BS·AC Sports Diver Workbook Quiz

Just learning the answers to these quizzes will probably not be enough to pass the theory test - more to the point, it will not be enough to make you a safe diver! The workbooks and Sports Diving manual can be ordered from BS·AC.

Note: you will need a JavaScript-enabled browser to see the correct answers.

ST1 - Sports Diving

Fill in your answers here Correct answers appear here
1. List four factors which limit diving operations from an inflatable boat or RIB.
2. What flag will be flown once diving operations begin?
What does it mean?

3. Give four factors which make a large charter boat better for offshore diving activities.
4. You are diving from a large boat which has a substantial boarding ladder. Would you expect to remove and pass in your weightbelt and aqualung before reboarding via the ladder?
5. To find rate of air consumption at depth, what two figures are multiplied together?
6. Assuming a breathing rate of 25 litres / minute at surface, what would the air consumption rate be at 20m?
... at 30m?
... at 45m?
7. Assuming a breathing rate of 25 litres / minute, a 10 litre cylinder with a 200 bar working pressure should last for how many minutes at 10m? (do not allow for a reserve of air)
8. When returning to a small boat which has to be boarded by climbing over the side, in which order do you remove and hand in your equipment?
9. What do the letters of the 'aide memoire' SEEDS stand for when conducting a dive briefing?
10. Where can you find more information about Skill Development Courses for divers?
11. When returning to a small boat which has to be boarded by climbing over the side, in which order do you remove and hand in your equipment?
  1. Aqualung - weightbelt - mask
  2. Weightbelt - aqualung - mask
  3. Mask - weightbelt - aqualung
  4. Weightbelt - aqualung only
12. A cylinder has a water capacity of 10 litres and a working pressure of 230 bar. How much free air does it hold when charged?
  1. 1230 litres
  2. 2300 litres
  3. 2400 litres
  4. 2520 litres
13. How long would a 10 litre cylinder, WP of 200 bar, last at a depth of 30m, if the surface breathing rate is 25 litres/min?
  1. 16 minutes
  2. 18 minutes
  3. 20 minutes
  4. 22 minutes
14. A 15 litre cylinder, WP 200 bar, is charged to 150 bar. If the breathing rate is 20 litres / minute at the surface, what maximum dive time could be expected at 25 metres, allowing 50 bar for ascent and reserve purposes?
  1. Approximately 18 minutes
  2. Approximately 21 minutes
  3. Approximately 24 minutes
  4. Approximately 27 minutes
15. Which is not part of the advanced planning of a dive?
  1. Appointment of a dive leader
  2. Choice of site
  3. Deciding on objective / purpose of dive
  4. Buddy check

ST2 - Diver Self-help

Fill in your answers here Correct answers appear here
1. A number of personal factors / attributes contribute to accident avoidance. List four.
2. An analysis of UK diving incidents shows that it is possible to place the majority of incidents into one of four categories. What are they?
3. There are at least five different Alternative Air Source options. List four.
4. What factor limits the value of an 'octopus rig' as an alternative air source?
5. How can a buddy pair keep in physical contact while underwater?
6. List four devices which can be used by divers at the surface to attract the boat handler's attention / pinpoint their position.
7. When might a delayed SMB be preferable to an ordinary SMB?
8. Which alternative air source has a separate air supply?
  1. Twin regulator system
  2. Octopus rig system
  3. BC demand valve system
  4. Pony cylinder system
9. Which can be used by a pair of divers, to keep in touch underwater?
  1. Distance line
  2. Buddy line
  3. Shot line
  4. SMB line

ST3 - Diver Rescue - Part 2

Fill in your answers here Correct answers appear here
1. A diver under stress is likely to develop into an accident casualty. Give three factors which indicate 'stress' behaviour:
2. Assess; plan; . Complete this maxim.
3. What things could you tell a conscious, cooperative diver to do to help himself, if in difficulty at the surface?
4. What is the best thing to offer to a conscious, uncooperative casualty on the surface?
5. Why is a diver advised not to make contact with a panicking casualty?
6. A diver is seen to be not moving and face down on the surface. List four sequential actions to be taken by the rescuer.
7. Before a long rescue tow what action could you take to make things easier / less tiring?
8. A casualty's heart can continue to beat for a while once breathing has ceased. True or False?
9. No pulse, no breathing, dilated pupils indicate what condition?
10. How far should the breast bone (sternum) of an adult be depressed when applying CC?
11. CC should be applied to an adult casualty at a rate of compressions per minute. Fill in the figure.
12. Where is the best place to seek a pulse on an unconscious diver?
13. Before giving AV, what two things should you do to the casualty's airway?
14. One thing must be maintained when carrying out a controlled buoyant lift - which is it?
  1. Eye to eye contact with the casualty
  2. Positive contact with casualty
  3. Exact rate of ascent
  4. Continuous steady venting of expanding air
15. In any rescue, you should:
  1. Put your own safety first
  2. Involve others to assist
  3. Do the best you can to effect a rescue
  4. All of these
16. Which is not a sign of cardiac arrest?
  1. Cyanosis
  2. No detectable pulse
  3. Flushed appearance
  4. Widely dilated pupils
17. Where is the best place to seek a pulse on a wetsuited diving casualty?
  1. Neck
  2. Wrist
  3. Groin
  4. Elbow
18. What sequence should be applied by two rescuers giving CPR?
  1. 15 compressions CC, then two ventilations of AV
  2. 15 compressions CC, then four ventilations of AV
  3. 5 compressions CC, then one ventilation of AV
  4. 5 compressions CC, the four ventilations of AV

ST4 - Underwater Navigation and the SMB

Fill in your answers here Correct answers appear here
1. Finding your way by using natural landmarks is known as - what?
2. What does a compass needle point to?
3. In order to remain 'on course' when using a diver's compass, what does the needle have to be kept aligned with?
4. What can upset the accuracy of an otherwise reliable compass?
5. When navigating by pilotage, what sort of objects can be used as 'landmarks'?
6. What are the numerical (degrees) values of the four points of the compass?
7. You are swimming on a course due north. What should the bezel reading be on your compass?
8. You are swimming in the direction 180° and want to turn to swim due west. Do you turn right or left to get on the new course quickly?
9 Briefly describe the features you would look for in a surface marker buoy system.
10. On what sort of open water dives might you choose to use an SMB?
11. Why should you keep the SMB line as short as possible when diving and during ascent?
12. You are swimming in a easterly direction. What bezel reading will the needle point to on your compass?
  1. 045°
  2. 270°
  3. 090°
  4. 180°
13. What is the reciprocal bearing of 310°?
  1. 130°
  2. 103°
  3. 013°
  4. 301°
14. On what sort of dive might you choose not to use a Surface Marker Buoy?
  1. Drift dive
  2. Dive well off-shore
  3. Night dive
  4. Wreck dive
15. When ascending from a dive where an SMB has been used, do you:
  1. Let go reel, ascend, recover and wind in line once on the surface
  2. Ascend without reeling in: let boat handler wind it in once you are back aboard
  3. Wind in the line as you ascend
  4. Get buddy to pull in slack line and hold it while you wind it in

ST5 - The Human Life Support System: Adverse Effects of Gases

Fill in your answers here Correct answers appear here
1. What name is given to the process of combining products of digestion with oxygen, in the body tissues, to produce energy for growth?
2. What circulates oxygen to body tissues and carries carbon dioxide back to the lungs?
3. Through which body organs does oxygen enter the bloodstream and carbon dioxide leave it?
4. What causes the stimulus to breathe - oxygen lack or carbon dioxide build up?
5. What word is used to describe the situation when the body is short of oxygen?
6. Does hyperventilation significantly increase blood oxygen levels?
7. Why is it not safe to hyperventilate?
8. Water conducts heat how much more effectively than air?
9. When a gas and a liquid are in contact, the gas will dissolve into the liquid. True or false?
10. What causes the discomfort / pain associated with 'divers bends'?
11. Neurological disturbances and paralysis are symptoms of which diving related illness?
12. What is the partial pressure of oxygen in air at 30m?
13. When compressed air is breathed at depths in excess of 30m, it can lead to light-headedness, carelessness and poor concentration. What is the condition called?
14. At what partial pressure does pure (100%) oxygen become toxic if breathed underwater?
15. The process of taking oxygen into the bloodstream and releasing carbon dioxide from it, is known as:
  1. Circulation
  2. Metabolism
  3. Respiration
  4. Distribution
16. What effect does increasing exercise have on metabolism and respiration?
  1. Speeds it up
  2. Slows it down
  3. Speeds respiration, slows metabolism
  4. Has no effect
17. Efforts to clear carbon dioxide from the body and to replace it with oxygen in order to prolong a breath-holding dive is known as:
  1. Hypoxia
  2. Hyperventilation
  3. Hypothermia
  4. Hypoglycemia
18. Nitrogen absorbed into the body during respiration can lead to - which condition?
  1. Burst lung
  2. Vertigo
  3. Decompression illness
  4. Hypoxia
19. Skin rashes and joint pains are symptoms of which diving disorder?
  1. Interstitial emphysema
  2. Mild decompression illness
  3. Severe decompression illness
  4. Hypothermia
20. Which gas is described as 'A highly toxic, odourless by-product of combustion'?
  1. Carbon dioxide
  2. Nitrogen dioxide
  3. Carbon monoxide
  4. Nitrous oxide

ST6 - Decompression Tables

Fill in your answers here Correct answers appear here
1. 'Descent nitrogen into the body, releases it'. Complete the sentence.
2. On reaching 6m (or 9m if making two stops) what should you check / compare and adjust if necessary?
3. List three dive details which should be verified / recorded as soon as possible after a dive.
4. How many decompression stops are made on dives deeper than 18m, and at what depths are they made?
5. In order to give them a worthwhile second dive, a pair of divers do not wish to exceed Surfacing Code D on their first dive of the day to 35m. What maximum Dive Time should they adopt for the first dive?
6. A wreck lies at maximum depth of 28m. What stops will a pair of divers have to make after exploring the wreck if their Dive Time was 40 minutes?
7. A dive begins at 11:05. Maximum depth = 40m, dive time = 30 minutes. What stops will be made and when will divers reach the surface? (round up to full minute)
8. Dive 1: Dive Time 26 minutes, depth 30m. Surface Interval 3 hours 30 minutes. Dive 2: Dive Time 18 minutes, depth 23m. What stops are made after each dive?
9. On reaching 6m on ascent from a dive to 16m, you find you have exceeded your planned Dive Time by 3 minutes. Which is the most correct course of action?
  1. Consult Dive Conduct Slate for 'diversion' options, modify ascent accordingly
  2. Make 3 minute stop at 6m
  3. Ascend at the rate of 3m / minute
  4. Proceed directly to surface at 6m / minute
10. At what maximum Current Tissue Code may a diver fly in a pressurised aircraft after diving?
  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
11. A dive to 42m begins at 10:03 precisely. If Dive Time is 11 minutes at what time will divers reach the surface?
  1. 10:15
  2. 10:16
  3. 10:17
  4. 10:18
12. A dive begins at 11:05. Maximum depth = 40m. Dive Time = 30 minutes. What stops will be made during ascent?
  1. 1 minute at 9m + 9 minutes at 6m
  2. 1 minute at 9m + 12 minutes at 6m
  3. 2 minutes at 9m + 12 minutes at 6m
  4. 2 minutes at 9m + 15 minutes at 6m
13. The first dive begins at 09:00, to 43m for a Dive Time of 15 minutes. A second dive is planned for 13:30 to 25m. What is the recommended decompression schedule for the second dive if the Dive Time is 25 minutes?
  1. 1 minute at 9m and 9 minutes at 6m
  2. 1 minute at 9m and 6 minutes at 6m
  3. 3 minutes at 6m
  4. 1 minute at 6m

ST7 - Dive Computers

Fill in your answers here Correct answers appear here
1. What does a Table Look-up Dive Computer look up in its memory?
2. List three things a dive computer should tell you before a dive.
3. List three things a dive computer should tell you after a dive.
4. How frequently is a Multi-level Dive Computer updating its data?
5. What duration of surface interval are you advised to take between a series of multiple dives?
6. You are on a surface interval between dives. A friend wants to borrow your dive computer for a dive he is just about to make. Why are you likely to decline?
7. A dive computer can take you closer to safe limits than a decompression table. True or False?
8. How long should you wait between dives if you have to switch from a computer to tables?
9. Which of the following should appear on the dive computer display after the dive?
  1. No-stop time remaining
  2. Ascent warning
  3. Function check
  4. De-saturation time
10. Which of the following would not normally appear on the dive computer display while diving?
  1. Fly / do not fly information
  2. Maximum depth reached
  3. Ascent rate warning
  4. Elapsed dive time
11. Which of the following is now the most popular type of dive computer?
  1. Analogue Decompression Meter
  2. Multi-level Dive Computer
  3. Table Look-up Dive Computer
  4. Personal Computer
12. In the event of dive computer failure while diving, what stops should you make on ascent?
  1. 1 minute at 10m
  2. As long as possible at 6m
  3. 5 minutes at 6m
  4. 1 minute at 6m

ST8 - Adventurous Diving - Part 1

Fill in your answers here Correct answers appear here
1. What maximum depth does the BS-AC advise for recreational diving?
2. If the dive plan includes decompression stops, what provisions should be made for them? List as many factors as you can.


3. Describe the ideal buddy group for a deep dive.



4. What precautions should be taken when using a torch to give diver-to-diver signals during a night dive?
5. What torch signals are used to indicate 'OK at surface' and 'Distress at surface' to the shore party during a night dive?
6. What effect could a night dive have on plans for diving early next day?
7. How can you minimise risk of losing contact with the cover boat when drift diving?
8. Why are you likely to feel the cold more on a drift dive?
9. What actions should you take on surfacing and finding yourself separated from the cover boat?
10. List four dangers commonly associated with wreck diving.
11. What should be provided at 9m on the shotline used for a deep dive with decompression stops?
12. Which can be used to lead divers directly to / from a deep wreck?
  1. Distance Line
  2. Buddy Line
  3. Shot Line
  4. Lifeline
13. On which of the following dives would it be most appropriate to use a surface marker buoy?
  1. At an inland site
  2. When swimming through heavy kelp
  3. When exploring a wreck
  4. On a drift dive
14. Which of the following has an effect on work rate at depth?
  1. Air density
  2. Air endurance
  3. Air cylinder capacity
  4. Air reserve level
15. Deep dives and wreck dives are best made at:
  1. High water
  2. Slack water
  3. Low water
  4. Calm water