Training launch for shallow water dive system

This is possible because Microdivers go no deeper than 9m, so less training is required to dive safely. Diving in shallow water where it is brighter and warmer with more sea life appeals to many and this is expected to make the activity attractive to a wide range of people.

The new Microdive training programme is a dramatic contrast to traditional scuba training courses which are notable for their high cost and the length of time needed to complete them. The at-home study programme can usually be completed in one evening, after which a potential Microdiver can become fully qualified following one day of in-water practical sessions. The Microdive programme materials cost just £79.95. The in-pool practical assessment costs £85.00 and the final qualification dives cost £85.00.

The Microdiving course has been created by Robert Hart, a highly qualified diving instructor who invented the unique and technically advanced Mini B shallow water scuba system ten years ago. ‘Our new Microdiving course will open-up the undersea world to a huge range of people who miight never have considered it accessible before, he said. ‘Because Microdivers do not dive for extended periods or go below nine metres, the problems of decompression cannot arise, so it is much simpler to learn. Boat and workboat owners will benefit from being able to safely inspect the underside of their boats, free fouled propellors and anchors or retrieve something lost overboard.’

Despite its brevity, the Microdive programme does not skimp on safety. It has been developed in close conjunction with the UK Health and Safety Executive which recognises that anyone completing the training successfully will be fully competent to dive safely in shallow water using Mini B equipment. This differs from traditional scuba gear through its convenience, practicality and lower cost. The entire system is contained fully assembled with its own buoyancy control device within a rucksac that can be stored ready for immediate use. The standard five-litre air tank enables around 20 minutes of diving at full Microdive depth and top of the range models are also available with larger tanks if desired.

Microdive qualification begins with the purchase of a training package that contains a comprehensive manual, an accompanying DVD that shows the techniques, a log book and all of the necessary instructional and registration papers needed for the course, contained within a zipper wallet. Students are then free to take as long as they wish to work through the knowledge base but someone keen might accomplish it in an evening. Students must then complete a quiz by answering 95 multiple choice questions that test their comprehension of what they have seen and read. Students can then ask any qualified instructor to review the quiz answers, conduct the skills assessment in a pool and supervise three qualification dives in unconfined water. The course pack also contains explanation and guidance for any instructor unfamiliar with Microdive training and will reassure them that they are fully competent to take on the student.