page_title: Diamond Reef System
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: Diamond Reef System / Equipment / Description
context_page_description: Diamond Reef System, including each individual Hover Station and the new Multi-Portal System, are trademarked, skill evaluation and safety-based diving curriculums that utilize the world's first portable, collapsible underwater obstacle course to simulate fragile reef or dive wreck structure for diver buoyancy skill and underwater photography training. A form of scuba Gymkhana, the program was designed by Pete Wallingford in 1988 to educate scuba instructors and scuba divers on how to safely teach and promote situational awareness, proper body positioning and safe interaction with coral reefs, fragile marine ecosystems and shipwrecks. The program was adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, dive store operators and dive resort/charter operators worldwide.
context_section_description: The underwater obstacle course kit for buoyancy training includes a detailed retailer/resort/charter boat operator and dive instructor manual, a set of seven collapsible, buoyant Hover Stations, each with a cord for tethering to a weight on the bottom, and a line holder to store the cord and adjust its operating length. Several alternative hoop geometries are covered in the patents (circular, triangular, octagonal and rectangular are mentioned), but the one recommended and generally used is a square in a diamond-shaped orientation, threaded with marine shock cord, tethered by a corner, allowing the open corner to float upwards as well as providing a 'safety release' or flexible opening to reduce the chance of diver entanglement. This is considered by the designer to be the most responsible and efficient shape considering the diver and equipment passing through or hovering within the Hover Station. It also minimizes the amount of material and work required for an effective target, and the diamond configuration has better underwater stability than the other configurations. Standard sized Diamond Reef Hover Stations include 5 each measuring 39 inches (1.0 m) sides and 2 each, size large measuring 48 inches (1.2 m) pipe lengths. These 'hoops' can be made from any suitable material, but 1 inch (25 mm) diameter, schedule 40 (US) PVC pipe, elbows and end caps have been found the most effective.
  The Diamond shaped Hover Station is assembled from straight tubular sections with open ends connected by right angle elbows and the unconnected ends sealed by plugs or caps. The new Diamond Reef Portal invention, also collapsible and portable, permits multiple Hover Stations to be connected together to improve stabilization and simulate more challenging coral reef, cavern, cave and shipwreck entrances. The lower two legs of each Hover Station feature two sets of 4, 1/4" diameter through-holes to permit ease of descending with the buoyant Hover Stations. The assembly can be glued together (if student divers are closely supervised as the release feature is not as forgiving) or held together by internal shock cord for safety and convenience reasons; allowing dislocation of the joints for compact storage. The unconnected corner is generally deployed as the high point of the Hover Station and it allows a diver to escape upwards if unable to pass through the 'hoop'.
  In the open water environment for ease of the complete or partial course set-up, an octagonal shaped 54 foot diameter 'Base Station' consisting of 8 separate environmentally safe 'concrete' anchors, connected with stainless cable can be situated at the appropriate depth depending on visibility, tidal flow and boat traffic. One anchor can be used for determining the proper weight requirements for each diver by practicing the simulated empty tank (SET) weighting procedure. Proper weighting and focused breathing are the foundations of demonstrating proper control at depth.
caption: Diamond Reef hoop shape and construction