Overhead Protocols

This three-day class takes place in non overhead environment (open or confined water but not pool), generally at depths of 30’/10m or less, and introduces the student to line-laying, line retrieval, no-visibility line following, touch contact communication & skills, critical skills while no-visibility line following, lost line, lost buddy and lost light. Once these skills are learned, the class introduces a series of simulated failures while on the line: out of air situations, valve failures, etc. These are tested to a level 2 (similar to that of Tech 2 skills) but complicated by the necessity of staying on a line and simulating the need to navigate back to open water.

Completion of this class qualifies a diver to move on to UTD Wreck 1 or UTD Cave 1, each of which is another three-day class that takes place in the actual overhead environment. If a student wishes to complete both Wreck 1 and Cave 1, he/she will not need to repeat the Overhead Protocols class, eliminating the repetition of the line skills. Both Wreck 1 and Cave 1 contain a complete review of line procedures in case there is a time gap between the Overhead Protocols class and Wreck 1 or Cave 1.

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