Fundamentals of Scientific Diving

Enrollment options

• Online-Only Option

  Students who pass the Online-Only Option (see assessment and earning criteria) will receive an FIU micro-credential but will not receive FIU scientific diving certification since practical skills development is a requirement.

  • Course Fee*: $249
  • Prerequisites: None 
  • Enrollment Cap: None 
  • Content Delivery: Online. Access to the AAUS online learning platform will be provided after registration closes 
  • Enroll: April 5 - May 1, 2023
    • Registration link: FIU CAS (radiusbycampusmgmt.com) 
  • Online Course Access: May 1 - June 24, 2023
  • Who Should Enroll: Teachers and lifelong learners who wish to gain fundamental knowledge of scuba diving and underwater data gathering techniques. 
  • Earning your Micro-credential: assessment and earning criteria, claiming your badge and post-course survey

  * Course fee includes access to online learning platform.

• Online+Experiential Option

  Certified open water scuba divers wishing to become eligible for FIU scientific diver certification will be required to enroll in the Online+Experiential Option. This includes completing and passing all the requirements listed in Online-Only Option, passing a cumulative written exam with a score of 80 or higher, and exhibiting competence in relevant diving skills. Skills development will take place at the Aquarius Reef Base facility in Islamorada, Florida and at offshore dive sites over a six-day period. Practical skills development includes:

  • Swim test, scuba diving evaluation and check out dive
  • Training in CPR, First Aid and DAN Oxygen Administration
  • Diver rescue and bottom recovery
  • Accident management
  • Nitrox diving
  • Saturation diving orientation
  • Underwater navigation, identifying/marking research sites
  • Designing an underwater sampling plan
  • Scientific monitoring equipment
  • Underwater archaeology sampling
  • Assessing coral reef structure
  • Fish identification and community assessment 

  
  

  Students who pass the Online+Experiential Option (see assessment and earning criteria) will receive FIU scientific diving certification, an Aquarius Advanced Training: Scientific Diving certificate from FIU’s Medina Aquarius Program and an FIU micro-credential.

  • Course Fee*: $2,200
  • Prerequisites: 
    • Successful completion of online modules
    • Successful completion of the swim test.
      • Without swim aids, students must be able to
        • Swim underwater for a distance of 25 yards (23 meters) without surfacing.
        • Swim 400 yards (366 meters) in less than 12 minutes
        • Tread water for 10 minutes, or 2 minutes without the use of hands
        • Transport a passive person of equal size a distance of 25 yards (23 meters) in the water
    • Open water scuba certification from a nationally recognized training agency or military
    • Medical Evaluation of Fitness for Scuba Diving form
    • Completed diver resume 
    • Completed liability waiver.
  • Minimum Enrollment**: 6 students
  • Content Delivery: Online (Access to the AAUS online learning platform will be provided after registration closes; in-class instruction and hands-on experiential skills development
  • Enroll: April 5 - May 1st, 2023
  • Registration link:  FIU CAS (radiusbycampusmgmt.com)
  • Online Course Access: May 1 - June 24th, 2023 
  • Skills Development (Islamorada, FL):June 19 - 24th, 2023
  • Who Should Enroll: Certified divers wishing to increase their in-water competence and obtain scientific diver certification.

  *Course fee includes access to online learning platform; CPR, First Aid and DAN Oxygen Administration fees; and up to 12 dives including use of regulator and buoyancy compensation device if needed. Travel, lodging, meals, incidentals and optional individual DAN and AAUS membership fees are not included

  **A minimum enrollment of six (6) students is required to run the experiential/field component of the class. If the minimum number of students is not reached, students may opt to enroll in the Online-Only option or be issued a tuition refund.
  
  Please send the above forms plus a copy of the student’s open water certification card to aquarius@fiu.edu prior to completing registration and making payment. Note: The medical examination does not have to be completed prior to registration but is required before in-water training can begin.

  Tentative Skills Development Schedule: Islamorada, FL

  Weather and other factors may require schedule modifications.

  Date	Event
  Sunday, 18 June	Arrive
  Monday, 19 June	CPR, AED, First Aid, Oxygen Administration – Classroom Swim test, check out dive – Pool (Dive 1)
  Tuesday, 20 June	Underwater navigation review - Classroom Open water check-out dive – Offshore (Dive 2) Underwater navigation – Offshore (Dive 3) Underwater navigation – Offshore (Dive 4)
  Wednesday, 21 June	Underwater archaeology sampling protocols – Classroom Underwater archaeology sampling – Offshore (Dive 5) Underwater archaeology sampling – Offshore (Dive 6)
  Thursday, 22 June	Coral community assessment protocols – Classroom Assessing coral communities – Offshore (Dive 7) Assessing coral communities – Offshore (Dive 8)
  Friday, 23 June	Coral reef restoration protocols – Classroom Coral reef restoration – Offshore (Dive 9) Coral reef restoration – Offshore (Dive 10)
  Saturday, 24 June	Reef fish identification & protocols – Classroom Reef fish assessments – Offshore/Aquarius (Dive 11) Reef fish assessments – Offshore/Aquarius (Dive 12)
  Sunday, 25 June	Weather make-up day or depart