Dive project planning 

All individuals diving as part of UBC activities must adhere to the provisions of the UBC Dive Safety Manual. This includes being trained as a scientific diver. The UBC Diving Control Board (DCB) mandates that all dive leaders submit a detailed dive project plan to them via the Diving Safety Officer (dive.safety@ubc.ca). Dive plans should only be submitted after completing the UBC New Project Approval Form and must be signed by the Principal Investigator.  

Project Categories

New Project

• Submit the UBC Project Approval Form ideally 1-2 months prior to the start of the project, for the DCB review/approval This will allow time to address any necessary changes, clarifications and additional training requirements.  
• All diving operations are required to have an approved dive plan, even smaller pilot projects that graduate students may conduct. 
• All Project Approvals must be signed and approved by the PI / Lab prior to submission. 
• Ensure all divers joining the project will have an active scientific qualification. Confirm each team members’ standing 1-2 months prior to the project start date so that divers can complete any training renewal activities or checkout dives in advance of the date. 
• When collaborating with another scientific organization: Submit a Letter of Reciprocity (LOR) request to the DSO and note dive dates. Divers that need their LOR sent to other organization will need to send the dive plan from the hosting organization to the DSO. Allow 2-4 weeks prior to the trip to complete this process.
• All visiting divers (non-UBC) need to be approved by the DSO and complete a waiver prior to joining any UBC project. Visiting divers will need to have a LOR from their DSO and meet all the minimum requirements. View the Scientific Diver Categories page for more information. 

Amendment 

Multi-year and ongoing projects might need a small amendment. This Expedited review process applies to previously approved projects with minor changes not affecting the level of risk. Allow 2-4 weeks for review.  

Note: If the changes are substantive enough to impact the overall level of risk, the application will be treated as a new project. 

Expedited 

This process applies to unique cases where the dive team is already onsite and need to align their plan based on firsthand knowledge. This may include additional dive sites or submission of air quality testing.  These changes or additions are aligned with their pre-existing approved plan and can be reviewed by the DSO rather than the full DCB.  

Note: Previous approval by the UBC DCB of the full project with conditionals is required to be able to use this method.   

Post Approval Requirements

Projects that have been approved must fulfill the following requirements: 

• The diver-in-charge is responsible for confirming that all divers have completed their personal logs books daily.  Log books must be in compliance with WSBC requirements. 
• Documented, daily dive plans, with pre & post-brief details and diver sign offs, must be completed for each day of diving conducted during the project. These must be scanned and provided to the DSO as soon as possible. 
• A daily log must be kept of the day’s activities. These must also be scanned and provided to the DSO as soon as possible.