Instructing Snorkelling - PebblePad GB · training. Such people would benefit from a compact course enabling them to perform the basic skills of snorkelling in warm water. This is

Dolphin Snorkeller Instructor Course

InstructingSnorkelling

January 2015

Published in the United Kingdom in 2015 Copyright © British Sub-Aqua Club 2015

British Sub-Aqua Club, Telford’s Quay, South Pier Road, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire CH65 4FL

T: +44(0)151 350 6200 F: +44(0)151 350 6215 W: www.bsac.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the British Sub-Aqua Club.

This manual is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the British Sub-Aqua Club’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without similar condition

including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

A big welcome to BSAC Snorkel Instructor Training Messing around in water is great fun and Snorkelling is even more fun. Just being underwater is a great experience and being able to see the varied marine life that exists is a thing of beauty and wonder.

Scuba divers use heavy and awkward equipment that costs a lot but snorkelling is easily accessible to many more people than scuba diving which means it can appeal to people of all ages. Learning to use the basic equipment allows you not only to see underwater but to breathe in a face down position and move more effectively through the water.

BSAC snorkel training builds on an established training programme that has evolved over the years to provide a snorkel programme which is current and provides high quality materials support the syllabi.

This Snorkel Instructor training event will fully equip you for teaching BSAC snorkelling and to contribute to your own continuing development.

Your instructor event, although intensive, will be great fun too. Participants report very positive feedback and learn many new techniques, for snorkelling – and life skills too.

Like all BSAC events, instructor training helps to fulfil personal development too.

I would like to warmly welcome you to the world of BSAC Snorkelling Instruction.

Snorkelling Instructor Chief Examiner, Margaret [email protected]

Dolphin Snorkeller Instructor Training Course

3Copyright © BSAC 2015

Dolphin Snorkeller Instructor Training Course (DSITC)These notes are intended for prior learning and future reference as a reminder of the key points and to the various sessions of the Dolphin Snorkeller Instructor Training Course. In order to help with the continued development of skills within BSAC Centres and as a guide in preparation for the Dolphin Snorkeller Instructor training session.

Further StudyThe Snorkel Instructor Resources:• DSITC Instructor Manual• Dolphin Snorkeller Lesson Prompt Slates• Snorkelling Games

IntroductionsWelcome to the Dolphin Snorkeller Instructors Course (DSITC). The sport of snorkelling as we know it today has its roots in the National Snorkelling Club originally founded by Lionel Blandford in 1974 and was intended to teach snorkelling to children. Under the umbrella of the British Sub Aqua Club, snorkelling has been broadened to included adults and offers an opportunity to observe the underwater world.

The British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC)BSAC is the UK National Governing Body for Underwater Activities. BSAC is the largest diving club in the world with around 1000 Branches.

BSAC responded to commercial requests for the sport by establishing a BSAC Centres system with over 120 schools & resorts in the UK and overseas.

The Commercial Membership programme for snorkelling is an extension of Centres system to promote safe instruction for this arm of the sport.

Snorkelling InstructionThe aim of the course is to develop Dolphin Snorkeller Instructors promoting safe enjoyable teaching of the sport to students of all ages.

BSAC also has established guidelines for teaching theoretical and practical skills for a variety of snorkelling grades.

The Dolphin Snorkeller InstructorThe Dolphin Snorkelling Instructor has comprehensive knowledge of teaching skills and the ability of developing and delivering courses in swimming pools, leisure centres or other suitable venues. This session should highlight the fact that a good instructor requires two basic groups of skills:

A) Effective snorkelling skills B) Effective teaching skillsJust being a good snorkeller is not enough - a good snorkeller is not necessarily a good instructor.

The need for Snorkel InstructionHolidays by the sea stimulate an almost irresistible urge in many people to explore the undersea world. Traveling to warmer climates has opened up the opportunity to explore warmer waters teeming with marine life but how often has the experience been spoilt by poor equipment or the lack of formal


4 Copyright © BSAC 2015

training. Such people would benefit from a compact course enabling them to perform the basic skills of snorkelling in warm water. This is the level of instruction to which this course is geared.

Self-study - prior to the DSITC

Although the Dolphin Snorkeller course is practical only, The Dolphin Snorkeller Instructor course comprises all of the Snorkel Diver course which includes the necessary background knowledge of snorkelling theory

To cover this, the whole of the 'Go Snorkelling' manual needs to be digested as self study in advance of the

DSITC. Also, this booklet - 'Instructing Snorkelling' needs to be read thoroughly.

There is a simple multiple choice theory test to complete too and students must bring a hard copy of theor answer sheet on the day of the event.

A theory knowledge review of this prior learning is the first element of the DSITC.

It is essential that instructor students have completed the self study and the theory knowledge re before attendance.

The DSITC Timetable

Timetable Activity Time

08.45 Instructor Brief 15 minutes

09.00 Introduction/Aims 10 minutes

09.10Equipment Dry practical with examples of various types of snorkelling kit

30 minutes

09.25 Theory Knowledge Review 30 minutes

09.55 The Snorkel Instructor 10 minutes

10.05 Teaching Practical Snorkel Skills 15 minutes

10.20 Planning & Preparing Practical Lessons 20 minutes

11.40 Break Move to pool 10 minutes

11.50 Pool Practical Skill development session 90 minutes

12.20 Lunch Return to classroom 20 minutes

12.40 Lesson Planning - Group tutorials 60 minutes (dependent on number of students/lessons)

13.40 Instructional practice sessions – mentored Pool 120minutes

15.40 Break Move to classroom

15.50 Teaching Snorkelling & Keep it Safe and Fun 10 minutes

16.00 The Way Ahead 15 minutes



Instructing Snorkelling

THEORY KNOWLEDGE REVIEWThe aim of this section of the course is to review your answers to the theory knowledge review.

TEACHING PRACTICESAttributes Of a Snorkelling Instructor

Whenever students seek further knowledge they turn to knowledgeable teachers of that subject and no matter whether the subject is academic or practical, effective teachers all have certain skills and characteristics in common. The object of this session is to explore some of those features related to teaching in general and specifically to the sport of snorkelling.

The following is not an exhaustive list but contains many of the essential qualities considered necessary.

SKILLS CHARACTERISTICS

Knowledge Enthusiasm

Fitness Patient

Ability Motivating

Organisation Calmness

Presentation Skills Empathy

Committed Helpful

Confident Extrovert

Adaptable Humour

Authoritative Role Model

Perhaps the most important of these is the skill of effective communication and the DSITC focuses on the issues associated with communicating new snorkelling related skills to trainees.

It would be a very rare person indeed who held all of the above skills and characteristics, however, by the end of the course most of the skills listed should have been practiced and developed. It then remains for you to develop you own instructional skills, recognising your own strengths and areas for attention. Remember, a good instructor must be able to do the skill and understand the relevant theoretical knowledge, helping others to learn efficiently. One without the other does not lead to good instruction. As an instructor aim to polish the skills and qualities that you already have, and to work to acquire those you lack.



TEACHING PRACTICAL SKILLSWe have already established that communication, both verbal and non-verbal is the cornerstone of good instruction. Let us now look at those factors, which contribute to a good instruction session.

Absorbing new information is like eating a meal; it must be taken one bite at a time and time must be allowed between bites for digestion. Break down the lesson into easily digestible components.

How we learn

By understanding how we learn, we can better understand how to teach: What is it that causes our trainees to remember the lesson, rather than forget it?

• Vision (75%), use of visual aids or demonstrations and the student doing - practice• Hearing, touch, taste (25%)• I hear I forget• I see I remember• I do I understand

Start Level • New SkillAbsorbed• New skill

The simple flow chart illustrates this point



An instructor’s presentation/demonstration of information is delivered in a logical sequence, progressing in easy steps breaking new skills or knowledge into ‘bite sized’ pieces. It is important to explain to your students what it is you are going to teach them and why they need to know it.

• Progression – starting from a known base and moving to a new step and continuing to move on once a new step has been achieved

• Assessment – the instructor giving praise when students achieve the skill and if necessary re-demonstration and corrective instruction

Planning - Preparation - Presenting

PlanningWHO

• Numbers, age level, any individual considerationsWHAT

• Aim – what skills to be achievedWHERE

• Shallow, deeper, visibility, easy entry and exit, other water usersWHEN

• Time of session, time of lesson, tides, time to meetHOW

• Instructor / Student ratios / availability of suitable surface cover

PreparingEffective pre-planning by the instructor

• The need for an effective brief (see SEEDS later)• Kit up and buddy check• Entry, move to teaching area• Main part of the lesson - skills including demonstration progressive steps and corrective

instruction• Move from teaching area - Exit• An effective de-brief.

Some snorkelling skills can be taught initially without entering the water for example the fitting and use of the mask, a basic understanding of using snorkel and fining techniques. The primary approach for teaching in water skills is for the instructor to demonstrate in the water and have the students copy.

Presenting the lesson - teaching snorkelling in the waterIt is important to choose the correct areas of the pool or sheltered open water areas for different surface lessons and consider how to maximise usage and safety of water time.

• In pools the use of lane markers to divide the pool into sections for different activities• The handling large groups by using wet and dry instructor• Managing reasons that require you and your students to move about the pool• The use of the BSAC material for guidance not as a rulebook



The Lesson• SEEDS brief a good brief is important.

o Concise, covers the essential pointso Delivered by the Instructor in a position which

avoids distractions• Kit up and buddy check• Dry run if appropriate• Entry

o Safe and controlled, relevanto Instructor demo and in the water first

• Main Lessono Safe and controlled, Instructor to be in a

position to watch, monitor and control students through out

o Clear, precise, slow and exaggerated demonstrations and signals.

o Appropriate progressive steps• Exit

o Safe and controlledo Instructor demo and then return to the water –

out of water last• De kit• Debrief - REAP

Debrief REAPReview• Recap Skills done emphasize

highlights and key pointsEncourage• What students have achieved

and done well, praise successAssess• Overall performances give

encouragement and as appropriate note areas for development / improvement. Avoid destructive criticism. Indicate how improvement can be made.

Progression / Preview• What comes next - maintain

interest and enthusiasm and explain what will happen at the next session invite questions or comments from the group.

The SEEDS briefSafety• Applicable to the venue• Applicable to the lessonEquipment• For the lessonExercise• What we are going to doDiscipline• Stay together, wait until asked to

‘do’Signals• Standard, Teaching and those

specific to the skills being taught



Lessons should• Be fun and adapted to suit the age group of the class• Avoid the class getting cold• Avoid boredom• Praise good efforts - be positive• Introduce and practice the concept of ‘buddy pairs’ • Stick to your planned timetable• Have a relevant next step ready in your mind or repeat steps achieved perhaps with a suitable

snorkelling game so you can usefully use the time if your lesson progresses faster than planned• Cut the lesson short, if running over time

Remember, its practical experience that is important, water time is valuable, so keep briefings brief

Effective Lesson Criteria (STEP)

All four of the essential criteria are to be present in every practical lesson

Assess your own performance.

• Did your lesson meet the 4 essential criteria?

• Safe; Technically Correct, Effective and Progressive. What did you do particularly well?

• What was not so good? What improvements can be made?

• Do you need to practice certain elements?

Start by looking at the areas that went particularly well in a lesson and continue to develop and improve on them even further. For areas which need improvement and development may be enlist the help of other instructor to give you feedback and to help with on going development and improvement. TEACHING SNORKELLING – KEEP IT SAFE AND FUN

Safety• Control students at all timesTechnically correct• Personal demos correct and

skillful with clear signal, ensure students can clearly see demonstrations and supporting signals

Effective• Instructor demonstrates and

students copy• Did the students achieve the

skill/skills?• Was corrective teaching given if

appropriate?Progressive• Skill broken down into steps• Skills build on each other in a

logical manner



This section looks at how to make snorkelling safe using an example in sheltered open water – but more specifically in the swimming pool environment and only highlights additional considerations in addition to those already considered for swimming. Advice on hazards is given and these hazards are then risk assessed.

This session calls for group work and will gives students the opportunity to share ideas and relate the potential snorkelling hazards for the environment in which they will be teaching.

Simple Risk AssessmentRisk Assessment is nothing more than a structured method to the identification of significant hazards associated with snorkelling and snorkel training activities. The process addresses these activities so that they can be performed more safely.

Risk assessment is a common sense approach process and consists of five simple steps that:• identifying significant hazards;• who or what is likely to be affected;• the risks associated;• the measures taken to control the risks and finally, recording what has been done.

The session demonstrates that the additional snorkelling hazards in a swimming pool environment are addressed by the Instructor lesson brief and by following the training programme.

BSAC has incorporated risk assessment in the training programmes for example how to approach the planning, preparing and presenting practical lessons. The SEEDS brief is part of the risk assessment. Further guidance can be found in The Snorkel Diver training materials, the Snorkel Instructor Resources (disk) and on the BSAC website www.bsac.com.

Snorkelling Hazards for consideration• Hyperventilation• Cramp• Pressure related red eye• The effects of pressure on the ears• Water in snorkel• Water in mask• Entrapment• Injury from equipment• Other water users

Dolphin SITC : Performance and StandardsDuring the practical lessons as you complete the skills required you will be monitored to ensure that all skills are performed with competence and confidence. If you do not achieve the required standard, even following further guidance, you will not be allowed to continue to the instructional practice sessions and awarded Dolphin Snorkelling Instructor.

There is some flexibility as to how the practical water session is organised. There may be one long session or more than two sessions if this is more convenient. This will be subject to water temperature and pool times. In sheltered open water it is likely that two sessions will be run.

Water skillsPrepare and fit a maskClear a part filled mask underwaterFit and breathe through a snorkel tubeBlow clear water from a snorkel tubeBasic finning



Underwater finingSurface dive head firstSurface dive feet firstDisplacement clear snorkelAction for crampTired swimmer towStride entrySlide entry 3 points of ladder exit (if available)Deep water exit (if available)Forward roll entry

Adapting Lessons for Differing ConditionsThe sheltered open water lessons have been based on the most common conditions of a swimming pool containing warm water or in a warm climate with sheltered sea conditions. Dolphin Snorkellers do however, learn to snorkel under a variety of sheltered open water conditions which require different standards of protective clothing. Although the wearing of gloves will affect students’ dexterity and hoods influence the ease with which masks can be sealed and cleared, the impact of these will generally be one of increased time required. It is important that if there is a chance that a newly qualified instructor may find themselves teaching in an environment where extra protective clothing is required that they familiarise themselves with the use of any additional equipment.

Sheltered Water and Sheltered Open WaterSheltered water – is a well-maintained swimming pool or an area of open water which provides similar conditions. Sheltered open water is generally less than 4m deep, has a stepped or gently shelving unobstructed bottom of firm composition, has adequate visibility (minimum 5m), and is free from significant water movement, from either waves or currents

Thoughts for the Snorkel Instructor Practical Instructional Practice SessionBefore the instructional practice session, ensure that your snorkelling equipment is reasonably up to date, in perfect working order and ready for use.

Use the Practical Lesson Planning Sheet to help you plan your lesson.

During the session, co-operate fully and be helpful with everyone else’s lessons, and remember that in the pool, you are being monitored all the time. If you make a mistake, do not give up. It is unlikely that one mistake will penalise you. Put the event behind you and continue with a good performance. The trainers realise you are under pressure and nervous.

THE WAY FORWARDAs a Dolphin Snorkeller Instructor you are required to be a current BSAC member and follow the procedures of the BSAC Safeguarding policy to deliver the Snorkel Training programme.

As a BSAC Dolphin Snorkeller Instructor you can teach the Dolphin Snorkeller practical course.

Enjoy your snorkelling!

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Complementing the BSAC Instructor Training Scheme, this comprehensive manual is an invaluable guide and reference for instructors from any agency. It covers all aspects of effective instruction from starting teaching through to developing other instructors.

Essential reference for ALL instructors:

scuba and snorkelling

Retail price: £25.00 Member’s price: £18.50

Order direct at: www.bsac.com/diveinstman

British Sub-Aqua Club, Telford’s Quay, South Pier Road, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire CH65 4FLTelephone: +44 (0) 151-350 6200 Fax: +44 (0) 151-350 6215 bsac.com

Documents

Instructing Snorkelling - PebblePad GB · training. Such people would benefit from a compact course enabling them to perform the basic skills of snorkelling in warm water. This is