---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Locations & Schedule

Locations
Aside from the in-person Saturday orientation, and Saturday DFA Pro practical training at SCMI, weeks 1&2 consist primarily of remote, self-paced eLearning to allow employed candidates to accommodate their work schedules.
Please note: weeks 3&4 consist of full, 8-hour days, including weekends
Week 3 is conducted on the mainland – this is the hybrid portion consisting of in-person, classroom lectures and practical training, and ongoing remote, self-paced eLearning.
Week 4 (open water training) is conducted on Catalina Island.

• Classroom lectures and practical training are conducted at the Southern California Marine Institute (SCMI)
• Swim tests and confined water training will be conducted at a California State University, pool (location tbd)
• Open water dive training during week 3 will be conducted in the San Pedro/Palos Verdes area or Catalina Island depending on conditions
• Open water dive training during week 4 will be conducted on Catalina Island at the USC Wrigley Marine Science Center

---

Sample Schedule
Below is a typical schedule for the program. Dates and locations for practical skills training may vary based on weather and conditions.

Week 1

• Saturday Orientation (in-person), SCMI: course overview, AAUS history/standards, OSI policies/procedures, OSI dive management system (bloop), Marlinspike
• Tuesday – Friday remote eLearning: HAZMAT (2 hours), DFA Pro (4 hours), AAUS Sci Diver (self-paced, 2-3 hours per day recommended)

Week 2

• Saturday, SCMI: DFA Pro practical training (in-person 6 hours)
• Monday – Friday remote eLearning: NAUI Rescue (3 hours), AAUS Sci Diver (continue self-paced, minimum 2 hours per day to complete by end of week 3)

Week 3

• Monday, SCMI: equipment checks (personal gear) and checkout of OSI “rental” gear, Dive Planning lecture (RDP and Computer use), bloop accounts & dive logging procedures, Marlinspike
• Tuesday, pool (location tbd): swim tests, confined water checkout dives, Marlinspike
• Wednesday, pool (location tbd): confined water Rescue training (NAUI Rescue Course), review UCSC Sci Diver training videos, Marlinspike
• Thursday, pool (location tbd): light salvage (lift bag) training, buoyancy skills, Marlinspike
• Friday, Yellowfin: Open Water dives: “no work” dive, OW checkout dive
• Monday – Friday remote eLearning: complete AAUS Sci Diver eLearning course & exam

Week 4

• Saturday, SCMI: AAUS Sci Diver in-person quiz (1 hour), pack/prep gear for YF loadout/transit to WMSC on Monday
• Monday, SCMI/WMSC: load YF, transit to WMSC. Facility orientation (waterfront & housing), waterfront safety briefing, store personal belongings (residence & waterfront), Orientation dive, Intro to Freediving
• Tuesday, WMSC: Rescue skills 1&2 (shore-based & OW per NAUI course standards), Navigation skills 1&2 (compass use, dryland orientation, navigate square, complex course)
• Wednesday, WMSC: pickup/repeat skills from previous day as needed, Navigation 3 (dryland orientation, triangulation, site relocation), SMB use, Search and Recovery, Night dive (dryland orientation, skills per NAUI standards)
• Thursday, WMSC: Light Salvage (lift bag), Transects and Quadrats, Rescue 3 (full search & rescue drill), Fish transects, Blue Water dive orientation (dryland), Chamber Orientation
• Friday, Yellowfin: Blue Water orientation dive, transit to SCMI