AI Exam [Archive] - BSAC Scuba Diving Forums

David Walker

31-08-2004, 22:16

With so many of us relying ever more on hardboats rather than
the traditional club RIB, is this too big a proportion of marks?

Possibly because its an area which isn't covered in quite so much detail at lower levels? Not knowing what is in an AIE I can't really say with confidence, but up to Dive Leader and so OWI a lot of the seamanship stuff isn't part of the core knowledge (ie you don't go in-depth unless you do certain extra SDCs) so possibly they need to test this a little more than it is proportionally...

That said, I think when diving from boats it is helpful if you're organising trips to have some understanding of the way it all works, rather than just relying 100% on the skipper - you might be asked where you want to dive, or people you're instructing / 'leading' on the dive may ask you, as an experienced diver/instructor, something about what they're doing etc.

I suppose its just a balance of what really needs testing, what areas are more complex than others (there is a lot more knowledge about seamanship than about mask clearing, and it will be assumed by the time you're doing AI that you know and can teach the more basic stuff without going very in-depth with it all. Think about exams at schools - a maths exam when you're 12 might include lots of multiplication and division - at A-Level, although they are both extremely important skills, they aren't really tested because its more productive to test the newer stuff: the same with the AI exam, a lot of the diving is covered in OWI etc, and so the stuff you might not have done before would take more space on the AI exam.

... maybe! :O)

David

nick kay

31-08-2004, 22:32

Sat the AI/T about 4 weeks ago - its basically split (as I recall) into 5 subject areas:

Diving
Boats, Navigation
Tables
Physiology
General

Yes, theres some "difficult" stuff in there & some esoteric/"where the hell is that covered?" stuff (and at least one out-of-date Q/Answer), but on the whole its OD/SD/DL/AD stuff - read all the books and you should be OK

Now for the Practical in 2 weeks...

iainmsmith

01-09-2004, 03:04

:=
:=Also a good few questions on boat handling, charts and tides.
:=

While we are on the subject.

Is the AI exam to ensure competentcy across the board or
targeted at a historical ideal of what an AI should know?
Reason? If you add up the marks, over 25% is allocated to
seamanship!

With so many of us relying ever more on hardboats rather than
the traditional club RIB, is this too big a proportion of marks?

Discuss

Yes!!!

FWIW, I'm an AD/OWI. My diving is primarily high-end recreational/low-end technical. Stuff involving twinsets and (usually) at least one stage. Hence I dive off hardboats. My Branch doesn't own a RIB, nor is it likely every to buy one - we have enough difficulty getting people through the diving qualifications without needing to get them trained up to drive boats as well (we are, after all, a DIVING club, not a boat-driving club). So when I'm teaching or doing a club-level recreational trip...we still dive off hardboats.

I did do the Boat Handling course with another Branch a year or so ago. Not having had any access to a small boat since, I'm completely de-skilled. On the basis that I've done BH, I could go on an AI Course, however until I get to Diver Coxswain, I cannot take the AI Exam. But to get to Diver Coxswain, I would need to stop doing the diving I enjoy and dive outside my preferred group of buddies in order to get the RIB-driving time and experience needed to attempt Diver Coxswain. The result of that would be a rapid de-skilling of my technical diving skills, which are the ones I actually want!

Why is the current "modern" instructor progression so heavily weighted in favour of small boats? There is no requirement in the instructor syllabus to be qualified to do accelerated deco or trimix diving, to be certified on rebreathers or even on nitrox. There is no need to be a competent underwater photographer or to be able to drive a DPV. Yet these are all DIVING skills. Instead, potential AIs are REQUIRED to be able to drive boats. Whoopee. Not.

Given that AI is increasingly supposed to be about instructor development and mentoring rather than the old-style Bertie BSAC with his red "Jacques Cousteau" bobble-hat, why this continued obsession with STUPID SMALL BOATS!!! AAaarrggghhh!

Iain

Gary Cameron

01-09-2004, 07:24

Can anyone shed some light on what the level of the AI written exam is like? What were the really hard questions? Is it based on the AD papers?
Any clues by someone having taken the exam in the last year or so would be appreciated.
Thanks
jens

I was told that the AI Theory Exam was based on ALL BSAC publications. You need to note every detail in all the Manuals (including the one that is out of print) and all the SDC material. I went through them all and made a list of every point. And they pick the most obscure details out of them too.

Know the BSAC tables Backwards and know how to plot a course with a compass. (Understand magnetic variation and compass deviation) If you have a good understanding of the 5011 then that helps.

The problem with the AI exam is that you get an hour to answer 60 questions i think and it is not enough time.

Gary

nick kay

01-09-2004, 08:17

Hi Jens

For some reason the forum wont let me email you...

Drop me an email / let me know your email address & I'll send you some stuff that was helpful revision work before I took my theory

Dave

01-09-2004, 08:40

Well put

Dave

Sean Gribben

01-09-2004, 10:44

Iain,
You do not require to be diver coxswain to do your AIE.

Sean

iainmsmith

01-09-2004, 11:06

Iain,
You do not require to be diver coxswain to do your AIE.

Sean

[Ahem]

Oh b*gg*r.

That will be me making a fool of myself, then. Oh well, if I'm had to do it, might as well have done it in style...! Got mixed up with FCD (though the same comments could be made about that, but that's OT)

Out of interest, then, how much emphasis is there on small boat handling as part of the AIE? In other words, if an instructor who has no access to small boats as part of his or her normal diving were to do the exam, would he or she have a hope of passing?

Iain

Richard Greenwood

01-09-2004, 13:00

Out of interest, then, how much emphasis is there on small boat handling as part of the AIE? In other words, if an instructor who has no access to small boats as part of his or her normal diving were to do the exam, would he or she have a hope of passing?

AFAIK it's a pre-requisite that you have done the Boat Handling course before you do the AIC & AIE. There is quite a large emphasis on small boats. Anyone without access to small boats should try & make sure they put some preparation in, then they'll have a reasonable chance of passing.

iainmsmith

01-09-2004, 16:42

:=Out of interest, then, how much emphasis is there on small boat handling as part of the AIE? In other words, if an instructor who has no access to small boats as part of his or her normal diving were to do the exam, would he or she have a hope of passing?

AFAIK it's a pre-requisite that you have done the Boat Handling course before you do the AIC & AIE. There is quite a large emphasis on small boats. Anyone without access to small boats should try & make sure they put some preparation in, then they'll have a reasonable chance of passing.

So, in actual fact, the general thrust of my original objection was correct - in order to become an AI and thus an instructor mentor, one has to demonstrate competence in something utterly unrelated (for many, and possibly most divers) to diving.

Iain

David Walker

01-09-2004, 16:49

So, in actual fact, the general thrust of my original objection was correct - in order to become an AI and thus an instructor mentor, one has to demonstrate competence in something utterly unrelated (for many, and possibly most divers) to diving.

Do that many divers really rely on charter boats now? All of the clubs I know of up in the North East have RIBs they use reguarly, many of them have two, and I know a lot of the divers within the clubs own their own RIBs too - often going out with my club up here there'll be 3 or 4 boats going out all owned or run by club members. Diving something like the Somali there may be anything up to 8 RIBs, but all summer i've never seen more than one charter there at a time. And looking around Beadnell near the tractor launch there are literaly dozens of trailers left, the majority of which are from RIBs.

That said, at my Uni club out RIB only gets used once or twice a year, although we don't dive a lot so don't use charters too much anyway, but I'd assumed that was simply because we are all so new to it (relatively) and so don't get into getting and using RIBs too much.

Is it so different further south, or are those who've been talking in this topic a minority?

David

benpanter

01-09-2004, 20:43

So, in actual fact, the general thrust of my original objection was correct - in order to become an AI and thus an instructor mentor, one has to demonstrate competence in something utterly unrelated (for many, and possibly most divers) to diving.

Hi Iain, I got my AI last year, under the new (2003-) system. I don't know if the written exam has changed, but the practical one certainly has. From what I hear about the old system there is far less emphasis on boat handling skills, although they are still there to an extent. The thrust of the new AI exam [to me, anyway] was more about working together with other instructors to get a job done, while teaching as much as you could along the way. The diving section took place off the shore and from ribs - had the booked hardboat not lost its engine there would be a component of that too. Knowing about boats and the associated bits and bobs helped fill the "teaching opertunities" boxes on the exam sheet.

Although I don't think an AI needs to be a grease monkey the qualification is meant to reflect an "all rounder" instructor, and I think a *basic* knowledge of boats helps there - enough to be able to go out in good conditions and operate safely.

FWIW, the AIC and, suprisingly, the exam, were great weekends in Cumbrae.

Ben

terryh

02-09-2004, 00:43

Do that many divers really rely on charter boats now?:=

Well considering that most of the charter books already have
many weekends booked up to October 2005 already, the awnser
would indeed be yes.

That said, at my Uni club out RIB only gets used once or twice a year, although we don't dive a lot so don't use charters too much anyway, but I'd assumed that was simply because we are all so new to it (relatively) and so don't get into getting and using RIBs too much.

Is it so different further south, or are those who've been talking in this topic a minority?

I dont see how being new to it makes any difference. We are
also a Uni club that trains hard in winter and does a lot
of decent hardboat dives from Spring onwards. We average about
20-25 Hardboat trips per year, with about 2 at most on RIBS
like Swanage Diver.

We have just finalised our 2005 programme which has bookings
for 22 days diving across the South coast.

Or looking at it another way.
How would you sell AI to an ADV/OWI/1000+ dives and years of
experience of teaching large numbers at all levels.

I have 3 like that who see AI as offering, well putting
it bluntly - zero.

Please dont think that this post is a plee to dumb down AI,
it's not. More that IMO AI needs to be more relevant to
todays diving.

Personally I would have thought that more on physics and
planning of advanced diving, including Nitrox, Deco, stages
etc. Maybe things like marshalling of SCR, CCR etc. would
be more advantagous than BH.

TerryH

David Walker

02-09-2004, 02:39

:=Do that many divers really rely on charter boats now?:=

Well considering that most of the charter books already have
many weekends booked up to October 2005 already, the awnser
would indeed be yes.

Possibly, but is that because divers are moving from club RIB to charters, because they are diving more often, because there are fewer charters around (unlikely I think), or because there are more divers around the UK?

:=because we are all so new to it (relatively) and so don't get into getting and using RIBs too much.
I dont see how being new to it makes any difference.

That was more referring to that we don't get out on the boat a lot anyway, so with the turnover of divers lots of them won't get around to doing boat handling because they're still concentrating on the basics - the diving. And I was also thinking along the lines of owning your own RIB - a lot of people at my other club have and regularly use their own RIBs, where as obviously being students, living away from home and who have just got into it aren't going to have something like that.

We average about
20-25 Hardboat trips per year, with about 2 at most on RIBS
like Swanage Diver.

When i'm thinking of RIBs i'm thinking club owned / run RIBs - ie ones where you need to have the boat handling skills 'in-house' rather than relying on a charter skipper, but I take the point.
Out of curiosity, which Uni club are you from, and what sort of trips do you do? Are most of those just Sat/Sun trips, with a couple longer ones outside of term time, or do you do quite a lot during holidays? Just curious since we tend to get one each holiday and possibly one halfway through each term if we're lucky - in the past we've had trouble getting people to go mid-term so don't tend to do that many, and 20+ a year seems like a lot to fit in.

I have 3 like that who see AI as offering, well putting
it bluntly - zero.

Yeah I know a few who won't do AI, just because the only thing they think they'll get from it is being harassed by BSAC to do instructor training and regional SDCs and stuff - whether they would or not I don't know, but thats the perception a few people seem to have since in reality all it will let them do extra is I think teach 2 or 3 lessons of AD. Someone else I know was trying to do it, but due to going away for work and then a lack of courses he didn't get the exam done within a year of the course so has to start the whole thing over again - not a particularly good way of doing it i'd have thought, since if he could do the exam what does it matter if he did the course 13 months ago instead of 12?

Personally I would have thought that more on physics and
planning of advanced diving, including Nitrox, Deco, stages
etc. Maybe things like marshalling of SCR, CCR etc. would
be more advantagous than BH.

Only thing to be careful with is the distinction of effectively 'Advanced Diver' and 'Technical Diver' - from the outlines, AD is based primarily on taking responsibility for a group, about planning, marshalling, and some wider experience. It's possible for an AD to have never done Nitrox and stuff like that, although in reality by the time you reach that level and are doing 10 minutes of deco (which you need to do for the experience bit) then chances are you probably have. Marhsalling SCR/CCR could be difficult since that will be very dependent on the type of rebreather and so would need regular updating to be of real practical use, and there'll be few instructors who could teach even the basics about the full range of rebreathers available.

David

jens hucke

02-09-2004, 09:11

Can't access your email either.
My address is <a href="mailto:jens@jjhucke-dot-com">jens@jjhucke-dot-com</a>
please remove the nospam "-dot-" from the above address and replae with "."
thanks
jens

Matts

02-09-2004, 09:37

Is it so different further south, or are those who've been talking in this topic a minority?

I can only talk for my branch located central South Coast and one of BSACs larger branches. Put simply chartering is more efficient.

1. Mooring fees - they are damn expensive down this way. A marina mooring would add about 20 quid a year to every members subs. Slipway fees, harbour dues and parking charges at the slips also add to the burden. Unfortunately the local councils appear to regard anyone with a boat as a money tree. IMVHO they are more interested in appealing to and fleecing the Gin Palace brigade, than trying to keep this Country's maritime heritage alive.

2. Fuel costs - once you are more than a couple miles offshore the fuel costs exceed the charter costs.

3. Members time - people do not have the time to spare for diving off the club RHIB. We often get newer members wondering why we use charters so much, right up until they actually try taking the boat out and realise that it is a 14 hour day for mediocre diving.

4. Organisational time - it takes the same effort to organise five people on the club RHIB as 12 on a charter. We have no shortage of people wanting to dive. We do have a shortage of people willing to organise dives. You can also factor in weather as a small RHIB is not as seaworthy as a charter so plans involving the club RHIB are more likely to get scrubbed due to adverse weather.

5. Safety - mainstream diving appears to be getting more adventurous. A club RHIB is not exactly the best platform for operating several miles offshore, with divers routinely making lengthy decompression stops.

We still have a RHIB which is used regularly by a small minority of err 'cost sensitive' members. The costs of running the RHIB are subsidised by the majority that don't use it. We justify keeping a boat as a training aid, and of course a benefit for anyone that can be bothered to take it out. At some point I suspect that the majority will question why they are paying for something they never use.

Regards
MattS

Khaled Alwassia

02-09-2004, 09:54

Terry,
like often before I agree with you 100%.

Let think about all the club out of the UK. Here in Saudi the only allowed use for rib is as a tender for a large yacht. They are not allowed to go out to sea. All diving is done from commercial or private hard boats, so how shall anyone get the hours in to practice or get the necessary experience?
Do not get me wrong i think that an ADI should know all about using boats but i do not agree that it should be such a large part of the exam. Requiering a RYA or SDC (with exam) certification would work better as than the potential ADI can concentrate on the core knowlede, i.e. Teaching Diving, marshalling and guiding divers to new hights.
At least that is what i beleave a ADI's role should be.

nick kay

02-09-2004, 11:11

Hi Jens

You should have recd an email from me

Richard Greenwood

02-09-2004, 12:29

So, in actual fact, the general thrust of my original objection was correct - in order to become an AI and thus an instructor mentor, one has to demonstrate competence in something utterly unrelated (for many, and possibly most divers) to diving.

Iain

In theory an AI is capable of teaching any BSAC member in any BSAC branch. Therefore it is perfectly feasible that you may end up teaching small boat handling in a Branch that still uses RIBs. I don't think it's too much to ask that you have a basic abililty in using small boats if you want to teach to this level.

When I completed my AI exam the requirement for boat handling was not compulsory.

There is no compulsion to become an instructor mentor. I have been an AI for a number of years, and have never been pressurised to get involved in this.

Richard Greenwood

02-09-2004, 12:51

Duplicate post. Sorry.

iainmsmith

02-09-2004, 14:48

:=So, in actual fact, the general thrust of my original objection was correct - in order to become an AI and thus an instructor mentor, one has to demonstrate competence in something utterly unrelated (for many, and possibly most divers) to diving.
:=
In theory an AI is capable of teaching any BSAC member in any BSAC branch. Therefore it is perfectly feasible that you may end up teaching small boat handling in a Branch that still uses RIBs. I don't think it's too much to ask that you have a basic abililty in using small boats if you want to teach to this level.

If someone came to teach in my Branch, I wouldn't expect them to drive the charter boat. Neither would I necessarily expect them to be the one driving to the quarry. Neither of these are assessed in AIE, so why the difference for small boats?

If I'm organising a trip using small boats, I'll arrange to have someone competent along to drive it. I don't need to be able to drive one to be competent to teach from one.

I don't see why an AI should need to be able to teach small boat handling any more than underwater photography or Advanced Nitrox. They're different aspects of diving (and both actually involve getting wet!), but they don't feature on the AI syllabus.

If a Branch needs someone to be able to teach small boat handling then this is something they can arrange internally or by getting local help in. It shouldn't (IMO) be a key part of the AIE. One might as well argue that to do the AIE, one has to be a nitrox instructor, ERD instructor, ABI, First Aid instructor and RFA instructor.

I wasn't objecting to the concept of instructor mentoring. My impression is that this is increasingly what the AIC and AIE are training instructors to do. I think this is a good thing.

My point is that there is a barrier preventing progression to AI by divers who don't have regular access to and use of small boats. Obviously the instructor must be safe to teach from those boats, but that's not quite the same as being able to drive them.

Regards,

Iain

terryh

03-09-2004, 11:51

Possibly, but is that because divers are moving from club RIB to charters, because they are diving more often, because there are fewer charters around (unlikely I think), or because there are more divers around the UK?

I think it's more a realisation that the gap between a so called
cheap RIB and a hardboat has been eroded to the point where
there is very little advantage. Often clubs can only run a RIB
because of the commitment of maybe just one member to maintain
it.

what sort of trips do you do? Are most of those just Sat/Sun trips, with a couple longer ones outside of term time, or do you do quite a lot during holidays? Just curious since we tend to get one each holiday and possibly one halfway through each term if we're lucky - in the past we've had trouble getting people to go mid-term so don't tend to do that many, and 20+ a year seems like a lot to fit in.

From October- Easter we are a Training club and do the usual
round of quarries etc. This also includes foreign holidays in
Dec & Feb.
From Easter we turn into a dive club and run 3/4 weekend trips,
usually Weymouth or maybe Plymouth. The rest will be single
Sat or Sun upto the end of Sept with a lot of midweek stuff
around May/June.

Our aim is to have at least one club organised trip every
fortnight (unsurprisingly around neaps), which leaves the
other weekends for individual dives.

What sort of trips?
Well off the top of my head, in the the last 12 months.
Pomaranian, Warwick Deeping, St.Dunstan, Luis, Boxer,
P12, Camswan, Salsette, U90, U1195, UB81, Highland Brigade,
Landing Craft, Prince Leopold, Bennijk, Gertrude, James Fennel,
Fenna, Frognor, Camberwell + lots more I've forgotten and many
fish-prodder dives/drifts.

Yeah I know a few who won't do AI, just because the only thing they think they'll get from it is being harassed by BSAC to do instructor training and regional SDCs and stuff - whether they would or not I don't know, but thats the perception a few people seem to have since in reality all it will let them do extra is I think teach 2 or 3 lessons of AD. Someone else I know was trying to do it, but due to going away for work and then a lack of courses he didn't get the exam done within a year of the course so has to start the whole thing over again - not a particularly good way of doing it i'd have thought, since if he could do the exam what does it matter if he did the course 13 months ago instead of 12?

It's not that they are worried about getting sucked into BSAC regional stuff, it's just that the exam doesnt give them any
real benefit or seem to be that relevant.

We readily admit we dont do boats as a club. We do however
teach/certify a very high level of students and do a lot of
quality diving. Does that make us less of an AI candidate?

If anything with the increased logistics and planning, I would
have thought it made you more of an AI, then somebody who
gained 25% of the marks by virtue of owning his own RIB.

TerryH

gridler

03-09-2004, 19:22

terryh

03-09-2004, 23:25

If the fact that being a boat handler is such an issue then maybe its right that you dont do you AIE. Boat handling is a SDC like it or lump it and the AI is being looked at to boss couses and not just instruct on them. I personally feel that the hard work that is required to become an AI is not reflected in the qualification. There was a lot of pain on my course and it was one of the hardest courses I have been on. You are right the AI qualification is not a great leap forawrd on paper but it is is if you want to get the qualification. I may be reading your post wrong but to brush aside what is a hard earned qualification is IMO offside.

NOBODY is saying that the exam should be easier and of course it needs application and work, but it also needs to be relevant.

On your Advanced Diver, (unless you were very keen) you had a
choice of BH or CPF and S&R, ADT or Nx. That means the vast
majority of BSAC Adv have missed three core elements! I dont
hear a cry of foul and/or lets have a full Adv. or part Adv.
depending on how many you did. Nor do I hear anybody saying
that there was any less work or commitment because BH was
chosen over CPF.
Regardless of whether we have done BH or not we are still
a full Adv. diver.

Now relate that to AI. I can excel at all the other disciplines,
but because I dive rather than crew the boat I am penalised!

TerryH

gridler

04-09-2004, 10:09

NOBODY is saying that the exam should be easier and of course it needs application and work, but it also needs to be relevant.

On your Advanced Diver, (unless you were very keen) you had a
choice of BH or CPF and S&R, ADT or Nx. That means the vast
majority of BSAC Adv have missed three core elements! I dont
hear a cry of foul and/or lets have a full Adv. or part Adv.
depending on how many you did. Nor do I hear anybody saying
that there was any less work or commitment because BH was
chosen over CPF.
Regardless of whether we have done BH or not we are still
a full Adv. diver.

Now relate that to AI. I can excel at all the other disciplines,
but because I dive rather than crew the boat I am penalised!

TerryH

I would be supprised if the vast majority of AI have missed three core elements. I did not do the ADT because I fealt that the course would not benefit me and my diving and the S and R I was an Army diver so it was again irrelvent IMO, Boat handling is a skill I would rather be on a charter than a rib but I know that I can teach both. Just because you dont use a RIB for your diving does not mean that we should not attend the course. I dont use charts does that mean I dont have to do a CPFC. Divers attending the AIE would not be heavily penlised if you work as a team then its the perfect teching chance for a skilled boat handler to teach a less expeirenced one. The AI is about a lot more than if you can handle a RIB that aspect is almost irrelvant so dont get hung up on it.

terryh

04-09-2004, 12:27

I would be supprised if the vast majority of AI have missed three core elements. I did not do the ADT because I fealt that the course would not benefit me and my diving and the S and R I was an Army diver so it was again irrelvent IMO, Boat handling is a skill I would rather be on a charter than a rib but I know that I can teach both. Just because you dont use a RIB for your diving does not mean that we should not attend the course. I dont use charts does that mean I dont have to do a CPFC. Divers attending the AIE would not be heavily penlised if you work as a team then its the perfect teching chance for a skilled boat handler to teach a less expeirenced one. The AI is about a lot more than if you can handle a RIB that aspect is almost irrelvant so dont get hung up on it.

Be surprised. Almost every Adv in BSAC has missed 2/3 SDC's.

Scenario.
BSAC change AI and say that 25% of marks are now attributed
to ADT. So you didnt do it at Adv. did you? Said yourself that
ADT wasnt going to give you anything.

So would not doing ADT make any difference to your skill as an
Instructor? Awnser no. It ONLY makes a difference if you want
to teach ADT!

So we have a situation where very competent Instructors who
have dived mostly on hardboats and simply dont get involved
with RIBS etc. are being penalised because they concentrate
on other topics such as Dive Planning/Nitrox etc.

Give me an Instructor that's master of one, then an AI jack of
all trades!

TerryH

iainmsmith

04-09-2004, 23:19

If the fact that being a boat handler is such an issue then maybe its right that you dont do you AIE. Boat handling is a SDC like it or lump it and the AI is being looked at to boss couses and not just instruct on them. I personally feel that the hard work that is required to become an AI is not reflected in the qualification. There was a lot of pain on my course and it was one of the hardest courses I have been on. You are right the AI qualification is not a great leap forawrd on paper but it is is if you want to get the qualification. I may be reading your post wrong but to brush aside what is a hard earned qualification is IMO offside.

I'm not sure how you read my post in that light, but please allow me to reassure you that there was no intention to slight the qualification in any way. The reason I'm discussing its content is because I'm thinking of doing it at some point, but haven't got time to waste by putting myself up for a an exam that I have little chance of passing because of not having regualar access to small boats.

Boat handling is a SDC like it or lump it and the AI is being looked at to boss couses and not just instruct on them.

Indeed. But it doesn't necessarily follow that all AIs should be able to teach/boss all SDCs. Otherwise there would, as I suggested elsewhere, be a requirement to be an ABDI, ERDI, etc, in order to be in a position to a) teach everything and b) boss everything.

Indeed, the stress on bossing the course is another reason that an AI should not necessarily be driving a boat on a course (whether BH or any other course). As you will know from your time in the military, effective command is exercised by stepping back and controlling, not doing everything oneself.

Iain

David Walker

04-09-2004, 23:30

Indeed, the stress on bossing the course is another reason that an AI should not necessarily be driving a boat on a course (whether BH or any other course). As you will know from your time in the military, effective command is exercised by stepping back and controlling, not doing everything oneself.

... although you'd really want someone in charge to have some idea about what's going on. Not sure how in-depth the boat handling stuff in AIE is though - is it tested both practically and in theory, or is it just seamanship theory questions. If its just theory then most of the stuff would have been covered in OD-SD-DL-AD, with a few exceptions like knots and things. If its practical then obviously you'd need the actual practice and experience to do it well.

David

nick kay

05-09-2004, 17:58

Richard Greenwood

05-09-2004, 19:30

Scenario.
BSAC change AI and say that 25% of marks are now attributed
to ADT. So you didnt do it at Adv. did you? Said yourself that
ADT wasnt going to give you anything.

If that happened & I was going for the AIE now, then I would ask to observe on a regional ADT SDC or even attend an event.

The major factor affecting whether you pass an AIE practical is how prepared you are. I assume it all depends on how much of an effort you want to go to to acheive a pass.

Just a thought.

Richard

Andy Wade

05-09-2004, 20:56

Two thoughts...

1. To teach on a BH course (I believe), you have to be an ABI, progression is therefore (assuming a minimum of OWI): BH, Diver Cox, ABI

2. I'm putting myself through the AI/E next weekend. I think I've only drive a RHIB once this year and have only taught off a Hard Boat. Does that put me at a disadvantage? I'll find out in 5 days...

Possibly, possibly not. It depends on what happens on the day.
For example, if there is a problem with a boat engine starting, and you know very little about boat engines, then you lose the 'Teaching Opportunity' to show what you know.
Of course it doesn't mean that you won't pass, it's just one missed opportunity, someone else may take it that's all.
That's not to say that everyone will be jumping in to teach at every opportunity.
You'll just have try and do your best on the day. You can't do any more than that anyway.
There are lots of other opportunities to teach, like pointing out how to use transit lines or how to drop in a shot line correctly.
This is the difference between someone who just scrapes through with a pass, and someone who shines, has a good exam, and makes the event fun for all the others too.
We had a lady on my exam who'd never been in a boat with a tiller control before, so when the examiner was diving, I gave her a few tips on boat handling. She managed OK when it was her turn to drive it.
There were no wrecks and nobody drowneded... ;-)

Actually to her credit she told the examiner about it after the day had finished and he said he was really impressed with her honesty, and that she must have been a fast learner as he hadn't noticed her 'inexperience'. She passed too.
At the end of the day, just do your best, make sure that you do well in your set presentations like the lecture, the shore diving session, and just do your best in the boat session. Support the other candidates as well as you can, you'll all have a better day if you try to work together and everyone gains.
Just show the examiner what you're made of! Teach well, show your enthusiasm for the sport, have yourself a bl**dy great time, and you won't go far wrong.

On an exam a long long time ago, I was in charge of a boat that ran really low on 2 stroke oil and the engine wouldn't run up to full revs, so we limped into a bay nearby and I swam ashore to get a can of oil from a roadside garage. I got the oil, and also four ice lollies for my mates in the boat, I got real big brownie points for that one as it was a really hot day.
I screwed up big style at first but managed to salvage something out of it and still passed.
You should have seen all their faces when I arrived back at the boat with the ice lollies! Big beamer smiles all round!

.

gridler

06-09-2004, 07:43

Sorry if I read your post wrong, I had great worries when I turned up at the exam and the vast majority of divers were Trimix and really heavy deep divers. This did not turn out to be a disadvantage as by working as a team we all taught the areas that we were strong in. The BH course is a very small part of the AIE. We had the vast majority of the divers on our boat were hard boat divers. Do not be put off by the BH aspect but be prepared in everything else. Teaching things like the compass SMB instead of the outboard will not set you back. The exam is 60 questions in one hour but to be an AI you need to have the knowledge. I found the theory paper hard but fair. One of the most usefull books was the Advanced sport diving manuel, and Lizzie Birds wreck diving as well as the sport diving manuel.

David J Smith

06-09-2004, 19:30

Paul Beal

09-09-2004, 12:28

I passed my AIE back in June of this year. Our club does not have a RHIB and we do most of our diving of of hard boats. I have also not done my ADT SDC and by BH was an RYA cross over.

My opinion on this is that if you have confidence in the ability to find a wreck/dive site, drop a shot and then run diving from the platform you are given you will be absolutely fine - even shadowing a skipper on a hard boat when he is shotting will be fine to get some knowledge on it - it isn't that hard!

The AIE is very much about how you perform within a group of instructors. We worked well as a team, I do not think any of us dived on RHIBs regularly but we handled this side of things well. Many AIEs are run from hard boats these days - the West Wales one that Nick is going on will probably hire a 12m RHIB which is perfect for the exam.

The key to the AIE is not to worry about your weaknesses but be sure of your strengths and be ready to hammer your examiner with as many teaching oppotunties as you can think of then lots more after that. I spent nearly 2 weeks altogether preparing for my AIE and as a result I merited my teaching and was told I gave a "strong performance throughout".

Also, AFAIK you do not get "badgered" into "going regional" I personally am going that route because I want to. You can easily ignore the odd letter you may get about it - if you really don't want to help your club out.

I have prepared some notes on the AIE if anyone wants to email me for a copy.

Paul

Dave Sydenham

14-09-2004, 10:50

I did an overseas event for my AIE (18 months ago)and never touched the controls of the RIB once. The exam used a RIB belonging to a Dive Centre therefore they 'drove' the RIB. The skills that are examined on the AIE aren't small boat handling skills as(correctly pointed out above) not all branches have a RIB. However, taking the opportunity whilst sat on a boat, of any variety, to teach anything to up and coming divers is a skill that is. So to enable you to do this a working knowledge of the items of equipment that we can encounter as divers would help. I would suggest that includes boats, both Charter and RIB. And if small boat handling is important to you or your branch then do you Diver Coxn and then ABI.

To attempt to answer the original question, although it has been answered roundly already, don't forget the book "Safety and Rescue for Divers" we had at least one question about the different types of shock from there.

Yeah I just did the exam at Cumbrae when we didn't drive a RIB at all due to some rather inclement weather! We did however have to instruct the hardboat skipper to exactly what we wanted him to do. There were still an awful lot of teaching opportunities to take advantage of and like someone else said, concentrate on what you do know rather than what you don't. I can certainly say I learned as much from the exam as I did from the course and probably as much from the other students as from the examiners, such was the level of knowledge of different people.

Teamwork is also really important on this exam and it makes life so much easier if you can work together. Fortunately we had a really good bunch who did just that.

In answer to those who are worried about being badgered to get involved Regionally, I would say, why not? You never know, you might enjoy it and from having been an Area Coach myself for the past 2 years I can say from personal experience that I have never run a course that I have not learned something from myself. I have also yet to teach on a course that I have not thoroughly enjoyed. I have got to meet some fantastic people, both students and instructors. Socially, we've had some terrific weeknds, and as a result made a lot of contacts and managed to get myself invited along on a lot of trips, etc.

You really need do only as much or as little as you want. One of the reasons I became an instructor was as well as the rather noble 'putting something back' bit was to become a better diver. One of the many reasons to become an AI and teach on SDC's is to become a better instructor. There are a lot of SDC's that you can teach on as an OWI and if considering going for AI, I would say do as many as you can as it is probably the best practice you can get. It also refreshes you skills and knowledge and ensures you are up to date.

For myself, becoming an AI is a lot about becoming the best Instructor I can be and for me personally I believe that involves gaining as much knowledge and experience of as many areas related to diving as possible whether or not I have a particular interest in them. It can be extremely rewarding. Well it is for me anyway. ;o)

Cheers!

Dave
:o)