BSAC Diveleader Course
BSAC Training on Koh Tao, Thailand

BSAC Diveleader Course

There's no better place to make the step up to the first professional level in the BSAC system than here at DJL Diving Resort, Koh Tao, Thailand.

Our team of experienced BSAC Instructors will give you top quality BSAC training, giving you the knowledge, skills and experience to become a competent BSAC Diveleader.

Here's a detailed description of how the BSAC Diveleader course is conducted here at DJL Diving.

Dive Leader Entry Level | BSAC Sport Diver or Equivalent

The trainee must have logged a minimum of 20 Dives. These dives must include a minimum of 600 minutes underwater- logged time since qualifying has a Sports Diver or Equivalent. .

All Diveleader trainees must join BSAC.

BSAC Dive Leader Course Structure

The Dive Leader course consists of the following elements

• 11 Theory lessons and assessment.
• 7 Open water dives/lessons.
• 2 Dry practical lesson. (Dive marshalling)

Plus, there a further 24 - logged dives which must include the following types of dives;

6 boat dives
8 dives leading other divers
10 dives deeper than 25 metres.

Any of the above 7 – course lesson dives can count towards any of these 24 logged dives.

Once the BSAC Dive Leader qualification has been awarded, the Dive Leader, can then choose whether he or she want to extend their depth experience by conducting a further 3 depth experience dives.

This series of dives will be conducted in 5 metre increments taking the diver to a depth of 40, 45 and 50 metres. As some divers may not want to dive this deep, the depth experience dives are optional.  

So what is included in the Dive Leader Course?
The course includes all BSAC student materials, instruction and equipment

What is not included?
BSAC membership

BSAC Dive Leader course overview

BSAC Diveleader Theory Lessons

The Role of a Dive Leader (DT-1)

This lesson looks at the qualities and aims of becoming a Dive Leader, developing personal skills and experience, assessing dive sites, dive sites such as, wrecks, deep diving, drift diving etc. The dive leader will also be expected to be able to assess the different types of diving conditions for such dive sites. Dive site risk assessment, safe diving produces and effective dive planning. This lesson also looks at how the Dive Leader conduct and leads dives for the lesser experience divers, or and, leading more adventurous dives for the more experienced Divers

Resuscitation and Diving related disorders (DT – 2)

Lesson 2, reviews your resuscitation medical skills that is required by the Dive Leader. Topics covered in this lesson are “Basic Life Support” techniques, resuscitation priorities, procedures of evacuation and we look at the latest Basic Life Support ratios. This theory is followed by a practical lesson where you will put this theory into practice.     

Oxygen Administration Lessons, (DT- 3, to DT – 7) 

The next 5 -lessons all addresses Oxygen Administration Therapy, where the following topics are covered, The benefits of using oxygen has a first aid treatment, the variety of diving incidents where oxygen can be used, casualty assessments, the most common variety of oxygen administration equipment configuration that are commonly used in most diving emergencies, Oxygen administration in Practice; including the precautions when using oxygen, and the limitation of using oxygen.

Dive Planning (DT- 8) 

This lesson builds upon the divers existing knowledge and experience of dive planning and introduces the student to more advanced planning theory. The lesson covers dive planning for known and un-known dive sites. We cover Chat work and the terminology and the understanding of chart abbreviations, navigation techniques using such charts, tidal predictions, current information, and the use of a GPS “Global Positing System” , how to locate a dive sites, locating dive sites by the use of transits, weather forecasting, and the interpretation of weather charts etc. The student will also build on their existing experience has an assistant Dive Marshall by training toward becoming a Dive Manager.    

Rescue Management Dive Planning (DT- 9, 10 and 11) 

The next three lesson covers rescue management skills. As the dive leader will be one of the most experience diver within the party, the trainee would be expected to be able to take on the role has a Rescue Manager. The trainee would be expected to effectively control and manage a rescue situation, if such situation should arise. You would be expected to have experience in all areas of a rescue; from the prevention and risk assessment to executing a rescue plan which will involved the recovery of the casualty, administration of first aid treatment; including oxygen administration, recovery of all other divers in the party, recording crucial information such as, statements, dive profiles of the divers involved, evacuation procedure; which includes working with helicopters, and fully understand of the different helicopter lifting techniques and safety procedures relating to helicopter. Lesson, 11 covers the normal procedures which normally follows all diving incidences, e.g. dealing with the media, coroner’s procedures, courts and legal procedures etc   

In addition to the above they will also be some practical lessons, where different scenarios will be carried out. The trainee will need to analyze what actions to take, and then execute an effective rescue; covering the information learned in the above theory lesson    

The role of a Dive Manger (DT- 12)

The final lessons covers the role of the Dive Manger. This lesson covers the effective risk assessment evaluation for the dive that is to be carried out, the role of the manager before, during and after the dive, the construction of a shot line(s) and the different type of shot lines used for different types of dives, together with the technique of accurately marking a dive site with such lines, recovering a shot by the use of buoyancy and the use of lifting bags, dealing with other diving emergency, such as diver separation etc and actions to be taken if this occurs. The final part of this lesson looks at the next level of training which would be the Advanced Diver.

On completion of all the above lessons a theory assessment exam be conducted. This exam paper consist of 35 multi -choice questions

BSAC Diveleader Practical Lessons

DSMB / Decompression Dive DO-1

The dive follows a decompression profile where at the end of the dive, the student will be expected to safely deploy a DSMB in mid-water. Once the DSMB has been deployed, the student will be expected to carryout a 6 and 3 metre decompression stops. During the deployment of a DSMB; which will be deployed at a 4-5 metre ,depth deeper than the first decompression stop, the student will be expect to maintain his/her buoyancy within  - or + 2 metres of the deployment depth.

Before the dive, the student will have the chance to practice theses deployment techniques in shallow water under controlled conditions.

The student will also be expected to maintain an accurate dive profile, staying within the planned dive time and planned maximum depth.

Dive Leading Demonstration DO-2

Within this dive, the student will build upon the existing dive leading experience gained when diving has a normal buddy pair team. However, in this dive, it will be assumed that the divers, who are being lead by the student dive leader, will be at a lesser experience that the student may have previously dived with.

A duty of care for these less experienced divers will be expected. The dive will therefore be planning based on the limitation of these lesser experienced divers. Routes, dive profiles, gas management, maximum depth will need to be considered. Buddy monitoring and dive discipline will need to be maintained. The instructor will demonstrate how this dive should be conducted. The DL student will take on the role of an Ocean Divers, who will be conducting their open water dives form the Ocean Diver Course. 

Dive Leader Practice: DO-3

Dive 3 is a repeat of lesson two; however, in this lesson, the instructor and trainee roles are reversed. On completion of this lesson the trainee should show competent, confidence and the ability to leader a lesser experience diver. The trainee should also show themselves to be a role model in dive leading  

Shot Recovery by simple lifts: DO- 4

The theme of this lesson is that a shot has been dropped on the dive site however, it has landed a little way from the desired position. Rather than completely lifting  the shot, re-locating the dive site and re-deploying the shot again, a buddy pair will descend to the bottom of the shot line, attached a lift bag, lift and recover the shot using buoyancy and a lift bag. The buddy pair will then swim the shot over to the wreck where they can then secure it to the wreck / dive site. The trainee will get further practice in the use of DSMB’s and the lifting techniques required to complete the exercise.

Rescue Scenarios: DO- 5

In this lesson the student will be faced with a number of Rescue scenarios where the student will get the chance to put some of the rescue management theory lessons into practice

Diving and Rescue Skills: DO-6

As with each of the main BSAC diver training course, a full dive skill and rescue assessment is carried out. These skills are preformed at different depths depending on the grade. In the Dive leader assessment all skills are conducted at a depth of 15 metres. The following skills will be covered. AS “Alternate Supply” ascent from 15 metres to a shallower depth of 6 metres; both has a donor and receiver, mask removal and replace, jettison of their own and buddy weight belt (this exercise is carried out in chest deep water) and buoyancy check with low air contents.

Rescue Skills Review: DO- 7

This lesson covers personal rescue skills. A CBL “Control Buoyant Lift” from 15 metres, Rescue surfacing procedures, administrating Rescue breathes while towing the casualty for a distance of 50 metres, removing casualty from the water, administrating Basic Life Support and administrating oxygen enriched rescue breaths are all covered in this lesson.

BSAC Dive Leader Packages

At DJL Diving Koh Tao, we offer two BSAC Diveleader packages:

BSAC Dive Leader Package (A) | Diveleader course only

• 11 Theory lessons and assessment.
• 7 Open water dives/lessons.
• 2 Dry practical lesson. (Dive marshalling)

Course price 15,000 Baht
Duration:  5 - 6 days

BSAC Dive Leader Package (B) | Diveleader Course + Qualifying Dives

• 11 Theory lessons and assessment.
• 7 Open water dives/lessons.
• 2 Dry practical lesson. (Dive marshalling)
• 16 - Qualifying dives

Course price 25,000 Baht
Duration:  12 -14 days

Individual training dives or lessons can arranged, charged at 1,500 per dive.

Depth Experience Dives

During BSAC Diveleader training, maximum depth is limited to 35 metres.

Once qualified as a BSAC Diveleader, you have the option to make three additional 'depth experience dives', extending your depth rating progressively in 5 metre increments [40, 45, 50M] right down to a maximum of 50 metres.   

The depth experience dives are charge at 1,500 baht per dive.

Booking procedure

BSAC Diveleader courses start every day.

To book your BSAC Diveleader Course, please complete the following form.

Our manager will then contact you within 24 hours to confirm your booking. We require a small deposit [of 20%] to secure your reservation - details will be e-mailed to you.

If you have any questions or need any additional information, please e-mail them to us, using the space provided below:

Book your BSAC Diveleader Course Online: