Diving - Southern Cross University

SCUBA diving and snorkelling for teaching and research purposes

Southern Cross University (SCU) conducts scientific SCUBA diving and snorkelling for research, natural resource management and education. Most of this work takes place within the Faculty of Science and Engineering.

Diving for work differs significantly from recreational diving due to strict legal, safety, training, reporting and operational requirements. WHS legislation, Australian Standards and university policies mandate clear risk management protocols to ensure compliance and mitigate liability. Non-compliance carries serious legal penalties for all involved.

Scientific diving can present unique risks, including physically and mentally demanding conditions, strict project timelines and challenging environments. Careful planning, clear communication, and adherence to safety procedures are essential to managing risks such as fatigue and task overload, which can impact diver safety.

Diving Operations Manual

SCU has a comprehensive safety framework for scientific diving. The SCU Diving Operations Manual outlines detailed procedures and safety guidelines for conducting underwater diving activities at SCU. This includes roles and responsibilities of team members, dive planning and procedures, equipment usage, and emergency response plans to assist in the safe conduct of scientific diving.

All persons involved in diving must be familiar and comply with the content of the SCU Diving Operations Manual, including fieldwork and boating procedures.

For more supporting information, please see below:

Diver Registration and Dive Planning

All SCU SCUBA divers must be registered before conducting any diving-related work. This includes completing the relevant documentation, inductions and minimum qualifications depending on their role. There is also a range of trip-specific procedures that must be followed.

Please see below the following documents:

Contact SCU Diving Officer

diving.officer@scu.edu.au