First Class Diver Part 2

The First Class Diver award from the British Sub Aqua Club is the highest amateur diving level awarded anywhere in the world. You need the highest level of theoretical knowledge and practical ability you can get. You have to push the envelope and be able to achieve something worthwhile in your diving. I am proud to be one of the examiners for this.

I spent this weekend on the Clyde on a FCD Prep weekend. It is interesting to work with people who are emerging FCDs as well as the other instructors, all experienced FCDs and National Instructors. This is the second prep weekend I've been on this year. An earlier one was held at Lochaline on the Sound of Mull using a hard boat. This weekend we used RHIB's.

On both weekends I was struck by the range of skills presented by the divers. They can all clearly dive well and have extended knowledge in gases and gas supply systems. Rebreathers and large twinsets abounded with various valve setups from separate twins to hog rigs. Well personally I still normally use a single 10 or 12 on air with a 3 litre pony so I feel outgunned.  But at least I can lift it.

The knowledge that seems to be in shorter supply is how to find things and how to get on them when you do. In past years divers were all brought up looking for the marks and honing their navigation skills in small inflatables. Nowadays there seems to be more use of skippers in hard boats doing the work with the divers having more theory than practice. But you can see the trainees coming on in leaps and bounds as you get them actually using this theory in a practical way.  From finding wrecks to putting a shot in improvements are noticeable over the two weekends. And I had some really good dives on both weekends.




bagging the shot

There is always much discussion about what makes a good First Class diver. It is not only the skills as these are just the tools a FCD employs. These are the parts that are tested in the exam. All of this is transparent and can be found on the BSAC website under First Class Diver. There are 12 criteria the practical examination concentrates on:

• Personal diving skills
• Dive Leading Underwater on both assessment days
• Attitude of the candidate
• Safe, effective dive management
• Contribution to leadership
• Contribution to teamwork
• Practical position fixing
• Response to emergency
• Achievement of dive operation objectives
• Seamanship skills
• Practical diving knowledge

But in my opinion there is one major element that needs more than the skills you can learn on a course. The attitude of the candidate. Why are they doing it and what are they getting out of it?  The very best FCDs I've seen are hungry. Hungry for new sites. Hungry for new wrecks. Hungry for new cliffs. Hungry for new dives and new experiences. And when they get them...... they want another. And another. They are always hungry. It is not the getting it that matters to them, it is the finding it, the proving they can do it to themselves, the achieving something someone else hasn't, couldn't or wouldn't. And the skills they acquire along the way are the tools they use to satisfy that hunger.

This does not just apply to divers though. In all areas of life I meet hungry people who are satisfying that craving in different ways. Climbers, sailors, skydivers and entrepreneurs to mention a few. You notice when they switch to a new area or sport they take that hunger with them and it drives them on to achieve. They are the people on the bleeding edge. Long may it continue as we need them to keep moving forward and avoid species stagnation. Get hungry and go feed.