Divemaster exam A - chapters 1-8 Flashcards
what are two ocean resources vital to life?
1) oxygen
- from ocean phytoplankton and cyanobacteria
2) heat distribution
- ocean’s ability to absorb, carry and release heat
Primary producers
organisms that get their energy from sunlight = converting sunlight energy into energy-containing compounds
- the base of all food chains
photosynthesis
the process by which plants/primary producers convert CO2 and water into oxygen and carbs
Highly productive ocean areas
areas with coastal upwellings = nutrients
EG: Polar regions
Mangrove ecosystem services (2)
1) trap excess nutrients, pollutants and sediments
2) habitat for invertebrates and juvenile reef fish
Threats to mangroves (4)
1) real estate
2) dredging
3) aquaculture
4) chemicals
example of organic waste? (2)
- agriculture runoff
- red tides
cause of red tides?
nutrient pollution/algae overgrowth
solid wastes
heavy metals, toxic chemicals, oil accumulate in sediment
forces that cause currents (4)
1) surface winds
2) earth’s rotation
(deflect R. in Northern hemisphere, L. in Southern Hemisphere)
3) winds
4) weather
best time to dive based on tides
high tide or slack tide
three types of breaking waves
1) plunging breakers - moderately steep beaches
2) spilling breakers - gently sloping beaches
3) surging breakers - very steep beaches
what is a rip current?
A local current that occurs when waves push water over a long obstruction (sandbar or reef)
Primary productivity
a process by which energy enters the food chain by primary producers
% of water on Earth
71%
% of water that is Seawater?
97%
Why dive in an environmentally responsible manner? (4)
- You don’t want to harm aquatic life
- Role modeling environmentally responsible diving is in the PADI Member’s Code of Practice
- Kicking and bumping into aquatic life causes major damage.
- Directly encouraging other divers to reduce their effect on the environment
- Divers have a growing collective voice that can influence environmental initiatives and policies that affect the underwater world - to be credible as environmental ambassadors, we must show that we practice what we preach.
Diving in an environmentally responsible manner is important because:
You are a role model to others and should be a passionate ambassador
What ultimately connects all the water on Earth?
The hydrological cycle connects all water (inland and underground bodies).
What is the base of the marine food chain?
Primary producers - photosynthesis by phytoplankton, which need sunlight AND nutrients
why are some areas much more productive than others?
Areas (continental shelves, polar regions) that have costal upwellings (water flowing up from the deep) tend to be highly productive because upwellings bring nutrients to the surface.
Open ocean has little primary productivity due to lack of nutrients, ocean bottom has ample nutrients but sunlight doesn’t penetrate that far - except in areas with thermal vents where chemosynthesizers form small ecosystems by converting inorganic chemical energy into useable carbohydrates.
Why are coral reefs important?
Most productive, complex, and diverse ecosystems on Earth.
what benefits do coral reefs provide?
- Corals are primary producers
(symbiotic phytoplankton live in them)
- incredibly efficient at recycling available nutrients and the nutrient-free water protects coral from organisms from organisms that would compete/cloud water and block sunlight. - Nursery grounds for 25% of all known marine species, home to about 33% of all known fish species.
- Form extensive reef structures that protect island and coastal communities from storms, wave damage, and erosion by forming massive barrier reefs.
- Increasingly important to commerce and regional economies, tourism relies on the appeal of their coral reefs, pharmacologists find biomedical compounds such as antibiotics and anti-cancer agents.
What are the major threats to coral reefs?
Human activities
- Land clearing (choking polyps)
- Fishing practices (destroying coral structures)
Global warming (climate change)
what contributes to the destruction of wetlands?
- Human-induced damage - primary threat
(Mangroves and estuaries have been dredged out to make harbors, or filled in for housing development, destroyed by conversion to aquaculture farms)
Why are wetlands important?
Vital to all other aquatic environments, crucial for the ocean’s ecological health and production of fish used as a human food source.
Why are marine fisheries near collapse, and how do you support sustainable fisheries?
Industrial fishing has such high demands to the point that ocean fish catches have become unsustainable.
- Fish populations have declined as improving tech allow catch levels to be high
(Overfishing)
- Overfished species don’t reproduce fast enough to
sustain commercial fishing and population recovery
takes decades, if at all - Pollution/habitat destruction
We can support sustainable fisheries by:
- Being a selective buyer.
- Support the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) they encompass wide range of marine areas that restrict human activity to protect living, non-living, cultural and/or historic resources.
What effects do organic matter, solid wastes, oils, chemicals, plastics and heat effluent have on the aquatic environment?
- Organic waste:
runoff from agriculture - Human sewage:
organic waste but doesn’t cause plankton blooms - Solid wastes:
(Heavy metals, toxic chemicals, oil) - Oils:
self explanatory - Plastics:
self-explanatory - Heat effluent:
heat pollution enters primarily though released cooling water from coast power stations/facilities
Biomagnification: Heavy metals, pesticides, other toxins that don’t break down readily and accumulate
*Animals low on the food chain have trace amounts, eaten by higher consumers they accumulate to levels that cause birth defects, disease, reproductive issues
What are eight precautions to reduce the likelihood of being injured by an aquatic animal?
- Treat all animals with respect - don’t tease/intentionally disturb/dive unobtrusively
- Be cautious in extremely murky water - watch hand placement/potentially aggressive animals can mistake you as prey and avoid diving if they may be present
- Don’t wear shiny, dangly jewelry - resemble bait fish or small prey/attracts interests of predators
- Wear gloves and an exposure suit to avoid stings or cuts - be especially cautious of what you touch
- Maintain neutral buoyancy - stay off bottom
- Move slowly and carefully
- Watch where you’re going and where you put your hands, feet and knees
- Avoid contact with unfamiliar organisms - general rule is if an animal is very pretty or very ugly and doesn’t flee, don’t touch it, these are common characteristics of a venomous species
One reason wetlands are important is that they protect coral and other ocean ecosystems from exposure to excess nutrients, pollutants and sediments. True or False?
True
To reduce the risk of accidental injury by a potential harmful aquatic animal, you should:
Wear gloves, don’t wear shiny jewelry, be careful what you touch and where you put your hands/feet/knees, stay off the bottom.
What is thermocline and how does it affect divers?
A thermocline is a transition layer between warmer (lower density) mixed water at surface and cooler deeper (higher density) water below.
It affects divers body temperature. Temp differences - thermal protection
What are the forces responsible for currents?
- global currents
- surface winds blowing over large surface areas - – - Earth’s rotation.
- Local currents are caused by winds, weather, tide.
What makes upwelling and downwelling occur?
A form of current with vertical flows instead of horizontal, both result from wind.
what are the effects of upwelling and downwelling?
Upwellings:
- wind pushes surface water away from shore, deep water comes up to replace it - or - where a deep current runs abruptly into a sharply rising bottom, diverting the water toward the surface. Recognize by offshore winds accompanied by clearer, cool water with visibility drop a few days later as plankton grows (especially if winds drop and stop pushing water offshore).
Downwellings:
- wind toward a steeply dropping coastline or reef can cause water to pile up and sink - or - when surface currents, including tidal currents, deflect toward the bottom. Less pronounced but can cause productivity to decline by pushing nutrients into deeper water (benefits deep water species).
What causes the tides, and what affects the range of tides in an area?
Results from the gravitational pull of the moon and sun on the ocean, creating two water bulges (waves) on opposite sides of the Earth.
- Earth’s landmasses prevent tidal bulges from traveling uniformly over the surface as the planet rotates
What is a wave, and what disturbing forces cause waves?
The transmission of energy through a fluid. Wind, earthquakes, undersea landslides and volcanoes cause waves with the intensity and duration determining wave size and characteristics.
The forces that cause currents include:
Wind, waves, the Earth’s rotation, tides.
The primary disturbing force that causes waves is:
wind
A wave breaks when the depth is __________ its height.
1.3
What is the Project AWARE Foundation?
Non-profit organization that involves divers and water enthusiasts in projects, activities, and efforts that protect and conserve underwater environments.
What are Project AWARE’s “Ten Ways a Dive Can Protect the Underwater Environment”?
- Dive carefully
- Be aware of your body and equipment
- Keep your dive skills sharp
- Consider your actions
- Understand and respect underwater life
- Be an ecotourist
- Respect underwater cultural heritage
- Report environmental disturbances or destruction
- Be a role model
- Get involved
What business are you in?
Transformation
What are the four Es of diving, and where does the consumer find them?
Education, Equipment, Experience, Environment.
PADI Dive Resorts and Dive Centers
How does a consumer-centric philosophy lead to success?
When customers know you have their best interests in mind, they choose to do business with you over the long term, you’ll provide the best, honest guidance you can and stand behind what you sell.
The four Es of the dive business include:
experience - equipment - environment - education
What are six skills, outside of diver training, that can make you more valuable to the dive industry?
- Licensed boat captain
- Retail sales and basic business training
- Equipment repair technician
- Compressor and/or boat engine mechanic
- Media production
- Marine/aquatic conservation expertise
Qualifications to service or repair ________ and/or ________ can make you significantly more valuable to dive resorts.
Compressors, boat engines.
What are the annual PADI Membership renewal requirements?
- Must agree to the PADI Membership and License Agreement, pay annual dues.
- Divemaster membership remains in Active status, authorizing you to act as a certified assistant in PADI programs and conduct programs
benefits for PADI Divemasters? (6)
- access to PADI educational and marketing materials
- Educational consultation with PADI Office
- Access to PADI Pros’ site for form and paperwork downloads, ordering PADI materials, contact info, employment board, networking with other PADI professionals
- Regular print and online PADI publications
- Print and electronic email alerts, notifications, updates
- Access to PADI-endorsed professional liability insurance and support from the dive industry’s most experienced legal defense team
- Ability to attend PADI seminars and member forums, in person or online
As a PADI Divemaster, renewal is:
Annual
How do you set a dive float?
Set them up - inflate before you get in the water -
Have a good idea where you will set it -
considering where divers will “land” and
ANCHOR, AUGER, or CLIP the float.
What is the purpose of surface marker buoys?
Purpose:
- Marking boundaries for mapping
- Search and recovery
- Alerting boat traffic to the presence of divers
- So surface support or an instructor can track buddy teams or groups (common in specialty courses)
- Provide a line as a visual reference for ascending divers
How do you properly use the various types of surface marker bouys?
- Surface Marker Buoy -
inflate and set before you start the dive, be cautious when securing to avoid harming aquatic life, when towing hold reel so you can release immediately if necessary, don’t attach it to your gear, keep tension on the line and avoiding slack - pay attention to the line to avoid entanglement of yourself or others - Delayed Surface Marker Buoy (DSMBs) -
have buoy and reel well stowed but accessible and ready for deployment with minimal delay, hold buoy away from you and others, keep line on the reel taut to avoid entanglement, inflate orally or using a second stage or accessory inflator and maintain tension on the line as it rises, deployed just before ascent underwater, once it reaches the surface keep line taut so it stands upright for max visibility
As a divemaster, what signaling and safety devices should you carry and know how to use?
One audible:
- Whistles
- Air horns
One visual:
- Signal tubes
- Surface marker buoys
- Inflatable signal tubes
- Strobes
A surface marker buoy may be used to mark the location of a buddy team or group. T/F?
True
What are the general steps for mapping a dive site, and what elements do you include in a dive site map?
- Identify central point or place buoy from which to gather data and determine map boundaries. Use point as a fixed reference around which you will draw the map
- Swim a large search pattern or series of patterns that cover the area you’re mapping away from the point (U-pattern and straight-sided patterns that follow compass bearings)
- Record survey data on slate, note compass heading of each leg and measure distance as you travel (count kick cycles or use a tape measure), record the depth of each feature you find and it’s distance on the pattern leg, determine the direct heading and distance between key features
- On each pattern leg, record distance where you hit specified depth increments (3 meter/10 foot increments e.g.) use interval depths for laying contour lines on finished map
- Draw out pattern you followed on graph paper in pencil, use protractor to keep heading angles accurate and a ruler and graph lines to maintain scale. Assign each block a distance (based on converting kick cycles to meters/feet) to trace pattern legs and the distances between pattern legs. Mark on the pattern line each place where you reached interval depth and features you want on the map
- Connect the contour interval depths with lines to show contour. You can use shape of the shore line to help extrapolate contour. Keep everything to scale (protractor and ruler), fill in direct headings and distances between features
- Shore dive sites - fill in shore line, facilities and important topside features (parking areas, walkways, stairs, etc.)
Off-shore sites - include moorings so you can identify on which mooring the boat sits - Use ink on the parts of the map you want to keep (contour lines, features, depths) and erase the pencil portions
Elements you typically find on a dive map include:
Depths, the bottom contour, points of interest, shore facilities or moorings.
What are five general steps in planning a search and recovery dive?
- Define the dive objective clearly
- Collect and analyze all the information available
- Decide whether to snorkel or scuba
- Choose a dive buddy or dive teams
- With multiple teams, conduct complete briefings so all divers understand their roles and tasks
Factors to account for when planning a deep dive include diver:
Experience level, comfort, attitude, equipment.
Enriched air cylinders:
Are marked to avoid confusion with air cylinders, should only be used by the diver whose name is on it.
What other PADI instructional materials are available to guide your conduct of programs?
PADI’s Guide to Teaching - provides details on teaching techniques, explanations and approaches for many courses and programs. Also includes, suggestions and reminders for organizing training sessions, selecting dive sites and for handling special circumstances.
Specific teaching tools and instructional materials available for program conduct.
For the Scuba Review program, what are the diver prerequisites, forms, materials, ratios and performance requirements?
Prerequisites:
- 10 years old
- certified as a PADI (Junior) Scuba Diver
Materials:
- PADI ReActivate eLearning
- Equipment as described in the General Standards and Procedures Guide
Ratios:
*Confined Water- 10:1 (instructors may add 4 divers per certified assistant)
*Open Water- 8:1 (instructors may add 2 divers per certified assistant to a maximum of 12)
The minimum age for the PADI Skin Diver course is:
8
What two PADI Specialty Diver courses can a PADI Divemaster qualify to teach?
The PADI Digital Underwater Photographer course and the PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider course.
What is meant by risk management?
Practice of taking precautions, following established guidelines and making good choices to reduce risk.
Why is risk management so important?
- HELPS IMPROVE SAFETY
- Prevents or reduces law suits
- Helps maintain insurance coverage
- Keeps diving viable as a sport
Risk management is the process of taking precautions, following safe practices and _________ to reduce and manage risks.
Making good decisions
Duty of care means that legally, when supervising other divers, you are expected to act as a reasonably prudent divemaster would under the same or similar circumstances, to protect less knowledgable divers from harm.
True
Why do you need to be familiar with the General Standards and Procedures Guide in your PADI Instructor Manual?
You need to follow PADI Standards, because they are the foundation of PADI’s proven instructional system, and provides boundaries for training competent divers to help prevent accidents both during and after training.
How does adhering to standards help you reduce risk?
- You reduce the risk of an accident in the first place
- Should something unfortunate happen despite your best efforts, having acted within PADI Standards can reduce legal risk by showing that you acted credibly as a professional, and that you meet the expected duty of care
What is the PADI Member Code of Practice and how does it apply to risk management?
- Requirements and obligations that govern how a divemaster is to perform duties
- Part of PADI Standards, following them helps reduce and manage risks
What suggestions can help you manage your own risk?
- Adhere to PADI Standards (include PADI Member Code of Practice, Youth Leader’s Commitment, Child Protection Guidelines)
- Follow established local regulations, environmental laws, community and industry practices, laws and guidelines
- Maintain your personal health
- Use common sense and good judgement, make conservative decisions, put diver safety first
- Know your limits as a dive leader, gain experience with new dive sites/environments, seek out additional training
