Handicap SCUBA Association (HSA)

Instructor Training Course (ITC)

(Also applies to Dive Masters and Assistant Instructors)

ITC description:

The goal is not to teach dive masters and instructors how to teach SCUBA diving, it is to educate them about disability and special considerations for diving, and teaching diving to people with disabilities.  A large portion of this course is beneficial to everyone, including those not involved in diving.  It covers a multitude of disabilities and disability issues: accessibility, traveling for people with disabilities and special considerations for diving with a disability.

Pre-requisites and certifications:

• SCUBA Instructors from recognized certification agencies, who have teaching status and carry insurance, will become HSA instructors on successful course completion.
  
• Assistant Instructors from recognized certification agencies, who carry insurance, will become HSA Assistant Instructors on successful course completion. If they become instructors later, they can become HSA instructors by notifying HSA of their new teaching status.
• Dive Masters from recognized certification agencies, who carry insurance, will become HSA Dive Masters on successful course completion. If they become instructors later, they can become HSA instructors by notifying HSA of their new teaching status.

Academics:

• The first evening of the course from 6:00pm to 9:00pm, will consist of academics.
• The first full day of the course from 9:00am to 9:00pm, will also consist of academics.
• The second day of the course from 9:00am to 9:00pm, will have six hours of academics interspersed with six hours of confined water training
• The third day will consist of academics, beginning after an open water session, and ending after the final exam, corrections and the certification paperwork at 9:00pm. 
• The academic sessions should be held in a comfortable classroom setting, equipped with a TV/VCR, accessible washrooms and access to refreshments.
• Two passport pictures are required from each student
• Access to a wheelchair is optional, but preferred, to demonstrate transfers.

Confined and Open water training:

On the second full day of training, we require six hours of pool time. on the third full day of training, we require approximately seven hours of open water training.

*The dive site will be shallow and allow easy assisted entries and exits. We will be doing a lot of scenarios and we will be in and out of the water a lot. (Do not worry, I will not make you dive for seven hours.)

*Each candidate should have full dive gear with two full tanks. Wet suits are better than dry suits for this kind of training.

Apprenticeship:

In order to motivate new HSA dive masters, AIs and Instructors to work with people with disabilities, Freedom at Depth will provide the following incentives:

Any HSA dive masters, AIs or Instructors who wants hands on experience can assist Hubert Chrétien in the pool or in open water when training disabled divers.

New HSA Instructors who have disabled diver prospects but do not feel confident to teach them, can receive as little or as much free help as they request from Hubert Chrétien. Mr. Chrétien could co-teach both confined and open water portions of your student's course. For the confined water portion Freedom at Depth's pool would be available and accommodations could be provided. For introductions Mr. Chrétien may travel to assist you.

Download this Document (pdf)