Rescue diver course

[Brian2828]

I don't know if this is the right forum, but I don't see a general training forum here. I'm considering the PADI rescue diver course but I don't know much about what the training involves. The combine EFR and Rescue course is not cheap and I'd like to know if others have found it to be a worthwhile addition to training. While I've enjoyed the specialty and advanced courses I've done, I haven't seen them as really advancing my skills. Is the PADI Rescue Diver course similar? I'm mainly looking for an at least moderately intense course that focuses on dealing with emergencies (particularly self rescue). Do others generally feel much better prepared to deal with an emergency after?

 

[tstormdiver]

A rescue course is typically a very good one. I can not comment on the exact content of PADI's course, as I am not a PADI instructor (I did take the course a few years ago). What I have found in most rescue courses, including the one I teach, is that they tend to bring most divers to a higher level of awareness. How to detect a potentially dangerous situation & how to avoid it,... thus avoiding a problem in the first place. How to recognise stress in one's self & others, how to stop & break the stress cycle that leads to panic, how to handle a panicked diver both above & below the surface, how to handle an emergency situation (injured/ unresponsive diver) above & below the surface, First Aid/ CPR/Oxygen treatment of a victim until professional help arrives. Whether the course is through PADI or any other agency, find a good instructor who will go beyond the very basics & teach you to become the best rescue diver that you can be. You never really know how you'll react to an emergency until the time comes. After the course, make sure to keep in practice of the skills learned.

 

[rongoodman]

The Rescue course is quite popular and probably a good thing to do. Like other recreational courses, the content and intensity will vary among different instructors. I don't see it as a course which will improve your diving skills, though, especially since so much of the course takes place on the surface. If you want to improve your diving skills, or at least see where you can go with them, I'd recommend GUE Fundamentals, or traveling south to take a Cavern class, either in Florida or Mexico.

 

[k ellis]

Let me answer you on 2 terms here first.

About The EFR. It is a little pricey though it involves training that you may look at like Car Insurance. You don't ever think you will witness someone have a heart attack or stroke and most people think when they witness it they can call 911. The reality is most people dont think it may be their spouse, child, best friend or other family members. Now based on cost here I will ask is it worth paying 180.00 here to take a course that both allows you to advance to Rescue Diver as well as save your spouse or best friend especially when the cell phone may not receive signal or simply is not an option. Its also good to know if you are 30 plus minutes away from the nearest ambulance you have the knowledge to possibly save someones life by giving them that window? So to answer that part its not just about being a rescue diver its about what else could go wrong 365 days a year 24 hours a day.

Now about rescue diver itself. Open water diver showed us what we did not know about diving. You probably did not know how to do a regulator recovery or possibly did not know how to react with loosing a mask at 60 feet. Well with Rescue diving it will teach you things you never knew about how to react in an emergency. How would you find an unconcious but still breathing diver from the surface (Yes it can happen a person go unconcious and still have his reg in his mouth.) It will teach you how to surface that diver in a safe manner also. Have you ever thought about how to give CPR to a fully geared diver 200 feet from shore and still get them to shore??

Rescue diver will give you insights on these as well as open your eyes to a lot of things that you can do for yourself to prepare for emergencies. Trust me I give little credit to AOW and most all of the specialties myself but Open Water, Rescue Diver and Divemaster were some of the most incredible courses I have taken and would never hesitate to retake. In fact as a divemaster I have the privledge to work with students in rescue diver along side of the instructor so I enjoy retaking this course over and over with them!

 

[Bob DBF]

What k ellis said.

It does not advance your diving skills per se, but it advances you ability to be usefull in an emergency situation or nip the emergency in the bud.

My definition of diving skills also includes a divers ability to assist his buddy even if things go terribly wrong.



Bob
----------------------------------
I may be old, but I’m not dead yet.

 

[Prostardiver]

Yes, take it. It is the best course of the bunch. I think everyone should go to Rescue level.

 

[rligon]

Absolutely agree with everyone. This was a great course, and actually being part of a fairly large class (18+) made it even better. In addition to teaching the skills to be able to rescue others and yourself, it teaches how to handle an emergency and some of the stresses that will be present. After the course my son and I spent weeks discussing what we had learned, what we could have done better, and coming up with new scenairos to figure out how we would have handled those. So I recommend this course to everyone I know, and feel a lot more comfortable diving with folks who have been through it.

 

[Mike]

I don't know if this is the right forum, but I don't see a general training forum here. I'm considering the PADI rescue diver course but I don't know much about what the training involves. The combine EFR and Rescue course is not cheap and I'd like to know if others have found it to be a worthwhile addition to training. While I've enjoyed the specialty and advanced courses I've done, I haven't seen them as really advancing my skills. Is the PADI Rescue Diver course similar? I'm mainly looking for an at least moderately intense course that focuses on dealing with emergencies (particularly self rescue). Do others generally feel much better prepared to deal with an emergency after?

>>> The course focuses on helping others, not so much about self-rescue.

It should make you a more comfortable and confident active participant in an emergency situation giving you the skills to take part in an effort to help in an emergency instead of being a by stander.

It should make you a better buddy.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

And... the rescue diver course is a prerequisite to moving forward in to the professional ranks- divemaster, instructor, etc. I will also commend the rescue diver course to you, but know that the value of the course is, in my opinion, instructor specific. Creating creative scenarios in which all class participant have a meaningful role is a skill not all instructors have. In addition, the thoroughness of remediating rescue specific skills ( navigation, search and recovery) varies from class to class. Also know hat you will not have nearly so much bottom time as you did in you other courses. Now, eyes wide open, enjoy the class.
DivemasterDennis

 

[Doc Harry]

..While I've enjoyed the specialty and advanced courses I've done, I haven't seen them as really advancing my skills...

I know what you mean. Isn't that how PADI got it's name?

A lot depends on your instructor.

We did our rescue course with Jim Gazica of Washington Scuba, near Pittsburgh. He taught us the course rather rigorously, and it was one of the best learning experiences I have ever had.