Watermanship Performance Standard

Public Safety Dive Rescue has a performance benchmark that defines diver fitness, comfort, and therefore operational competency. The International Association of Dive Rescue Specialist (IADRS) Watermanship Test was developed and is part of the NFPA 1670 Standard. This test represents a physical fitness test that is “task based”. There is a direct relationship between cardiovascular fitness, comfort in the water, and overall diver operational safety. Fatigue is a proven trigger of panic, and panic can cause injury or death during a dive.

The LAFD Dive Search and Rescue Team has adopted this as the minimum watermanship skills evaluation.

In addition to IADRS performance evaluation, team members will be expected to complete a 1000 yard open water swim.
IADRS/NFPA 1670 Watermanship Test/Skills Test
The watermanship portion of this test consists of five (5) stamina exercises conducted in a pool- 500 yard swim, 15 minute tread, 800 yard snorkel swim, 100 yard inert diver tow, and a free dive. Successful completion of this test requires a minimum of 12 points of a 20 point scale. The skills portion of this test consists of equipment handling and setup, scuba diving skills, and equipment care and storage.

Evaluation Parameters
There are five exercises that evaluate stamina and comfort in the water, each rated by points. The member must successfully complete all stations and score a minimum of 12 points to pass the test.

 Links:

 The Science Behind the IADRS / NFPA Watermanship Annual Test