Life Support

More people are diving with enriched air and this means the demand for enriched air fills is also increasing. However, there needs to be someone qualified to administer these fills to meet this demand. This is where the Nitrox Gas Blender course comes in. The Nitrox Gas Blender course will train you as a qualified gas blender, allowing you to provide gas mixes to appropriately certified consumers. You'll learn the physical properties of oxygen, its associated hazards, handling requirements and what cleaning equipment and procedures are required for safe handling. Finally, you will learn the five methods of obtaining the desired enriched air nitrox mix.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 90% of all high-pressure cylinder failures occur during the filling process. Furthermore, the data shows that a major cause of cylinder failure is the lack of training, knowledge and experience on the part of fill station operators. Fill station operators are the primary line of defense in preventing unsafe cylinders returning to service; and learning how to fulfill this role is precisely what you’ll learn in this training segment. The knowledge and skills you acquire will include: Fill Station safety, design considerations, related federal regulations and gas & dive industry recommendations.

Don’t miss a dive due to a scuba gear issue. Whether it's a blown o-ring, regulator problem, wetsuit tear or a broken fin strap, you can learn how to manage basic scuba equipment repair & adjustments. As an Equipment Specialist, you are prepared for the gear maintenance, care and adjustments you'll encounter everyday. In addition, you'll learn interesting background information about how your gear works, how it’s repaired and other information that will help protect your dive equipment investment.

Building on the skills learned in other life support courses the Technical Equipment Specialist course applies the knowledge you have already learned and expands your skills as they apply to technical diving equipment. This course will focus on proper equipment configurations, equipment maintenance & cleaning, During this course we will cover the technical equipment setup from head to toe leaving no piece of your technical equipment setup untouched.

Building upon the Enriched Air Nitrox Gas Blender Course, the next step is taken in the TriMix Gas Blender Course where you will develop and master the skills and knowledge needed to produce custom gas mixes for technical diving that include helium. This course includes a review of academic subjects such as formulas, gas analysis, blending equipment, blending systems, oxygen handling, and the principles of helium. The Trimix Gas Blender course is designed to train qualified candidates to become competent in mixed gas blending techniques and equipment preparation for use with oxygen and helium.

This IVS-exclusive course builds on the theory and knowledge learned in the Equipment Specialist I program. In this hands-on course the students will have the opportunity to service and test their own personal scuba gear, including regulator, BCD, and gauges / computer. This course is conducted by certified instructors who are also certified service technicians for your personal brand of equipment.

This certification course teaches the basics of conducting the annual visual inspections of solid wall and composite SCUBA and SCBA cylinders. This course is suitable for those new to visual inspection as well as those who have been inspecting without formal training through its wide range of inspection subjects including damage limits, neck cracking, and laws affecting inspectors. Additionally, this course meets the OSHA and DOT requirements for employee HAZMAT training and attendants completing the course are qualified to conduct HAZMAT training for cylinder handlers.

This unique program consists of two parts. First, the DOT requires any employee who handles, tests or transports hazardous waste materials (which includes pressurized vessels and tanks) to be properly trained in their handling, use and labeling. The second part is specific to the testing of scuba and related cylinders, and certification is specific to the employer. That means that you cannot get certified one at one location then use that at another. However, it qualifies you to perform cylinder requalifications testing here at Indian Valley Scuba, and is an interesting program all around that will teach you the ins and outs of the Hydrostatic inspection process.

In the O2 Equipment Service Technician Course, you will expand upon the repair skills you have received from equipment manufacturer's programs and learn the proper techniques and protocols of preparing scuba equipment for use with breathing gases other than air. The course covers topics such as Oxygen compatible system components, cleaning chemicals, oxygen cleaning of cylinders, valves and regulators.

In the O2 Equipment Service Technician Course, you will expand upon the repair skills you have received from equipment manufacturer's programs and learn the proper techniques and protocols of preparing scuba equipment for use with breathing gases other than air. The course covers topics such as Oxygen compatible system components, cleaning chemicals, oxygen cleaning of cylinders, valves and regulators.