2036 - UNDERWATER ACTIVITIES

Subject type: Optional

Coordinator: Lluís Albesa Albiol

Trimester: Third term

Credits: 6

• Catalan

The subject aims to provide the theoretical training to know and practice different underwater activities based on sports such as freediving and diving with autonomous equipment, in a safe and conscious way.

The practice of scuba diving and the exploration of the underwater environment as well as the marine environment and its specificities in relation to the human body and our interaction with marine life are the object of study of this subject.

The course focuses on the most important theoretical and technical aspects in the practice of recreational diving. First of all, the students will know the necessary diving equipment and its use to develop this sport normally and safely.

The physics associated with the underwater world will be studied, how our body and diving equipment is affected by pressure, the physiology related to this sport and how risk situations can be avoided.

You will be taught to plan a dive respecting safety curves and avoid going into decompression.

Finally, the marine environment, its underwater flora and fauna and how the practice of diving affects the environment and how our impact on the underwater world can be minimized will be discussed.

Closing the theoretical aspect, the different paths that exist when choosing diving as a possible complete or complementary work profession to another will be explained.

In the practical section there will be sessions in confined waters and on the high seas where the techniques seen in the theoretical sessions will be taught and will be put into practice in the natural environment allowing the student to learn to move in the water and float, hold your breath, communicate with other divers underwater, and so on. in an effective, comfortable and safe way.

Once the subject has been passed, students will be fully trained as a diver, giving him an official accreditation valid worldwide that will train him as a first-class diver and can always dive accompanied by another diver at a depth maximum of 20 meters.

Topic 1. Light diving equipment

1.1.- How to select and save the material.

1.2.- The light equipment.

1.2.1.- The mask.

1.2.2.- The fins and the pumps.

              1.2.3.- The tube.

              1.2.4.- The ballast system.

              1.2.5.- The knife.

              1.2.6.- The computer.

              1.2.7.- The decompression buoy.

              1.2.8.- The lighting.

Topic 2. Diving equipment: contact with water

2.1.- Thermoregulation

2.2.- The wetsuit

2.3.- The heavy equipment.

              2.3.1.- Bottles and faucets.

2.3.2.- The hydrostatic jacket.

             2.3.3.- Instrumentation.

             2.3.4.- The regulator.

Subject 3. Physics of the diving.

3.1.- The vision under water

3.2.- Light under water

3.3.- Sound under water

Topic 4. The pressure on the body

4.1.- General concepts.

        4.1.1.- Pressure.

• Atmospheric pressure.
• Hydrostatic pressure.
• Absolute pressure.
• Instrument pressure.

4.2.- Pascal's principle.

4.3.- Archimedes principle.

             4.3.1.- Negative buoyancy.

             4.3.2.- Hydrostatic equilibrium.

            4.3.3.- Positive buoyancy.

      4.3.4.- Apparent weight.

4.4.- The laws of gases.

4.4.1.- Boyle Mariotte's law.

4.4.2.- Charles' law and Gay Lussac's law.

4.4.3.- Henry's law.

4.4.4.- Dalton's law.

4.5.- How the laws of gases affect our body during diving

Topic 5. Breathing and gases

5.1.- General concepts.

        5.1.1.- Blood and gases

        5.1.2.- Gases and fabrics

5.2.- Nitrogen and depth

5.3.- The partial laws of gases

5.4.- The decompressive illness

Subject 6. Planning of the immersion.

6.1.- Prior planning.

6.2.- Control of equipment and material.

6.3.- Diving planning.

         6.3.1.- Underwater signals.

         6.3.2.- Diving tables.

         6.3.3.- Diving planning with diving boards.

Item 7. Risks and Responsibilities

7.1.- Risks of immersion.

         7.1.1.- Injuries related to immersion.

7.2.- Problems during the descent.

7.3.- Problems during the ascent.

7.4.- Accident prevention.

7.5.- Accidents specific to the aquatic environment.

7.6.- Various incidents.

7.7.- Barotraumas.

Topic 8. Initiation to apnea

Topic 9. Marine environment

Other topics:

            History of diving

            Professionalization within the world of diving

Qualification system (Royal Decree 1125/2003, of 5 September) that establishes the European system of credits and the system of qualifications to the university degrees of official character and validity in all the state territory:

0 - 4,9: Suspended

5,0 - 6,9: Approved

7,0 - 8,9: Notable

9,0 - 10: Excellent

The evaluation consists of two temporary parts: a continuous one and a final one.

1) Continuous evaluation: the subject consists of two parts, a theoretical and a practical.

The theoretical part consists of 8 classes, which will be held face-to-face and one class that will be held online (Initiation to freediving).

Some work will be carried out (both individually and in groups) to assess the skills acquired in a specific topic (buoyancy, error detection, dive planning).

The practical part consists of 9 classes, 5 classes in confined waters and 4 classes in the open sea.

Attendance at both theoretical and practical classes is mandatory, and in the event of not being able to attend, the student must notify in advance citing a weight reason and/or a medical certificate.

It must be taken into account that in each practical class the knowledge acquired is necessary for the learning and safety of diving, which makes attendance mandatory and necessary. Medical or official justification will be requested for non-attendance at practical classes.

It should be noted that students who they will not be able to carry out / pass the practices in swimming pool they will not be able to carry out the practices in open sea and therefore they will not be able to pass the subject.

This subject is subject to the recommendations / obligations issued by the Ministry of Health and the Government of Spain according to the state in which the Covid-19 pandemic is in June 2020. In the event that the recommendations / obligations do not allow to do the internships within the quarterly term, these will not enter the evaluation and will be able to realize out of term to obtain the official title.

2) Final evaluation: to finish the subject, there will be a final exam type test that will collect all the syllabus taught during the course.

To be able to obtain the degree of first-class recreational diver the final grade of the subject must be at least a 6. In the case that the note is between 5 and 5,9 the student will pass the subject but will not obtain the diving qualification. You will also not obtain the degree if the average mark of the internship is less than 6 or if the mark of the final exam is less than 6, even if the average is equal to or higher than this mark.

You must have one internship attendance rate both confined and open waters of 80% or more , or otherwise the subject will not be passed.

Case of being able to do the internship within the third term:

Recovery: Within the same academic year, unperformed competencies may be recovered. According to current regulations, recovery tests are only possible if the exam has been suspended. If the grade is Not Presented, you will not be eligible for recovery.

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