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The best training is a course in which you learn & practice with Emergency Service professionals who have actual real life experience in the rescue and treatment of diving accidents. IMO, there is no "private class" for nearly the same cost of $675 that is as comprehensive as learning from Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Service Personnel (LA County Baywatch Lifeguard Paramedics and Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber Instructors & Operations Crew).I want to do a rescue class soon and would like some comments.
One option is to do the class with my lds (ssi). This is $350 plus book, plus card if I want a card. I do not trust their training but it would be easy to take the course and a poor course is better than nothing.
Option two is a private class at a shop (padi) in another city. I really like the training provided in this shop but the only way I can do the course is as a private class as they do the regular class over two weeks (4 evenings and 1 full weekend). The private class is $600 but includes everything (equipment, book, card, efr, o2).
I do not mind spending the extra money and I know I would be getting a lot more for my money, however, will I be missing something by not taking it with other students?
USC Catalina Hyperbaric ChamberThe USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber, located on the campus of the USC Wrigley Marine Science Center at Big Fisherman Cove at the West End of Catalina Island, is an emergency medical facility for the treatment of scuba diving accidents. Without proper treatment, major problems from diving accidents, most commonly Decompression Sickness (the "Bends") and Air Embolism, can lead to permanent disabling injuries and in some instances be fatal. In the Southern California area around Catalina Island, the combination of effective on-site management of a diving accident along with the rapid response by Los Angeles County Baywatch Lifeguards, or the U.S. Coast Guard, and swift, effective treatment at the Chamber can save a diver's life.
The USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber is 24 feet long, 9-1/2 feet in diameter and has two locks. The size of the Chamber allows the possibility of treating multiple patients simultaneously (to date, the maximum number of patients treated simultaneously is four) and allows room to perform CPR and Advanced Life Support for patients who arrive in cardiac arrest. The Chamber facility is an extension of the L.A. County/USC Medical Center Emergency Room and is part of the countywide Medical Alert Center (MAC). Funding for the Chamber comes from L.A. County and donations from generous contributors, dive clubs, dive boat operators, and fund raising activities. . .
. . .The USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber is dedicated to the promotion of underwater diving safety and treatment of Southern California diving casualties and is part of the University of Southern California, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization:
The USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber's primary mission is the treatment of scuba diving casualties, and to this end the organization maintains the chamber facility and ensures crew availability 24 hours-a-day, 365 days-a-year.
The USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber provides educational programs focused on the promotion of underwater diving safety.
The USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber gathers information on diving casualties and standard diving practices, and reports unbiased information to the diving communities.
The USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber is a hyperbaric research facility available for underwater diving research projects to improve diving safety and test equipment.
I can't see how one-on-one instruction could be a bad thing, it's the holy grail of any type of instruction.