Dive Research Education & Training

Training opportunities are available to enrolled students during the academic year only. All others may receive basic training through the URI rec center during the summer only.

Training opportunities include both for-credit courses and not-for-credit recreational and professional certification programs. All recreational dive training complies with WRSTC and Scuba Diving International (SDI) Standards.

The Diving Safety Program is capable of instructing the following courses:

  • Open Water Scuba Diver (Basic entry-level option)
  • Advanced
  • Rescue
  • Nitrox
  • Drysuit- students must provide drysuit equipment to participate
  • Night
  • Deep
  • Navigation
  • Marine Ecosystems Awareness
  • Diving First Aid, CPR/AED, and/or Oxygen provider
  • Research Diving Methods
  • Divemaster
  • Assistant Instructor
  • Open Water Instructor
  • Specialty Ratings for Instructor
  • DAN Instructor
  • Underwater Photography
  • Blue-Water research diving
  • Underwater Archaeology

All recreational training courses must have the following completed forms prior to participating:

  • SDI Medical Statement – If you answer yes to any of the items on the first page of the medical form, then you must receive a physician’s approval and signature on the 2nd page BEFORE your first class. If you answer no to all of the items, then you do not need a physician’s signature on the 2nd page. Please answer the form truthfully and get medical approval prior to the class starting.
  • SDI General Liability Release – When completing the form, the facility or dive center is URI. The location is Kingston, RI. The Training agency is SDI.
  • URI Statement of Safe Diving Practices
  • URI Diving Waiver Release.

For-Credit Courses:

Students/staff may enroll in for-credit options through URI’s ecampus system. The current offerings are:

  • AFS 270- Basic Scuba Skills & Introduction to Research Diving
    • Offered every fall and spring semesters
    • All participants will be required to pass a swim test on the first day of class and failure to do so will result in dismissal from the course. The test consists of swimming 200 yards (4 laps round-trip any stroke without stopping) and treading water for 10 minutes. 
  • AFS 395- Advanced Diving & Underwater Photography/Film
    • Offered spring semester and includes mandatory travel during spring vacation
    • Requires basic open water scuba certification as a prerequisite
    • All participants will be required to pass a swim test to participate, typically on the first day of class (with the exception of courses involving international travel that will be scheduled at a separate time). The test consists of swimming 400 yards (8 round-trip laps) in less than 12 minutes, tread water for 10 minutes, swim underwater for a distance of 25 yards without surfacing (typically 1 length of a competitive pool), surface dive to a depth of 10 ft without scuba, and transport a person of equal size a distance of 25 yards in the water. Failure to successfully pass will result in dismissal from the course.
  • AFS 433- Research Diving Methods
    • Offered fall semester
    • Requires basic open water scuba certification as a prerequisite
    • Required training for research diving to obtain qualification per URI and American Academy of Underwater Sciences standards. Please refer to Scientific/Research Diving for the list of prerequisites.
    • All participants will be required to pass a swim test to participate, typically on the first day of class (with the exception of courses involving international travel that will be scheduled at a separate time). The test consists of swimming 400 yards (8 round-trip laps) in less than 12 minutes, tread water for 10 minutes, swim underwater for a distance of 25 yards without surfacing (typically 1 length of a competitive pool), surface dive to a depth of 10 ft without scuba, and transport a person of equal size a distance of 25 yards in the water. Failure to successfully pass will result in dismissal from the course.

Other courses that might be of interest to certified scuba divers and include study abroad opportunities are:

  • HIS 396 Maritime History & Underwater Archaeology Field School
  • NRS 475 Coral Reef Conservation & Analysis
  • URI in Bermuda Program 

Not-for-Credit Courses:

To enroll in not-for-credit courses, please contact Alexandra_moen@uri.edu. Courses currently being offered are:

  • Basic Scuba Diving: TBD 
    • All participants will be required to pass a swim test on the first day of class and failure to do so will result in dismissal from the course. The test consists of swimming 200 yards (4 laps round-trip any stroke without stopping) and treading water for 10 minutes.
    • More Information about this Course.
  • Rescue: Offered each May
  • Research Diving: Offered each May
    • Please refer to Scientific/Research Diving for the list of prerequisites.
    • All participants will be required to pass a swim test to participate, typically on the first day of class (with the exception of courses involving international travel that will be scheduled at a separate time). The test consists of swimming 400 yards (8 round-trip laps) in less than 12 minutes, tread water for 10 minutes, swim underwater for a distance of 25 yards without surfacing (typically 1 length of a competitive pool), surface dive to a depth of 10 ft without scuba, and transport a person of equal size a distance of 25 yards in the water. Failure to successfully pass will result in dismissal from the course.