IANTD
leader in sport
and technical diving education

IANTD Standards development Procedures

The IAND, Inc./IANTD Standards and Procedures are promulgated for the guidance of IANTD Professionals i.e. Divemasters, Supervisors, Assistant Instructors, Instructors, Teaching Assistants and Instructor Trainers. These Standards will be reviewed annually and when necessary updated based on recommendations by the Board of Advisors (BOA), Licensee Directors and the Board of Directors (BOD).

Instructors wishing to input recommendations on Standards may do so by addressing a letter to the chairperson of the BOA, which will be forwarded to all BOA members for their consideration. The suggestions are further reviewed by the Licensees and then forwarded to the BOD for final approval and implementation. The BOD reserve the right of final authority on Standards and Procedures, with all revisions approved by the BOD.

The requirements listed below must be adhered to in order to be a sanctioned IAND, INC/IANTD course. Failure to follow these requirements will be considered a breach of Standards thus denying sanction as an IANTD activity:

• All prerequisites must be met and documented by logbook, or verification by witnesses or notarized statement or other proof of diving experience. Prior to all dives a “briefing” must be conducted. Following all dives, a “debriefing” must be conducted.
• On all courses, including combined Programs, a waiver must be signed by the student for each course taught.
• A student must sign a dive physical anytime there is more than 3 months between training programs with the same instructor, or after a major illness or injury has occurred. A new physical must be signed every time a student enrolls in a course with a different instructor.
• IAND, Inc. / IANTD approved texts must be issued, used, and retained in each Program.
• All lectures must be completed and the written exam must be passed with a minimum score of 80%.
• Confined water sessions are to be completed prior to open-water dives being performed (or overhead environment dives, as applicable). The confined water sessions will include an introduction, demonstration and student performance of watermanship, skills and techniques to be developed during the course. When teaching a combination of courses, all the skills may be practiced in a single confined water session.
• All open-water skill training sessions and dives must be completed. Instructors must complete the watermanship evaluation forms in the Standards as applicable. To complete the course within the minimum specified dives, students must have an average of 8 points (out of 10). With 2 or more additional dives, the student may graduate from the course with an overall average score of 6 points.
• Instructors must sign student divers’ logbooks after completion of each dive.
• Depth increases in training programs shall not progress at depths greater than 33 fsw (10 msw) deeper than the previous depth in the course or the students deepest previous depth experience; except in the Trimix Program, where depths may be increased by 40 fsw (12 msw).
• A continuous guideline that allows for a safe exit at the entrance will be in place at all times during training in an overhead environment.
• The students must use all equipment minimums specified for a particular program until the completion of the course.
• All Program limits must be complied with.
• All diver performance requirements must be met prior to certification, as reflected on the student watermanship evaluation form.
• All IANTD Instructors and Divemasters involved in Diver Training Programs and Dive Leadership Programs/Qualifications are considered as representatives of IANTD, regardless of Agency Affiliation or Program.
• All Instructors and Divemasters must have IANTD insurance or provide proof of insurance by another accepted insurance program. Instructors teaching a class shall treat all persons diving under the instructor’s and Dive Master’s/Dive Supervisor’s direct supervision or escort as students. Specified student to instructor ratios will be maintained so as to include students and other divers who are under the instructors’ supervision.
• On any occasion a student requires assistance, the instructor and any dive master or dive supervisor will make every reasonable effort to assist or rescue the student. The instructor will be expected to continue an assist or rescue attempt until it is either successful or it becomes apparent that to continue will result in unreasonably endangering the rescuers life or endanger other students or members of the dive team.
• When diving offshore, during training the lift bag is to be used as a backup decompression or ascent platform and not as the primary platform, except in circumstances defined by the environment being dived in such as strong currents, boat traffic, or other conditions that would make the use of a float ball and ascent line impractical or dangerous. On drift dives, it is recommended that an ascent line attached to a float be used to provide stability for students during ascent. Only in situations where the circumstances of the environment or the dive make a fixed or drift ascent line buoyed to the surface or attached to a boat a less safe option will lift bag deployments be used as the primary ascent platform for dives deeper than 100 fsw (30 msw).

Instructors, Instructor Trainers, Assistant Instructors Supervisors and Divemasters not complying with the above requirements are considered in violation of IANTD Standards and Procedures. Qualification will not be awarded to students not trained to these IANTD Standards and Procedures.

Licensees, Facilities, Instructor Trainers and Instructors who cannot comply with or would like to request a waiver for a particular section of the IANTD Standards and Procedures, or have a specialized need to present material otherwise, must obtain a written waiver from the Training Director of IAND, Inc. / IANTD World Headquarters prior to teaching the program and submit a copy of the waiver to IANTD World HQ or the local Licensee Office for record keeping purposes.