The International Diving Schools Association (IDSA) was formed in 1982 with a view to developing common international diving standards. It has established International Diver Training Standards based on the consensus opinion of its members. IDSA covers diving in for offshore, inshore and inland purposes. The Marine World caught up with Leo Lagarde, chairman of IDSA, who was recently in Mumbai. Excerpts from an exclusive interview:
Please tell us about IDSA?
IDSA was founded by the Alan Bax, an Englishman, around 28 years ago. He had a lofty objective when he started out to set up IDSA. He wanted to bring diving education in various places to the same level, and produce better divers. It started with the diving schools in England but soon diving schools in other parts of the world also were brought into the net. Now IDSA covers around 50 schools from all around the world including America and Asia. Everywhere, our goal is to provide better education. Standardisation of diving education is our core objective so that a person undergoing training in, say, Oslo can go to another country of choice and continue education. The IDSA regulations are easy for anyone to understand.
The aims of the Association were then, and are now:
To provide a means of effective communication between schools
To work towards common International Standards of training
To improve the quality of commercial diving education
To works towards improved standards of safety, emergency drills and procedures.
To provide a common and collective voice to Government & Industry on any matter affecting members.
To co-operate on matters which may improve placement opportunities for graduates
To promote any activity, idea or subject which may improve the international operations of the Association.
What are the challenges in the field of diving education?
Europe requires a large number of divers. The reality is that around 50% of all divers are aged above 40 years. Most are too old to dive. So there is a pressing need to have more and more young divers trained in the near future even as the old divers can turn into supervisors. This is the most important challenge for the diving sector.
What is the way to overcome the shortage of divers?
IDSA has little to do with that question. We are here to impart quality education in diving. We cannot do anything about laws governing diving. Moreover, the cost of education differs from country to country. Yet, it costs a lot in any country to get training in diving.
In some countries, the government subsidises diving education and you will need to repay the amount later. We try to give relevant advice to people whenever it is possible.
Having said this, I must say that there is only one answer. Make good schools, get good quality trainers, and provide good quality education. This is the only way to overcome the shortage, if any, of divers.
In which segment of diving does the scope for job remains largest?
It is undoubtedly the bell divers who are in most demand. Bell divers go up to the depth of 50 metres. In Europe, robots also are used for diving. This is because diving operations involve a lot of cost and using robots for diving is cheaper, safer, and is devoid of other hassles like compression. In countries like Europe, ROV is used widely for diving purposes. ROV goes down, takes photographs of the ship and repairs the problems.
What is your view on the quality of diving education in India?
I have not seen many Indian divers. I am yet to see how diving is practised by companies in India. All that I can say is that we are all for safety of divers.
What is the difference between IDSA and IMCA as far as best practices in diving are concerned?
INCA is for regulation of the industry. IDSA, on the other hand, is an independent organisation dedicated for lifting the level of education provided by diving schools across the world.
What are your strategies to expand your activities?
We have a good set of rules and, yes, we want to push them. Different Governments accept IDSA's standards in their countries.
In the most Scandinavion countrys has accepted our standards. We have spoken to the Danish government about their marine and civilian diving standards.
We want to do this everywhere in the world. We are going to inspect schools in Morocco and a lot of another places soon.
IDSA: 28 years of glorious service
The International Diving Schools Association (IDSA) was formed in 1982 with the primary purpose of developing common International Diving Standards.
The Association is concerned with all divers - Offshore, Inshore and Inland - as well as specialist non-diving qualifications e.g. Supervisor, DMT and LST. It has already established International Diver Training Standards (details in the publications page) based on the consensus opinion of its many members. The Standards provide both a yardstick for those responsible for either administering existing National Standards or creating new ones, and a guide for Clients, Diving Contractors and Divers themselves. It is considered that the introduction of these internationally agreed diver training standards will have the effect of:
Improving Safety
Providing Contractors with a direct input to the Diver Training Syllabus
Enabling Contractors to bid across National Borders on a more even playing field
Improving Diver quality
Providing Divers with greater Job Opportunities
Some governments have and will, set their own National diver training requirements. The IDSA programme provides a means of equating National Standards by maintaining a Table of Equivalence. Specialist standards are currently under development. Slowly, since its inception, the Association has grown and matured - as has the Diving Industry - and now the membership comprises Military, State Owned, and Private Schools, which generally exist separately but can, in some Countries, be found in combination. It is on the exceptional spread of experience, going back over many years that the work of the Association is based.
It should be noted that the aim has been to create International Diving Standards which provide a yardstick against which those responsible for National Standards - Governments Institutions, Clients, Diving Contractors and Divers themselves - can equate their own standards and, in those countries where National Standards do not exist, they can be used as a guide The aim is not to:
Conflict with National Diving Standards.
Conflict with National Legislation.
It is expected that these International Standards will contribute to:
Equating Standards across the World.
Providing guidance to organisations setting diving standards for the first time.
Improving safety.
Providing Contractors with a direct input to the Diver Training Syllabus.
Enabling Contractors to bid across National Borders on a more even Playing field.
Improving the quality of Diver education.
Providing Divers with greater Job Opportunities.
Apart from the more traditional diving activities in the Offshore Industry, Industrial Working Divers now take part in a wide variety of activities, such as:
Archaeological Investigation
Bridge Structure Inspection
Demolition and Salvage
Fish Farming
Maintenance of renewable energy sites
Nuclear Power Plant Maintenance
Professional Recreational Services
Remedial work in Lakes, Reservoirs Canals etc
Repair and Construction
