Physical Education: Scuba

PEAC Fee: $525.00; Class lecture times are R 5:30-7:30pm in Kalkin 004 Open to degree and PACE students

Diving can lead to adventures in exotic tropical locales and an exciting lifetime profession anywhere in the world. The National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) has one of the highest training standards in the diving industry and NAUI divers enjoy a worldwide reputation for being accomplished underwater explorers where each breath turns a new page in a journey into the unknown. Scuba diving is the ultimate role-playing activity where you live each moment and venture into places where few have been before. Experience weightlessness like an astronaut orbiting the earth. Breath underwater while suspended in a cool, refreshing, aquatic world. See strange and exotic fishes and other denizens of the deep like only other NAUI divers do. Learning to be a NAUI diver is an adventure all in itself! Grab a friend and start at home today with a NAUI educational system from your local NAUI Dive Center. Join the millions of others who discovered NAUI scuba diving and changed their lives forever. This course is a 1 Credit Elective Course and does require a time commitment, but successful completion will result in a Lifetime Certification to Scuba dive. In this course you will learn about modern dive equipment, diving sciences, responsible diving practices and the environment. Diving skills will be taught and practiced first in the comfort and convenience of a confined water environment and finally during your open water training dives with your NAUI Instructor.

Since PEAC classes are based on physical activity and skill development, participation is crucial to the learning process. Participation includes active presence, effort and improvement, rather than physical facility. Students must show up to class and be ready to partake in all class exercises. Students are expected to arrive on time; three (3) late arrivals will count as one (1) absence. Students have the option to make-up one (1) class absence by participating in the other lab(s), or in the case of a checkout dive, you must hire an instructor at a cost of $95.00 per session. If an additional instructor is required to attend a lab for the make-up, a $75.00 fee will apply. It is at the instructor’s discretion to determine whether an absence shall be deemed excused or unexcused. Excused absences are defined as absences with prior notice given to the instructor. You must contact the instructor personally and notify them of the reason for your absence. Messages do not serve as notification. Examples of absences that are unexcused regardless of prior notification include meetings, work, and/or friends or relatives in town. Examples of excused absences with prior notification include death in family and/or severe illness. Students may be asked to provide verification. Health: Some basic health requirements must be met in order to participate in this course. Read the medical history questionnaire carefully and respond honestly for your personal safety. The contra-indications for diving include: Asthma, Epilepsy, Diabetes, Heart Conditions, inability to equalize the body’s air spaces. If you have one of these conditions or answer yes to a question on the medical form, please contact the Waterfront Diving Center (WDC) to speak with a staff member before you visit your doctor. The phone number for the Waterfront Diving Center is 802-865-2771. If you are not feeling well, tell the instructor and an assessment of your fitness to dive will be made. If medical approval to scuba dive is required, it must be received prior to scuba diving in the pool. Alcohol and drugs do not mix with diving. If you are suspected of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, including hangover, you will be dismissed from class and not permitted to return. No refunds will be issued. Students are required to bring a swimsuit and towel to all water sessions. Due to COVID-19 Safety precautions, students will be required to purchase their own mask and snorkel. Waterfront Diving Center will have several options for students within an allotted price range. Arrangements are available where there is financial hardship; please reach out directly to the instructor to make arrangements. Waterfront Diving Center will provide all additionally needed SCUBA equipment for each session. The equipment will be cleaned and disinfected per COVID-19 protocols standards and requirements.

Course Requirements and Grading: Even if all requirements are met Certification is NOT Guaranteed. The instructor makes the final determination as to whether or not certification is issued. Students must perform skills competently to participate in the open water checkouts for certification. Grading will not be based on mastery of performance but instead on effort and willingness to practice and learn required skills. Attendance: Since PEAC classes are based on physical activity and skill development, participation includes active presence, effort and improvement, rather than physical facility. Students must show up to class and be ready to partake in all class exercises. NAUI Standards dictate that you be present for every class. If you do not attend every class, you cannot be certified. Throughout this course, attendance will be graded on a point system. We have the discretion to award additional points based on helpfulness. Each pool session will count as 1.9 points. If you show up late for pool sessions, you may not be allowed to participate if we cannot catch you up to the group. Three late arrivals to class (including pool sessions) will count as one absence and therefore a loss of 3.33 points. If conditions absolutely prohibit you from attending a class, notify the instructor in advance. Make-ups are difficult to schedule; the cost for making up a missed class is $75. Don’t miss class and don’t be late. 3.33 points will be deducted from the final grade for each unexcused absence. Assignments: Note: The eLearning is sequential, i.e., you must complete chapter 1 to go onto chapter 2. Your academic grade will be based on the eLearning, final exam, attendance and participation in the lectures and labs. Final Exam: You must complete the eLearning exam before the Final Exam. A passing grade of 80% on the final is necessary for certification. Water Skills: An overall comfort level in the water is necessary for certification. Students must show a basic competency with a series of snorkeling and SCUBA skills. The evaluation is ongoing; safety is our number one concern. Always use your best judgement and common sense. Diving is a non-competitive activity; no extra points for beating the other person, swimming the fastest, diving the deepest, etc. We are here to help. If at any time you need assistance, please ask us. Attitude: Positive and considerate attitude along with good judgement and common sense are major attributes in a good diver. Display a positive and considerate attitude to the other divers. To demonstrate these attributes, put safety first and participate in debriefings of the water sessions. Good communication is essential. Be an active voice during the open water checkout dives, use the buddy system and cooperate with all other divers the in the class to keep safety number one. Attendance and Participation are required and evaluated throughout the semester.