Objective: Explain respiratory anatomy and how breathing supports gas exchange during diving.

Knowledge: Describe airway structure, lung volumes, gas exchange, and breathing emergencies.

Skills: Identify early signs of respiratory distress and apply correct response priorities.

Objective: Explain how pressure, exertion and equipment affect breathing in diving operations.

Knowledge: Describe work of breathing, gas density, RMV, and dead space effects.

Skills: Apply safe breathing techniques and recognise risks of CO₂ retention or panic.

Objective: Identify barotrauma risks affecting air spaces and explain prevention strategies.

Knowledge: Describe causes, symptoms and prevention of ear, sinus, lung, dental and gut barotrauma.

Skills: Apply safe equalisation and ascent/descent decision-making to prevent pressure injuries.

Objective: Explain gas uptake and identify common gas toxicities affecting divers.

Knowledge: Describe gas solubility, tissue loading, and effects of narcosis, CO₂, CO and oxygen toxicity.

Skills: Recognise symptoms and apply immediate safety actions for gas toxicity scenarios.

Objective: Explain outgassing and decompression sickness and identify early warning signs.

Knowledge: Describe bubble formation, silent bubbles and the mechanism and symptoms of DCS.

Skills: Apply correct response priorities and escalation actions when DCS is suspected.

Objective: Explain how environmental and psychological stressors affect diver physiology and safety.

Knowledge: Describe effects of vision, sound, balance, temperature, ventilation, psychological stress and stressors.

Skills: Apply stress management and safe operational awareness in diving scenario decisions.

Objective: Demonstrate competence in diving physiology through scenario-based assessments and final examination.

Knowledge: Explain physiology principles, injuries, and risks relevant to diving operations.

Skills: Apply physiology knowledge to interpret symptoms, risks, and safe responses under exam conditions.