In 2010 PADI released a new set of instructor and student materials for use during the Enriched Air Diver course. In line with PADI’s teaching philosophy these materials ensure your students can learn through an educationally valid system, at their own pace, and using the most up to date information available.
These materials include some exciting new developments relating to the way you can offer this course, and the information that your students learn. This article explains these changes and how you can incorporate them into your new courses.
Why change?
The PADI Enriched Air Diver course has traditionally been based around the use of dedicated 32% and 36% RDP tables, as well as oxygen exposure tables and equivalent air depth tables. In recent years the diving industry has seen a huge increase in the use of personal dive computers by divers to track their dive profile and no-decompression limits. Increasingly divers are using these computers to plan all aspects of their dives – this is also reflected in recent additions to the PADI Open Water Diver course, which can now be taught using computers instead of an RDP / eRDPml. In line with this development, PADI is now allowing divers to be taught to use computers to plan their enriched air dives, rather than tables. This approach better reflects the realities of modern diving techniques. The PADI Enriched Air Diver knowledge development section is also now available online, providing greater flexibility for students, and a wider potential market for dive centres and instructors.
What are the new materials?
The updated materials comprise:
Enriched Air Diver Instructor Guide (version 2.0) product 70244
Enriched Air Diver crewpack (with computer simulator card) product: 70480
Enriched Air Diver exam product 70122
The materials, along with the Enriched Air Diver DVD (product 70870) are required in order to be able to teach the new outline.
Has the way I conduct the course changed?
The overall approach to the course remains the same. Students will complete home study (either through eLearning, or through their student manuals). This learning is now additionally complemented by the computer simulator – an online component they can access using the information in their crew pack.
If the students are using a manual, they will complete one knowledge review. You will mark their knowledge review and go through their answers with them, covering any areas that they may not have fully understood. They will then sit the final exam. If students have completed the eLearning option they will provide you with their e-record and they do not need to complete any further theory elements.
Students then need to complete the practical elements of the course. This includes gas analysis, completing fill logs and planning dives through dive simulations. It is not a requirement for your students to complete any dives, however you may wish to offer them as an additional benefit to your program. Once students have completed all the theory and practical elements, they can be certified as PADI Enriched Air Divers.
How do I teach with these different tools?
Students completing the PADI Enriched Air Diver course will have several tools available to them to help them learn to plan their dives. The computer simulator is an online component that students receive a web link and password for as part of their crew pack. They can use this simulator to practise the techniques involved in planning dives using a computer; they will do this during their home learning. Please note that the simulator is not a dive computer and is not intended for planning real life dives.
During the course students will use a dive computer – this could either be their own computer or a school computer if you have one for hire. If the computer is EANX compatible you can show them how to set it up for the correct mix, how to plan the dive and how to review it afterwards. Your students can complete the course using air only computers if necessary, and the instructor guide includes specific instructions on how to do this. In these circumstances there are limits to the maximum allowable oxygen content in the mix that they dive with and the depth that they can go to. You will need to ensure that there is an enriched air compatible computer available for them to practise setting up and dive planning on, however.
What are the benefits for me?
The PADI Enriched Air Diver course has always been a popular specialty. With the new flexibility offered, even more students will be able to enrol into your program. The use of dive computers ensures the course is relevant to the type of diving your students are conducting and that the course has practical value to them. It also highlights the importance of dive computers to those who do not already own them, and consequently will have a positive impact on your equipment sales.
Can I keep using tables?The Enriched Air RDP tables are still in production at this time – they are available as part of a crewpack (product 61044) or individually. You may teach students the computer option and then provide them with additional tables and instruction afterwards if you wish. Please note that in this instance you would follow all the standards for the computer-based enriched air program, including the knowledge review and the final exam. The use of tables would be entirely supplementary. You are still able to offer the table-only version of the course if required, using the previous versions of the instructor and student materials.
You can purchase these new materials from your local distributor or via the online shopping cart on the PADI Pro website. Please continue to read your training bulletins for updates on future changes to the PADI Enriched Air Diver course.
