Marine Lab Policies, Procedures and Protocols
Hazards and Safety -- Diving Policy
SUBJECT: Diving at the Duke Marine Lab
        Sport diving is PROHIBITED from Marine Lab property. NO sport diving is allowed using boats owned by the Marine Laboratory. Scientific diving is strictly regulated.* (See also below.)
To: Faculty
From: Diving Control Board
Date: September 25, 1995
We've begun a scientific diving program at the Marine Laboratory, for researchers and graduate students who need to dive as part of their research. Our scientific diving manual contains the requirements for scientific diving. These standards apply to any diving conducted as part of research for any person considered to be working out of the Marine Laboratory, as well as for any diving done off of Marine Laboratory property or boats, or using any Marine Laboratory equipment.
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Undergraduates are expressly forbidden to take part in any diving activities associated with the Marine Laboratory.
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Any divers must be certified by the Marine Laboratory Scientific Diving Control Board. Some of the requirements for certification are a complete diving physical, at a cost of about $500.00, current CPR,(which can be done here at the Lab) and a certification card to rescue diver or equivalent from a nationally recognized agency. This would mean that a diver would need an advanced course AND a rescue course beyond the entry level sport diving certification, the two courses combined will cost about $500.00. Divers are responsible to have their own equipment. The cost of buying all equipment, if the student has none, or none acceptable, is between $1500.00 and $2000.00. Certification to scientific diver status requires demonstrated diving proficiency.
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Copies of the Scientific Diving Manual are available from Mark Hooper (mhooper@coastalnet.com)
Please inform any graduate students or potential graduate students who mention possible diving that they will have to conform to all standards in our Scientific Diving Manual. If a student is not certified by our program and collects data through diving activities, then these data cannot be used for their dissertation or thesis at Duke University.