the diving regulations outlined here. A more detailed Diving Operations Manual is available on request

ensuring that all divers and boat attendants are sufficiently trained and experienced to carry out required tasks safely

discussing the dive plan with team members before each dive

ensuring that details of every dive are entered daily on a JCU Record of Dive Form

notifying the Diving Officer/Manager if planning any of the following: night dives, dives deeper than 20 metres, dives at exposed sites in rough conditions, any variation to the dive team regulations outlined below, any other potentially hazardous dives (e.g. handling dangerous marine animals, cave diving)

notifying the Manager of any diving-related injury to any member of the dive team

the Dive Leader has additional responsibilities when diving without a boat person (see Dive Teams below)

notify the Station staff of any faulty or damaged equipment

DIVER'S RESPONSIBILITIES

diving safely within the limits of his/her capabilities. The Dive Supervisor and/or Diving Officer must be notified of any uncertainties concerning capability.

abiding by the OIRS diving regulations and any special conditions imposed by the Manager or Diving Officer.

Notifying the Dive Supervisor of any faulty equipment regardless of who owns the gear, and not diving with faulty dive equipment.

notifying the dive leader of any injury sustained while diving

DIVE TEAMS

A normal dive team comprises two or more qualified divers and a boat person. One of the divers is to be nominated as the Dive Leader. Divers must dive in groups of two or three and remain within sight of each other throughout the dive.

Diving without a boat person can take place in Pioneer and Hazard Bays provided that:

the Dive Leader determines that low-risk conditions (as defined below) exist at the dive site;

all divers agree to dive without a boat person;

all divers agree to abort the dive at a signal from the Dive Leader if low risk conditions cease to exist;

the Dive Leader ensures that a 15m float line is deployed from the boat and that the anchor is checked for security at the beginning of each dive;

the Manager or designee may cancel two-person diving operations at any time by posting a notice to that effect.

DEFINITION OF LOW-RISK CONDITIONS

depth of bottom does not exceed 15m

swell and/or wave height does not exceed 0.5m

current is nil to slight (diver can swim against it with minimum exertion)

underwater visibility is greater than 4m

dive starts and ends in full daylight

PROHIBITED DIVES

decompression dives

dives deeper than 30m

dives less than 24 hours before flying

solo dives

RECOMMENDATIONS

a safety stop at 5 metres for 3 minutes is recommended for all dives deeper than 9 metres.

an ascent rate of <9 metres per minute is highly recommended for all dives.

For further information about
JCU diving regulations and procedures, contact Phil Osmond or visit the Biological Sciences Diving page at http://www.jcu.edu.au/school/bsg/diving.htm