Hoodsport ‘N Dive has been training commercial harvest divers since the early 1990s. We offer courses for a person wishing to become a commercial harvester or non-diving tender. We pride ourselves on safety and teaching to the style of the student. We are able to take an individual with no harvest experience and make them a safe, capable Surface Supplied Tender and/or Diver.
We do not teach harvesting. We teach persons to be safe while harvesting or tending to a harvester.
The Harvest diver will begin by learning basic open water SCUBA skills. This is accomplished by taking an Open Water course through any recognized dive training program. Hoodsport’N Dive can teach the open water course, during a separate pre-arranged time if needed. The diver uses their knowledge gained in the SCUBA program and applies it in our Surface supplied program.
When the certified diver comes to our Surface Supplied program we expand their knowledge with Nitrox training and proper use and care of their equipment, including the drysuit and dive computer. Hoodsport ‘N Dive also trains the student in emergency procedures such as Oxygen administration, First aid, CPR, and the use of an AED.
The diver learns the components of the compressor, the handling of the umbilical lines, communication with the surface, KMB mask maintenance, and safe diving techniques.
Vessel Safety Check Air Test Umbilical Nitrox System
Hoodsport’N Dive offers a number of services to assist the Harvest Diver. The services are all designed around Safety.
Hoodsport’N Dive will come to your location to pressure test and clean your umbilical lines or run air tests on your compressor. For those wishing to extend their bottom time or reduce the risk of decompression sickness, we offer a custom made Nitrox blending system you can add to your current compressor system.
We offer three unique programs:
- Open Water SCUBA Training – The first step in becoming a commercial harvester
- SSA Diver Program – Designed for the person with Open Water SCUBA experience wanting to move into Surface Supplied.
- SSA Tender – Designed for the person who does not want to dive, but needs to know how to safely work with a Surface Supplied Diver.
Ron Ault
- 42 years as a commercial/hard hat dive Instructor
- 6 years as a Naval Diver (Experimental Diving Unit and Explosives)
- 6 years of hands-on experience as a U/W commercial harvester
- 10 years hands-on experience as an underwater salvage and construction diver
- Specializing in the Instruction of Commercial Harvesters in the Pacific NW since the early 1990s
Don Kinney
- Don started diving for a public safety dive team in 1990. During this time he was trained in surface supplied diving, helicopter deployment, black water recoveries, and dive fatality investigations. He became a dive instructor in 1999 and moved up through the ranks of recreational, Technical, and Public Safety dive instruction. He is currently an instructor trainer evaluator.
- Don takes his training as a public safety diver and investigator and applies it to his curriculum. While teaching the SCUBA portion of the course he is able to apply basic dive safety principals, with examples of real-life and death situations. Hoping the harvester takes diving seriously without taking safety shortcuts.
During the surface supplied training Don ensures the students use checksheets and understand why they check a specific piece of equipment. Telling a student to do something, without an explanation, breeds non-compliance. The main purpose of our program is to teach students how to remain safe while using an extensive amount of equipment. Drills are put in place to test that knowledge in a controlled environment.
We want all our students to leave the training with extensive knowledge of SAFE DIVE practices.
