A study was conducted to investigate the effects of a hypertext - based computer simulation on the knowledge, skills and attitudes of students participating in a high school scuba program in Edmonton, Alberta. The study compared two groups of students: one which used the simulation as a supplementary (laboratory-type) activity, and another which was taught using traditional methods. The two groups received an equal amount of instrutional time. The simulation and non-simulation groups were found to be equilvalent at the beginning of the study with respect to age, gender, previous diving experience, previous computer experience, attitude toward computers and attitude toward diving. After instruction, the simulation and non-simulation groups were examined for differences with respect to knowledge, attitudes and behaviour, using the following measurement instruments: Knowledge: Marks from students' certification examinations were used as a measure of general diving knowledge. Attitudes: Students were post-surveyed for attitudes toward diving using a locally developed attitude scale. Behavior: Students were evaluated using a locally developed skills assessment to determine their degree of proficiency at out-of-air emergency skills. Reliability estimates for the locally developed instruments were .86, .88 and .93 for the diving attitude, computer attitude and out-of-air skills instruments, respectively. A series of t-test comparisons revealed no significant differences (p<.05) between simulation and non-simulation groups with respect to knowledge, skills and attitudes. The relationships between knowledge, skills and attitudes were examined using Pearson's correlation coefficient, and a significant (p<.01) positive correlation was found between the knowledge and skill measures, with r=0.69. A "diversion index" (DI=# of non-ideal cards in attempt/total # of cards in attempt) was calculated for each attempt made by each student on each of the scenarios. A pattern in diversion indices was revealed, and generalized into a model consisting of four stages: discovery, refinement, solution and exploration. This model is suggested as one way students may approach simulation learning. Six volunteers were interviewed to determine students' opinions regarding the effects of the simulation. Students stated that the simulation helped with the development of in-depth knowledge about out-of-air emergencies, but not with the development of out-of-air emergency skills. Students said that they liked the simulation and enjoyed using it. Implications of the study are discussed with emphasis on research methodology, diver education, and environmental education, and a number of suggestions for future research are offered. / xi, 142 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm.

In scuba diving any problem that can be solved underwater will be solved underwater. This helps to prevent a dive from being disrupted. If a diver is separated from the group and is unable to find the group within a short time both the diver and dive group must surface to find each other and rejoin. To prevent the separation of divers a Stray Diver Alert System has been devised involving wireless communication to track the diver's position relative to the dive masters. Underwater communication holds many challenges that are not found in above water networks. Through simulation, it has been shown that the communication requirements for the Stray Diver Alert can be met with existing technology and protocols. This has been done by evaluating the resolution, power consumption and physical size of the device for three different communication protocols. This has shown that current technology is capable of meeting the requirements of the stray diver alert system.

Recreational SCUBA diving has grown tremendously along most of the southern Mozambican coastline in the last eight years. This growth was not accompanied with management actions, largely due to a lack of baseline information and appropriate regulations. A number of aspects of the industry were thus covered in this study to redress this shortfall. Information was collected on divers and diving pressure in southern Mozambique using questionnaires and dive log sheets distributed through local dive centres. The diving pressure was estimated at 42 500 dives in 2001 and 62 000 dives in 2002, and occurs at about 20 dive sites. More than 50% of the diving occurs on five reefs, three of which were included in the study. Surveys using visual techniques were conducted on six reefs subjected to different diving pressures, ranging from minimal ( 6 000 dives.year-I). Divers visiting southern Mozambique were found to be mostly educated South African males in their 30s. They are experienced and committed divers, satisfied with their diving experiences in the area and sensitive to reef conservation issues. The reefs differed in benthic composition, with three mam reef groups identified through multivariate analysis. All were typified by prolific soft corals but one included an abundance of branching Acropora and the other an abundance of foliose hard corals, thus differentiating the three groups. Reef fish communities also differed among the reefs. While prey species diversity was generally similar on all the reefs, two included high densities of piscivorous species. The present levels of SCUBA diving appeared to be having no deleterious effects on the reef communities, especially when compared to other disturbances such as storms and fishing. The sustainable diving capacity was estimated to be 7000 dives/year/dive site. The overall effects of recreational diving activities in southern Mozambique are discussed, along with future research needs and the management implications of the study. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

Title: Impact of stress situations on heart rate and air consumption under water Objectives: The aim of this labour is to determine relation between air consumption in our selected stress situation. Determinte strongest stress situation from our selection on the base of increase of stress indicators (hpb, minute air consumption). Next aim is to determine context between stress situation at beginning diver, their heart rate and air consumption. Last but not least aim of this labour is to conduce to optimal method and reccomendation related to safety and psychological resistance of the diver. Methods: In our thesis we used a method of analysis and a method of comparison. We apllied the method of analysis in each individual measurement and the method of comparison in part comparing each measurement together. Results: By measurements was found out, that air consumption is at different stress situations under watter dissimilar. There is also very wild diference between air consumption and heart rate at each specimen.. Like optimal method of psychological resistance of the diver was selected method of combination. Significant stress, was dive itself. The combination consists of training concrete situation and method of general stress handling. Keywords: scuba diving, heart rate, air consumption, stress

Title: Impact of stress situations on heart rate and air consumption under water Objectives: The aim of this work is to determine context between stress situation at beggining divers, their heart rate and air consumption. Next aim is to evaluate whole measurement and determine the most risky, by us measured factor, according to air consumption . Next important aim is to finde out, how similar are measurmnets of single targets and according to it eventuely determine optimal reccomendation leading to increasing safety of most parcipitators, and invividuals as well. And last not lest goal is conduce to optimal method of psychological ressitance of diver. Methods: In our thesis we used a method of analysis and a method of comparison. We apllied the method of analysis in each individual measurement and the method of comparison in part comparing each measurement together. Results: By measurements was found out, that air consumption is at different stress situations under watter dissimilar. There is also very wild diference between air consumption and heart rate at each specimen.. Like optimal method of psychological resistance of the diver was selected method of combination. Significant stress, was dive itself. The combination consists of training concrete situation and method of general stress handling....

Scuba diving has been around for years and has its origins in history many centuries ago. It has been widely explored and researched as a subject of scientific, medical, and recreational interest. More recently, with the development of sport psychology, it has become the focus of a few social scientists. This research is intended on making a contribution not only to such research in the field of sport psychology and scuba diving, but also that of discursive psychology. This study was executed from a discursive position, using ideas and methods from discursive analysis and applying them to the concept of diving safety. An attempt was made to view discourse as talk, and as such analyze talk as that what is being said. While most research on diving safety focus on how panic and fear are inner entities that drive behaviour leading to accidents, injury and death, this research wanted to look at those inner states as ways of talk and how they are interactionally constructed in talk. The context within which the diving course took place can be divided into three contexts, namely the classroom, the pool and the open water environment. Research was conducted within in the classroom and pool environment, and data consisted of voice recordings of natural conversations in the training context. This research wants to offer alternative explanations in psychology and sport, through explicating what subjects are saying, relating their talk to their situations and actions, and showing how specific situations incite certain types of talk. In conclusion, this was not only a study using naturalistic conversations, but also a study of conversations. / Dissertation (MA (Counselling Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Psychology / unrestricted

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Architecture

This qualitative field study is conducted on the Andaman Islands in India and focuses on the sustainable destination development and SCUBA diving tourism. The island in focus, Havelock, is an emerging tourist destination and an international airport is scheduled to open in the Andamans in 2021. The topic is approached through observation and interviews with people involved with the SCUBA diving industry, selected informants, and diving tourists. Different scales that operate with the island’s development - global, national, regional and local - are investigated. Global warming poses a threat to the coral reefs that is the main resource for tourism at the location and the longterm residents’ education in the subject is absent. The communication between state and nation is a problem as laws are passed without participation or awareness from the local community which makes it difficult for businessowners to invest. Furthermore, diver motivation and satisfaction are investigated. The main motivation of beginner level diving tourists from India are not educated in how the underwater world looks like, but are motivated to see what they already know through movies like “Finding Nemo”. The study reveals that a degraded coral reef does not affect diver satisfaction where the divers are not educated in how a healthy reef looks like. The local Marine Protected Area - Rani Jhansi Marine National Park - is in 2019 funded by the government and there are currently no entrance fees for diving tourists. However, this has been proved successful in other destinations. The Marine Protected Area is perceived as positive by the local SCUBA industry, but it is not interacting with its regulation and governing.

This thesis explores the role of comfort in adventure leisure and in recreational SCUBA diving in particular. In this chapter the study’s central elements of comfort, constraints and negotiation will be introduced. Human engagement with marine locations provides background to the evolution of SCUBA diving as a leisure activity. The concept of comfort is then introduced, with attention given to what comfort means from a range of disciplines. Following this, the use of the term comfort in adventure, leisure and tourism research is reviewed. Divers’ constraints to comfort are also briefly examined here in this introduction, to build understanding of how comfort can be experienced during adventure, and SCUBA diving. Leisure constraints-negotiation research is discussed briefly and linked to SCUBA diving experiences. The objectives of this study are then presented prior to introducing the qualitative research paradigm that guides the research, and the thesis outline.

Adventure tourism is a growing market sector worldwide including Australia. A range of research exists that examined participation in adventure tourism activities by consideration of various aspects such as socio-demographics, motivations, activity/setting preferences and involvement in the activity to understand the adventure tourist. While studies have been conducted that included several of these aspects, a holistic investigation of involvement, motivations and setting preferences together has not been conducted previously regarding adventure tourism in Australia in general and SCUBA diving in particular. Furthermore, in Australia, only limited information is available about those who participate in the adventure activity of SCUBA diving. The aim of this research is to investigate differences and similarities of involvement, motivations and setting preferences of SCUBA diving club members in Eastern Australia. In this study 294 SCUBA diving club members in New South Wales and Queensland were surveyed by utilisation of a web-based questionnaire in order to identify their involvement in SCUBA diving, socio-demographic characteristics, participation motives and setting preferences. Descriptive analysis was used to investigate the socio-demographic characteristics of divers, their motivations and setting preferences. Principal component analysis was applied on involvement variables as well as motivations to investigate the underlying constructs. Agglomerative and hierarchical cluster analyses were used to derive clusters of divers that differed in their involvement in SCUBA diving. Exact Pearson chi-square tests were conducted to test whether there were significant differences concerning sociodemographics between clusters. In addition, analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were conducted to determine differences and similarities of motivational components and setting preferences between clusters. This study found that SCUBA diving club members are a heterogeneous group regarding their involvement in SCUBA diving. Five clusters of divers emerged that differed in their involvement in SCUBA diving. While differences in socio-demographics across the different involvement clusters were revealed, they proved to be less valuable for interpretation purposes. Regarding divers� setting preferences, similar structures were observed across all clusters regardless of differences in involvement. Motivations showed a complex structure across the clusters in regard to divers� involvement in SCUBA diving. Based on the studies findings, recommendations for future research were suggested. These emphasised the need for a holistic examination of motivations and setting preferences of adventure tourists based on the concept of involvement, which would be important for theory development and segmentation of tourists. The same holistic approach would also be valuable for examining other types of tourists such as events tourists and heritage tourists to better understand tourist behaviour.