Do not ever say you are a rescue diver

[Wibble]

is a rescue diver like those with the fire department or a person with the rescue cert card? Trying to get clarity. Thank you

A Rescue Diver certificate holder. That’s all it is. Would possibly attempt a rescue or prevent one but don’t count on it.

 

[Dody]

This is a commonly held belief that I’ve never seen come true in my 10+ years of EMS experience or 20+ years total of emergency medicine experience.

If you’re not on the clock you have no duty to act (5ish states have laws saying bystanders must help, know your state laws)

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If you’re not on the clock you don’t have a large malpractice insurance policy covering you.

Both of those facts make the trained bystander a very unappealing target for a lawyer. Yes you can get sued. Anyone can sue anyone for just about anything.

None the less, you don’t even need a lawyer to fight that one. If you’re not on the clock you have no duty to act. Even if your state has a law requiring action I don’t believe any require you to place yourself in peril, like trying to rescue a drowning diver.

And since you don’t have a several hundred thousand to million dollar insurance policy covering you, lawyers know they won’t get any large settlement from the average Joe (if your a million dollar diver then YMMV), the lawyers will go after the parties with large insurance coverage.

I’ve been through malpractice suits, and I’ve been the Good Samaritan. I’ve never seen a Good Samaritan get sued, and I’ve never seen or heard of someone not responding getting dragged into the case.

With all of that in mind, operate however makes you comfortable. If I’m in a situation I don’t want to deal with the medical questions and someone asks what I do, I fix computers.

If I see a crash in town without EMS responders yet I drive right by. (If I witness the crash I may stop to be a witness, not render aid). EMS will be there soon enough.

If I’m driving cross country and see a crash, I’ll likely stop, as I know aid may be some time a way.

Thankfully as of yet I haven’t needed to intervene on a dive boat. If I did or not would likely revolve around how sick someone was and how far away help is.

(All of this applies in the United States. I have no knowledge of international duty to act requirements)

For professional reasons, I will move Washington DC next year. I will make sure to never dive in the US. Will go to Mexico instead.

 

[chillyinCanada]

At some past point, I've read of someone getting badly sick from breathing off a BCD, presumably due to microbes in the bladder. People vary widely in what measures they use to clean those. I don't know how much of a real world risk this is. When I want mine empty (e.g.: for a back roll with negative entry), I stand beside my rig, hit the inflator button to release pressure, and mash the sides of the wing.

I'd be curious as to whether deliberately sucking air out of a BCD bladder into your lungs is a substantial risk, or no big deal?

I would only do it in an absolute emergency.

 

[tursiops]

For professional reasons, I will move Washington DC next year. I will make sure to never dive in the US. Will go to Mexico instead.

Strange decision based on misreading some incomplete information.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Strange decision based on misreading some incomplete information.

He's hoping to avoid the US laws and penchant for sue happiness.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Dody, are you sure that your wife is truly wanting to dive or is she only trying to make you happy?

 

[DeepSeaExplorer]

This thread sure seems to contain a lot erroneous information and wild scenarios.

First, I only carry my three highest cards. One for each of the different types of diving: Trimix, Cave and Divemaster. Those three can get me on any dive I’m qualified to make. I don’t carry an AOW, Nitrox, RD or any other subordinate card. I don’t even have them anymore. Wish I did though.

20 years ago, I occasionally got asked to buddy with a weak diver, but it was rare. Those days are long since gone, partially because insurance won’t cover a non-employee. Typically, only the one-man shop does things like that anymore.

I have benefited with my DM card by being given more freedom, allowed to leave the group and venture off on my own, etc. I’ve also on occasionally been invited on more advanced dives to fill a private charter.

When I was in HI, I got invited on a semi-private trip that only had one spot left. I passed because I already had a dive booked. The next day, when I told the group of locals I was diving with about it. They went nuts saying they only do that trip once a year and I should have ditched them and gone. Oh well…

I have also had the dive shop go to bat for me when some dude tried to steal my fins. I normally carry my fins back to my seat on the boat. One charter insisted on taking everyone’s fins and throwing them in a pile. It wasn’t until the next day that I realized I didn’t have my fins. The shop knew who had them, and when they called, he refused to bring them back. Fins are fins, apparently. The shop found and called his instructor and had him call him. He told him if him didn’t return my fins, he would never dive with them again. I got my fins back. He admitted to me that he knew they weren’t his fins, but he like them better. The shop made a lot of effort on that for me.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Do you generally do a checkout dive before going on a boat for a day of diving? I have never had that happen anywhere in the world. I have only had checkout dives on a few liveaboard trips.

No, good catch. I should have been more clear.

The first couple of dives will be observed and let's call those "shake out" dives for these purposes.

 

[Belzelbub]

In SSI, you become AOW before being rescue. It is not about bragging but I thing that it is an important information. A rec RD is nothing like a lifeguard but he/ she can help in some situations. They are CPR and rescue breath trained. They can help surfacing a diver using correct techniques, know when to ask for pure oxygen to be administered, make a « preliminary » DCS diagnostic. They are no nurse, medic, doctor or else. But they can make a difference in a self regulated industry where there is not always a health professional around.

That’s incorrect. In SSI, AOW is not a specialty you earn a certification for. It’s a recognition of completing 4 specialties. Rescue is a specialty, and AOW is not a prerequisite for it.

 

[pauldw]

You were the guys buddy and allowed him to apparently plummet in an uncontrolled manner and were unable to provide assistance. If that were me, I would feel bad about that.

He didn’t “allow” his buddy to plummet. He didn’t to anything to his buddy, his buddy did something to himself. And OP should not have been able to provide assistance. If he’s weighted properly, he can’t plummet after someone else, because he can only descend slowly due to proper weighting.