Surface Support in the UK

As a small Professional team, providing a high level of training with small groups our team members are best placed to be in the water with students or our club members and not undertaking Service Support.

So, we have enlisted the help of one our own junior divers.  Although we have to say he’s just not so little anymore.  

​Many of you will know Sam already but for those that do not, here is a potted history.

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Sam learnt to dive with Dive Rutland back in 2013...

Working up to Master Scuba Diver in 2017

He completed a week of work experience with us back in 2017

​Sam has always lent a helping hand when on trips (he has been mistaken by boat skippers as a DiveMaster!)
or
​joining us for a days diving and being the body for various rescue courses.  In fact on one he had purchased some new RK3 Fins but in YELLOW, yes really YELLOW... well I'm sorry we laughed so much, he looked so like a duck.. so daffy it is then!

Sam is a great addition not only for logistics but also because he can be someone you can talk to when you’re frustrated with that skill or just talk diving, after all there is no such thing as a diver who can not or will not talk about diving.

What is Surface Support?

Here in the UK all Dive Centres and Dive professionals must work under the Training Frameworks of their chosen training agencies as well as the Health and Safety Executive 

The Health and Safety – Diving at Work Regulations 1997, approved Code of Practise and Guidance.  This document covers both the instruction and guiding of people diving for recreational purposes where at least one person taking part is at work, for example as an instructor 

This regulation applies to all recreational diving projects within the 12-mile limit of territorial waters adjacent to Great Britain.

It applies to us here at Dive Rutland and is fully embedded into EVERYTHING we do.

Where Surface Support is concerned, they say that when a dive professional is working in open water and in the water, that the minimum training dive team should be three, consisting of Surface Support, The Instructor and a Certified Assistant. 

The definition of Surface Support is A person who does not have to be diver but should be familiar with the Dive plan and the arrangements for obtaining assistance in the event of an emergency

This person should be present throughout the time that an instructional team is in the water and ready and able to raise the alarm, if required OR assist with managing any dive incident.
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For us here at Dive Rutland, Surface Support: -

• Is a core member of the Dive Rutland team contributing to the onsite Risk Assessment undertaken at the beginning of each training dive day;
• Keeps assessing and updating the Risk Assessment throughout the Dive Day, reporting to the on-site Dive Rutland in charge instructor if things change;
• Assists with divers whilst they are kitting up and at the end of the day de-kitting, entering and exiting the water;
• Logs divers in and out of the water.  Is the person that EVERY dive team reports to – including dive time and the overall dive plan and then on exiting the water they are met by Surface Support and report back providing all information which is then recorded on the Dive Log;
• Is easily identifiable as they wear the Orange Dive Rutland Surface Support Vest
• Stays at the water’s edge whilst dive teams are in the water so they can provide ANY support to the in-water team as required including actioning the Emergency Action Plan;
• Holds an in-date Emergency Primary and Secondary First Aid Certificate.

Fancy joining our small team be that Surface Support or our Professional Ranks then get in touch