Bristol University Students take ADMAT's Underwater Survey Diver Course
Dr Spooner with the successful students, Austin Buhta, Michael Turner, Andrez Diaz and Jonathan Kyte, who are shown here with their certificates after a long and through weekend.
ADMAT's Underwater Survey Diver Course. This is an approved P.A.D.I. Speciality Course and is part of the coveted ADMAT Archaeological Diver Award.
Dr Spooner who was teaching maritime archaeological MA students at the University of Bristol , decided that the students would benefit from a weekend training course. The aim of this course is to give the student a through understanding of the complexities of underwater surveying, enabling the student to achieve success in basic survey work. It is not designed to make the student a master of this subject, as that takes many years. This course is designed to allow divers to learn how to conduct underwater surveying. Special adaptations have incorporated into this course so that divers over a number of hours can first practice their skills on land, then in sheltered water. The special course has been converted into two separate courses to assist students. Part 1 now contains all the teaching and practical in sheltered water or pool together with the land surveying practical. Part 2 now will be held on an archaeological wreck site, either during one of ADMAT's field schools or as a special training event.
Four students from the MA Maritime Archaeological section at the University of Bristol, took part on a weekend part 1 course. The students, after a lecture started practicing simple survey methods on land. This homed in on their skills. This was followed by the construction of a small 3 meter by 1 meter grid which was accurately designed and constructed.
The land survey practical lasted all morning, and was the foundation for the 8 hours measuring in the swimming pool. The grid was sunk in the pool, and numerous objects were sunk for them to practice measuring and then drawing to scale in the evening.
The land survey practical lasted all morning, and was the foundation for the 8 hours measuring in the swimming pool. The grid was sunk in the pool, and numerous objects were sunk for them to practice measuring and then drawing to scale in the evening.
Our thanks go to Jeremy Schomberg for kindly organising the logistical arrangements of the course.
Below: Students, Austin Buhta, Michael Turner, Andrez Diaz and Jonathan Kyte working on the surveying skills, creating a simple grid and then deploying the grid in the pool and measuring in objects to the grid.
