ERDI Diver Level 1 - Public Safety Diver Training

What it is:

The Emergency Response Diver I course is an entry level emergency response diving course is designed to give the public safety diver the fundamental skills needed to safely function as part of an open water public safety dive team.



Agencies we teach for:

ERDI

Course Cost: See Prices Page .

This includes: educational materials, your dive training, certification card and photos (above and below water).

We give discounts for groups, call us for details!

If you do the ERD Tender course in combo with the ERD I (recommended), your cost is only $499!

Other costs:

Our cost includes everything except gear hire, food, lodging, dive site fees & transportation. Dive site fees range from $5-$10, depending on site (springs usually <$5, lakes are $10).


Gear you need to provide:

It is important that the student has the proper equipment (and this equipment should also be standardized within the team) when performing the duties of an Emergency Response Diver. These include

* Mask and Fins.

* BC (must be technical or similar BC capable of ERD tether requirements and have at least 40 pounds of lift). The BC must also be capable of supporting a pony cylinder of at least 18 cubic feet in addition to the primary cylinder.

* Regulators (primary on main cylinder and secondary on the pony bottle).

* Cylinders (primary of at least 80 cubic feet, and pony bottle of at least 18 cubic feet). Twin cylinders are not permitted at this level.

* Instrumentation to include an SPG, compass, depth gauge and timer or a computer.

* Appropriate exposure protections.

* 2 Cutting tools (a primary and a backup).

* Weight system.

* 2 surface signaling devices (one audible and one visual).

* USCG approved personal flotation device (PFD).

* Gloves (latex and gloves).

* Logbook.

* Dive Tables.



What the course entails:

Through a combination of academics, confined and open water sessions, you will master the basic skills necessary to participate in limited open water public safety activities.

How we teach it:

There are two parts, the academics and the "wet" portion.

* The academics are done from your ERD book and there is a multiple-choice written test afterwards. Upon completion of the academics and test, you will then start the "wet" training.

There is a swim evaluation to be completed before the wet work which consists of:

* 800 meters/yards snorkel swim non stop (recommended completion time is 16 minutes)

* 500 meters/yards swim without aids, non stop (recommended completion time is 16 minutes)

* 100 meters/yards buddy tow in full scuba gear in PFD non stop

* 15 minutes survival float, with the last two minutes with hands out of water.


Typically, the wet training takes 3 days, consisting of academics and a confined water session and two days open water diving (at least 4 dives).

* During the 'wet' part of the course, all the academics you learned will be reinforced, and some new things taught that are not in the books...

Some topics covered are:

* Organization of Emergency Response Teams

* Equipment used in emergency response diving

* Problem solving

* Crime scene recognition

* Search patterns

* Environmental/Haz Mat Issues

* Diver to diver touch communications

* Tender Skills

Note: this is not a fully inclusive list, just a quick overview!

Upon successful completion of your bookwork, the academic test, the swimming evaluation, and the wetwork you will awarded certification as an ERD I Diver.

Age requirements:

You must be at least 18 years old to receive an ERD I Diver certification; there is no maximum age.

Minimum # of students per class:

We need 2 or more people to make an ERD I Diver class. Private classes can be organized for a separate fee.

How many people are in each class?

Our ERD I Diver classes range in size, but we usually have at least two instructors and/or supervisors on site with larger classes, assuring students have more personal attention and fun. Weekends are the busiest.

Schedule/Timing for Course:

We train all the time, and have multiple instructors on staff, many full time, so we do weekday and weekend classes.

Click on our calendar for dates of upcoming courses.

How long does the course take?

Usually we complete the wetwork in 3 days, but sometimes it is necessary to dive more than 3 days because of learning difficulties, clearing or weather issues. If necessary, we will dive extra days to get you properly certified. It is our mission to make you a safe and competent ERD I Diver.

Where we do our course:

We usually use our local heated pool for the confined water session. For the open water diving, we generally go to Alexander Springs or Deleon Springs, or Lake Denton during the Summer.


Prerequisites for Course:

* 18 years old

* SDI Open Water certification or equivalent

* CPR 1st or equivalent

* CPROX or equivalent

* Before participating in the ERD I course, you will be required to fill out a standard liability release form and a medical statement. If you answer YES to anything on the medical form, we will require that you get it signed off by a physician.

* Mentally you need to have a mature attitude and the self-discipline to follow the guide-lines and principles required for emergency response diving.


What you can do afterwards:

* Upon successful completion of this course, graduates can engage in basic public safety diving activities without direct supervision. They may also participate in limited application recovery/rescue operations, providing that:

- The ERD I diver operates under the supervision of a team supervisor

- Operations are limited to 60 feet in depth

- Operations are conducted in conditions consistent with the students training

- Dive profiles are kept within no deco limits


* Continue your ERD diver training with specialty dives like the ERD Full Face Mask Course or ERD Dry Suit Course

* The most common follow up course after the ERD I course is the ERD II course.

Prices