Phase 4 – MSDT – Resort Operations Specialist

PADI Emergency Oxygen Instructor  —  *20 Clock Hours*  —  POPI-4

Master Scuba Diver Trainer Prep  —  *34.5 Clock Hours*  —  MSDT-4

The Master Scuba Diver Trainer Prep program is five PADI Specialty Instructor courses conducted in a fully integrated manner over four days.  The MSDT course is designed to train instructors in how to organize market and conduct the following PADI Specialty Diver Courses:

1. PADI Search and Recovery Instructor
2. PADI Deep Diver Instructor
3. PADI Enriched Air Instructor
4. PADI Underwater Navigator Instructor
5. PADI Night Diver Instructor

The course involves academic presentations and 7 ocean boat dives.  Candidates are shown how to conduct training dives, briefings, and scenarios. Subjects include wreck or reef mapping search and recovery techniques, knot tying, lift bag, use of wreck reels, navigation skills and techniques, enriched air diving considerations, dive planning and techniques, night diving techniques and deep diving considerations.

Prerequisites:  Applicants must be a PADI Instructor or have attended a PADI IDC within the last 12 months. The applicant must be able to show proof of at least 10 logged dives in each specialty diving area prior to submitting his/her Specialty Instructor application to PADI. This requirement may be met after the MSDT program.

Minimum Age:  18 years of age.

Certification: 5 PADI Specialty Instructor ratings

NOTE:  The PADI MSDT Fee of $93.00 is NOT included in the Phase III tuition.

Number of Ocean Boat Dives:  7

Required Equipment:  Masks, fins, snorkel, wetsuit and dive gloves, BCD with low pressure inflator, single hose regulator with alternate-air-source, submersible pressure gauge, depth gauge, compass, bottom timing device (dive computer preferred), timing device (watch with second hand), dive knife or cutting tool, pencil, underwater slate, visual surface signaling device, audible signaling device (both surface and underwater) PADI RDP, eRDPML, logbook, two dive lights (one primary and one backup), wreck reel and lift bag, 30cf stage cylinder (recommended).

Note:  Scuba tanks will be provided at no extra charge.  Weight belts and weights will also be provided at no charge; however, a deposit of $50 is required to cover possible loss.

Resort Operations Specialist  —  *128 Clock Hours*  —  ROS-4

The Resort Operations Specialist program was written and developed exclusively for Sea Experience Diving Schools by Dr. Alex Brylske – one of the world’s foremost experts on diver education and award-winning authority on sustainable marine tourism.  Resort Specialist is Sea Experience Diving Schools’ “flagship” program and is the only professional development course in the diving industry that is both proprietary and trademarked.  Only at Sea Experience Diving Schools can you earn this valuable training and certification.  Based on extensive resort operations job analysis and frequent feedback from employers at the world’s top dive resorts, the Resort Operations Specialty curriculum is continuously updated.  The revisions ensure that Resort Operations Specialist graduates are among the best trained in the world and can meet the challenges of the ever-changing industry and consumer.

ECO PRO: Ecology Professional (ECO PRO) is the component of the ROS program that prepares professional divers to be ambassadors for the environment. It is comprised of seven modules of instruction (see modules 1-7 below) that combine for 48 clock hours.

Module #1: Assessing Coral Reef Health: The Benthos & Invertebrate Community (12.0 hours)

• Identify the major invertebrate organisms found on Caribbean coral reefs and describe their ecological role.
• Identify characteristics of coral reef predation and what organisms are responsible.
• Identify signs of coral bleaching and diseases and what indicators are used to distinguish the two conditions.

Module #2: Assessing Coral Reef Health: Benthic Survey Methods (8.0 hours)

• Identify 10 substrate types that are indicative of coral reef health or degradation.
• Describe the “point-intercept transect” as a method to determine substrate cover.

 Module #3: Assessing Coral Reef Health: Fish Community Ecology  (11.0 hours)

• Describe the major fish “guilds” and their respective members.
• Identify the 50 most common fishes found on Caribbean coral reefs.
• Describe the three hunting strategies used by predators.
• Describe the role of “cleaning stations.”
• Describe how morphology understanding the morphology of a fish can provide clues to its lifestyle and guild membership.

Module #4: Coral Reef Restoration: The Science and Practice (4.0 hours)

• Describe current restoration technologies from their inception to the current state-of-the-art.
• Describe the goals and strategies used by the various programs throughout the world.
• Explain how scientists and recreational divers collaborate to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of coral reef restoration.

Module #5: Sharks in Depth—Ecology, Conservation & Ecotourism  (8.0 hours)

• Explain why sharks are vital components of a healthy marine ecosystem.
• Describe how humans benefit from sharks.
• Describe the major conservation issue affecting sharks worldwide.
• Explain how shark tourism and how it can be a tool for conservation.
• Describe shark diving best practices and guidelines for safely observing sharks in the wild.

Module #6: Perfecting the Customer Experience: The Art and Science of Coral Reef Interpretation (4.0 hours)

• Explain the difference between environmental education and environmental interpretation.
• Explain why many environmental education programs fail.
• Describe methods for turning divers into advocates for ocean conservation.
• List and explain the five essential components of effective environmental interpretation.

Dive Shop Operations:  This section has 3 components.  All aspects of diving, from training to charters, to air fills to repair, all filter through the dive shop and therefore it is essential that all dive professionals have an understanding and working knowledge of the dive shop.

Introduction to EVE:  EVE (Electronic Virtual Employee) is an award-winning business management software tool that makes running dive shops easier.  EVE has many features that help dive store owners and employees increase profits and commissions with greater customer satisfaction.  EVE is the software choice of many PADI Dive Centers and Resorts. 

Resort Specialist students will be better prepared to work at Dive Shops that use EVE as their Point-of-Sale software.  The knowledge and skills acquired will include:

Features and benefits of EVE as a Point-of-Sale System

• How EVE links to PADI. For example, processing certification cards online
• How EVE can be used for effective and targeted marketing using emails and newsletters
• An introduction to EVE, a Point-of-Sale tool

Equipment Specialist:  Whether your job involves the use, retail sale or repair and maintenance of scuba equipment, knowing the theory and operation of the equipment used in our industry is a vital key for your success.  The knowledge and skill acquired will include:

• Develop practical knowledge of the theory, principles, and operation of the diving equipment
• Perform routine, recommended care and maintenance procedures
• Basic field repair techniques
• Preparing equipment for sale

Increase your earnings:  Diving is an equipment intensive sport, and the knowledgeable professional must be able to council students and customer alike in proper equipment selection by considering their needs and budget.  The knowledge and skills acquired will include:

• Assessing the diver’s equipment needs
• Proper sizing and fitting
• Knowing which features are of benefit and importance to students and customers

Charter Operations:  Snorkel and Scuba Charters are the backbone for many dive shops and for the staff and crew they are the busiest but most exciting part of the instructor’s day.  The knowledge and skills acquired will include:

Boat Diver Specialty Instructor:  The purpose of the PADI Boat Diver Specialty course it to familiarize divers with the skills, knowledge, planning, organization, procedures, techniques, problems, hazards, and enjoyment of diving from a boat.  Resort Specialty will learn how to organize and conduct the PADI Boat Diver Specialty Course.

Digital Underwater Photography Instructor:  Digital Underwater Photography training will expand your marketability, your earning potential, and add enjoyment to your resort-based employment.  The knowledge and skills acquired will include:

• Assembling and testing camera equipment prior to a dive
• Practice getting good color as appropriate to the camera system using white balance, flash, filters, and wide angle
• Demonstrate care for the equipment while taking picture underwater
• Evaluating exposure, sharpness, and composition
• Downloading and editing digital pictures

Increase your tips:  it is common for divers to tip dive and boat crew after an enjoyable experience.  Resort Specialist students will learn valuation knowledge and techniques to help increase their tips by enhancing the diver’s experience.  The knowledge and skills acquired will include:

• Assisting divers with rental equipment and weight selection
• Welcoming divers on board
• Seat assignments, understanding diver, buddy, and group dynamics
• Enhancing the diver’s experience through effective guiding and increasing personal service during surface interval

Wreck Diver Specialty Instructor:  Learn how to use wreck reels to penetrate wrecks. This valuable training will aid in dive guiding, looking for missing divers and providing guidance to customers on the benefits or wreck diving to the risks involved with wreck penetration.

• In-Service Rescue Scenario Practice: Candidates gain confidence in managing a rescue as they work alongside the Sea Experience crew to practice real-time rescues in the ocean. These scenarios may include man overboard drills, panicked diver at the surface to retrieving an unconscious diver at depth and concluding with a boat egress with oxygen administrations and CPR.

Fill Station Operations:  According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 90% of all high-pressure cylinder failures occur during the filling process.  Furthermore, the data shows that a major cause of cylinder failure is the lack of training, knowledge, and experience on the part of the fill operators.  Fill station operators are the primary line of defense in preventing unsafe cylinders returning to service; and learning how to fulfill this role is precisely what students learn in this training segment.   The knowledge and skills acquired will include:

PSI Visual Cylinder Inspector:  The PSI Visual Inspector Course is conducted over one day and covers a wide variety of topics that will help identify problems developing in cylinders before they become an explosive danger.  Students receive hands-on training that qualifies them to inspect cylinders technically and visually for damage and defects during the interval between hydrostatic re-tests.

PSI Eddy Current Technician:  Eddy Current testing is a powerful edition to visual cylinder inspection.  However, many in the industry continue to use such devices on the wrong cylinders or fail to operate the equipment properly.  This course provides Visual Cylinder Inspectors with the added training to know when and how to conduct proper Eddy Current Tests of SCUBA and SCBA cylinders in addition to hands-on experience with Eddy Current devices.  

PSI Valve Repair Technician:  This course provides a broad overview of valve types, valve repair and valve care.  Students will gain experience by servicing multiple valves and in turn be prepared to service more than just the cylinder.

PSI Oxygen Cylinder Cleaning Technician:  Cylinders and valves intended for Enriched Air Nitrox (EANx) service require special cleaning and inspection procedures.  This course addresses the handling, inspection, and cleaning of EANx cylinders.

Compressor Theory and Operations:  Air systems are essential to dive operations.  While resort operators do not expect to hire expert compressor technicians, they value employees who can properly maintain and operate these expensive and vital systems.  The advanced air-system knowledge and skills acquired during resort Specialist include:

• An overview of compressor and filtration function
• Air fill station design and operation
• Checking and changing lubricants and filters
• Power start up procedures
• Cylinder filling procedures

DSAT Gas Blender:  The Diving Science and Technology (DSAT) Gas Blender course will instruct the diver to completely mix and blend Nitrox cylinders using formulas and computer-based methods currently available.  The course is divided into knowledge development and practical application sections.  The knowledge and skills acquired will include:

• Oxygen; use and risks
• Helium blending theory
• Use of oxygen compatible air
• Gas blending Methods
• Nitrox blending

Resort Operations Specialist:  This is where the theory is put into practice.  During this portion of the course students will have multiple opportunities to serve as a mate and Resort Divemaster/Instructor on board our custom-built dive boats, learn inside the dive shop, and assist in an actual class.  Students will log hours interacting with actual customers while gaining invaluable experience on the water, in the shop, filling cylinders, assisting in classes, and many other practical techniques to ensure an enjoyable and safe experience for the customer. 

NOTE:  Students do NOT take the place of paid crewmembers.  Student learning is conducted always working under staff supervision.

Prerequisites:  Applicant must be certified as a PADI Divemaster, Assistant Instructor or Instructor (no equivalent ratings apply). Additionally for each Specialty except Equipment Specialist, the applicant must be able to show proof of at least 10 logged dives in each specialty diving area prior to submitting his/her Specialty Instructor application to PADI. This requirement may be met after the Resort Specialist program.

Minimum Age:  18 years of age.

Required Equipment:  Masks, fins, snorkel, wetsuit and dive gloves, BCD with low pressure inflator, single hose regulator with alternate-air-source, submersible pressure gauge, depth gauge, compass, bottom timing device (dive computer preferred), timing device (watch with second hand), dive knife or cutting tool, pencil, underwater slate, visual surface signaling device, audible signaling device (both surface and underwater) PADI RDP, eRDPML, logbook, two dive lights (one primary and one backup), wreck reel and lift bag, 30cf stage cylinder (recommended).

Note:  Scuba tanks will be provided at no extra charge.  Weight belts and weights will also be provided at no charge; however, a deposit of $50 is required to cover possible loss.

TOTAL TUITION COST: $7,499.00