Education and 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. 

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Research Diving

Scientific Diving is a valuable tool to conduct undersea research by gathering observations and data underwater. URI divers are engaged in research around the world covering multiple disciplines from marine biology, ecology, oceanography, archaeology, ocean engineering and conservation. URI is an organizational member of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences and has modeled its program after these standards. Scientific diving operations take place under the direction of the Diving Safety Officer (DSO) with oversight of a Diving Control Board (DCB). Divers must be authorized prior to taking part in scientific diving activities on behalf of URI. Please refer to the 2020 Diving Research & Safety Program: Program Report and Strategic Plan for detailed information on current statistics and future objectives.

Anyone interested in conducting underwater research should already hold a basic open water scuba diver certification. The next step is to enroll in AFS 433 or the not-for-credit Research Diving Methods course offered each May. Please note that additional paperwork is required and must be submitted to the DSO upon enrollment:

• AAUS Medical Evaluation of Fitness for SCUBA Diving (or equivalent) – to be completed by physician familiar with diving medicine – a diving medical is current for 5 years if under the age of 40, 3 years if over the age of 40, and 2 years if over the age of 60. URI Health Services is capable of conducting this exam for students only.
• Diving certification card from recognized agency (please send any and all certifications available)
• Proof of current dive accident insurance (e.g. DAN membership and insurance)
• URI will provide diving equipment except in the situation of unusual sizing circumstances. If personal diving equipment (regulators and BCDs only) will be used, please ensure that equipment has been properly serviced or purchased in the last 12 months. Verification such as a copy of the receipt of service or purchase must be submitted to the DSO.
• Completed URI waivers: statement of safe diving practices and waiver release.
• All participants will be required to pass a swim test (typically on the 1^st day of class) prior to participating in research diving activities. Please refer to the URI Dive Safety Manual for specifics.

If you have been previously qualified at another institution, please request that a training verification letter be sent from that institution directly to the URI DSO.

For information regarding planning a research diving project or the compliance process, please refer to the Research Diving Protocol.

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Diving Protocol

URI’s Diving Safety Program provides a support center for faculty, staff and students to facilitate fieldwork using scuba diving or other diving technologies. All operations follow standards per the American Academy of Underwater Sciences and URI Dive Safety Manual. Program personnel are well networked with local and regional experts in the field and can facilitate program development efforts for more technical or specialized projects. Please contact the URI Diving Safety Officer (DSO) if further dive training or consultation is required for a project.

When planning a project:

• Please refer to the URI Dive Safety Manual v2019 (link here) for specific information regarding URI and AAUS standards and regulations. All standards must be followed to fulfill the requirements of the OSHA Scientific Diving Exemption. 
• Lead divers should submit a dive plan. (Please refer to the URI Dive Safety Manual for the roles and responsibilities of the lead diver.) Local dive plans may be submitted using URI Diving. (If this is your first time accessing this system, a new profile must be generated and approved beforehand at http://uridiving.com/newdiver.cfm). If travel is required, please use the dive plan template and email the completed version to the DSO. Tips for a successful dive plan can be seen here.
• Dive plans are reviewed by the URI Diving Control Board. Diving operations may not be conducted until the Diving Control Board has granted authorization. Failure to comply may result in suspended diving status or operations. Any dive plans including travel should be submitted to the Diving Safety Officer for review at least 3 weeks in advance. Local dive plans should be submitted at least 1 week in advance.
• All divers will be given a URI dive computer prior to departure. Approved dive plans should be printed and on-site during diving operations along with emergency equipment (e.g. medical-grade oxygen, first aid kit). Lead divers are expected to ensure all divers are fully briefed on diving objectives and protocols.
• If any issues arise with equipment, medical concerns, or other, please contact the DSO immediately.

All scuba divers participating in underwater instruction and/or research at the University of Rhode Island must adhere to covid-19 policies. In the event of a positive covid-19 diagnosis, please review the policy on resuming diving activities HERE.

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Dive Facilities

URI maintains a variety of infrastructure and resources for scientific diving. These include a dive locker at the Bay Campus for local scientific diving, a dive locker at the Tootell Aquatics Center for dive training, a vehicle to transport divers to/from field sites, and an NSF funded portable van designed to support shipboard dive operations aboard the R/V Endeavor or other UNOLS ships.

URI’s dive locker resources are configured to support from shallow training using conventional SCUBA to advanced modes of diving for scientific exploration. All equipment is maintained to high industry and manufacturer standards.