A BSAC Ocean Diver is a diver who is competent in conduct dives with another Ocean Diver or with a Sports Diver, within the restrictions of the conditions already encountered during their training. They can conduct dives with a Dive Leader or higher grade, to expand their experience beyond the conditions encountered during their training, under the supervision of a Dive Manager.

Ocean Divers are initially restricted to the maximum depth experienced during training, but this can subsequently be extended progressively, under the supervision of a Nationally Qualified Instructor (NQI), to a maximum of 20m.

They may use breathing gas mixes of Air, Nitrox32 or Nitrox36, but may not conduct dives requiring mandatory decompression stops.

Ocean Divers must conduct dives within BSAC safe diving recommendations.

Ocean Divers must conduct dives only where other divers, capable of providing assistance and rescue, are available at the surface, and only under the on-site supervision of a Dive Manager with respect to site selection, conditions, and dive plan.

The Ocean Diver course consists of :

• Basic swimming assessment
• 7 Classroom lessons
• 5 Sheltered water (pool) lessons
• Theory assessment
• 4/5 Open water lessons/dives
• a minimum of 120 minutes underwater time

Open water diving should encompass experience of at least four of the following: shore dive, dive using a breathing gas mix of Nitrox32 or Nitrox36, low (2-4m) visibility dive, drift (0.25-0.5kn) dive, small boat dive, large boat dive, wall dive, dive in protective clothing.