1. Are you good at any of the following skills and would you like the opportunity to explore your current skills and become a better diver?

Divers will participate in challenges that test their basic scuba skills including, but not limited to:

• Buoyancy Control and basic dive skills
• Finding marine life and underwater photography
  
• Diver Rescue - dynamic live action scenarios
  
• CPR and Oxygen Administration
  
• Underwater Navigation
  
• Underwater Mapping of a wreck and marine life
  
• Search & Recovery
  
• Diving Academics - physiology, physics, environment, equipment, rescue & dive skills, decompression theory and dive tables
  
• Dive planning and diving the plan
  
• Equipment repair and checks
  
• Advanced buoyancy control

2. How can I learn more about the types of challenges so that I will
know what skills I need to work on for participation?

We will be hosting Regional Challenges throughout the upcoming year. Attending Regionals will allow you to take a sneak peek at the types of challenges you will experience while rewarding you and your dive buddy and opportunity to get wet and earn FREE prizes at no cost to you. Divers that attend Regionals are eligible for an exclusive drawing that will be held at the International Ultimate Diver Challenge to win additional trips and scuba products.

3. What are the challenges?

We have the challenges designed and the following general information should allow your team to come prepared and ready for the fun! We will not give specific details as we need to leave some of the information in suspense to keep things interesting and exciting.

• Round 1 is centered on testing a variety of skills looking at the fundamentals of diving; ie. safety knowledge, gear assembly, water entries, buoyancy, lift bags, doff and don BC, navigation and rescue.
• Round 2 will focus more on safety drills and will involve swimming, rescue bags, rescue, recovery, CPR, O2 system assembly etc.
• Round 3 will evaluate the teams ability to plan a dive and dive the plan while underwater mapping of a wreck or specific area and their ability to identify stationary marine life and coral.
• Round 4 will involve locating certain items accessing navigation skills and search patterns in a current.
• Round 5 is a multi-task evaluation that will allow divers to delegate roles and responsibilities of underwater assignments. Visibility will become an
  issue; cutting tools will be needed; roll up straps will be used; swimming and pulling objects; equipment repair and photography skills will be evaluated.
• Round 6 is another multi task evaluation centered around situations that arise underwater involving the need for assistance from your dive buddy i.e. out of air, unconscious diver.
• The Final Two Challenges will be for the Ultimate Diver Team and is the most exciting part of all! Who will be come the first Ultimate Diver? The first challenge will evaluate buoyancy efficiency through a traditional dive -- and this dive will be video taped. Who has the best entry, who looks the most efficient, smooth and accurate under the water? All on video and judged by the panel.
• The second challenge dive will again be video taped but will center on how the diver deals with unexpected situations and emergencies under water. All on video and judged by the panel. The Ultimate Diver will be announced the following day at the all day beach party during closing ceremonies.

4. How much of my vacation time will be spent doing challenges?

The first two days, you will set aside approximately 2 hours for challenge time. You will have plenty of time and opportunity to pleasure dive during each day of the competition until the last two days when competition times and dive profiles will be more extensive. Once you are eliminated from the challenges, you will be free to FUN dive coordinated with your choice dive operator.

5. Do I have to have a dive buddy?

Yes, but you do not have to bring one to the event. Your application form will provide you an opportunity to specify who your dive buddy will be or we will set you up with someone prior to the trip. Optimally, you would most likely choose a dive buddy in advance so that you can arrange additional training courses through your dive shop/instructors and work on your skills. Regional events can also assist you in finding a dive buddy.

6. How will the Ultimate Diver Team be selected?

Divers will complete challenges in pairs of two. The top 5 teams will be declared the Ultimate Diver Team. Of those ten, divers will then compete individually to determine which one of the ten will be declared the "Ultimate Diver" as chosen by the panel of judges.

7. Where do I have to stay?

Our dive travel specialists will assist you in providing accommodation and dive packages. Some of the packages available will be promoted on our web site very shortly, so please check here often for updated details and/or call the Director, Pam Bertrand 816-765-7282.