Indeed this is how I think the scenario played out, and I find no fault in her actions. The question then becomes, could, or should, this person (anyone taking a OW class) be taught how to respond in a better way considering that time is so critically limited? {Picking up on the theme of MikeFerrara's post #34}
During the NAUI OW course the students are taught to bring both an unconscious skindiver and scuba diver to the surface and introduced to in-water rescue breathing. Dealing with an unconscious diver is quite static or stable compared to dealing with paniced diver in a life threatening situation. Considering that, where do we as an industry draw the line as to what to teach at any given level :06:
I like the fact that NAUI has some level of rescue training included in all of its courses, which is one reason I selected NAUI when I decded to become an instructor, but I do wonder if there should be more skills training in the OW class for dealing with a actively paniced or in trouble diver. Would that be asking more than could be reasonably expected from beginning level students :06:
As Mike mentions, scuba diving is very easy when everything is going well and no problems arise, but when something does go wrong the people present must know what to do and be able to do it well right then and there.