girldiver.com classes

[rafter_]

Hello!
I am very interested in taking the rescue diver course, and I was wondering if anyone has ever taken a class from the people who run girldiver.com. I hear that having a more "female oriented" class can be really helpful, and as I am used to being the only girl around, I thought that it might be fun.

/discuss

 

[Damselfish]

disclaimer first - I'm rarely a fan of female only or female oriented classes.

What exactly does female oriented mean - women only in the class? I've heard that suggested for OW and can see where it might work well for some people. Rescue is a bit different though, more more variety of people in a class seems better to me. Are you only going to rescue women, or be rescued by a woman? If there a big guy in trouble, wouldn't you want to know the best ways to handle it, and have had someone to practice on? (Similarly, while private OW classes seem to be really useful for some people, something like a private Rescue class seems less desirable to me.)

The thing is, while OW is mostly about you and your buddy, Rescue is a lot about other people, and you don't know who those other people might be.

 

[TSandM]

Cindy's a very nice woman, and I applaud her efforts and try to support her group dives when I can. I haven't taken a class from her, though.

I will say that, having spent three days reprising Cave 1 with a female buddy last month, it was fun in a really different way. I loved my buddies when I took the class originally; they were great guys, but I always felt I was trying to prove I was strong enough and capable enough to be there and be diving with them. When I redid the class with a female buddy, there wasn't any of that. We just pitched in and helped each other in a more even-handed way -- Which is not to say that my Cave 1 buddies didn't help me; they did. But I felt BAD about it, and I didn't when Melody and I were just giving each other a hand. We dove well together, too. There's just a different dynamic when it's "us girls". I think it's unavoidable.

 

[rafter_]

Well, I believe that it sounds like a comprehensive course. And it's alot more than what I would get from the rescue course here. I have inquired as to if they will allow men to join us as well since my sig other needs it too.

This one week intensive course will fully certify you in:

PADI Rescue Diver
DAN O2 Provider
DAN Advanced O2 Provider
DAN AED for Divers
Hazardous Marine Life Injuries
DAN Dive Emergency Management Provider

Join us as we take Rescue to the next level. This program is not about running 5 miles on a beach. This is about real life learning for real life diving emergencies. Taught by people who've "been there". We take Rescue VERY seriously and teach divers to truly be capable of managing a rescue, should the most unfortunate set of events occur.

Don't be the diver who doesn't know what to do:

We begin our week with Valerie Lyttle, DAN Instructor and Emergency Room RN. She combines her medical background with DAN's Dive Emergency Management Program in a full, 9 hour day program, to give you the skills to treat an injured diver on the scene until professional rescue personnel arrive. Even if you've already been Rescue certified, this program, combined with your PADI Rescue certification, will allow you to be certified as a DAN Emergency Management Provider.

An Emergency gives little warning:

Victims don't announce when they are about to have an accident, and we don't announce when we're about to enact a scenario.

We'll spend two nights in the classroom learning the academics involved in Rescue. With guest speakers who've "been there", you'll get to see behind the scenes of real rescues. What went right, what went wrong. We believe you can learn from others experiences, as well as from the coursebook.

In the pool session, you'll learn how to work with panicked divers, do lifts and carries, lift a non-responsive diver to the surface safely and manage a rescue scenario.

Hit the beach

This is your intro into the world of hands on rescue. Lifting unconcious divers from the floor of the sea, conducting effective search patterns utilizing the last known whereabouts of a missing diver or a critical piece of evidence for investigators, and working as a team to accomplish the rescue successfully.

Boat Day

Enjoy a full day of diving on the boat. Three dives with amazing food in between. Diving with your new found friends in our amazing Northwest waters. Rescue? Well, an emergency gives little warning...but relax...enjoy yourself...really...

 

[TSandM]

Valerie is a very knowledgeable woman who has a superb reputation as an instructor. I did not know Cindy was incorporating that into the class; that's a really thorough Rescue curriculum.

 

[DiverLaura]

that sounds like an outstanding curriculum. yet again giving merit to the saying "it's all about the instructor!" with regards to education.

It sounds a lot like some of the rescue classes from the past... I remember Dennis Graver used to go so far as to have a helicopter rescue complete with long line evacuation of an 'injured' diver in his rescue program. Although I did not get a chance to attend his rescue symposium, I was lucky enough to have him as a course director for my ITC, and we got the full meal deal complete with coast guard style rescue, etc... It was pretty awesome and really raised the bar as far as what could be covered in a class (not that we'd be doing any of those rescues, but so we'd know what to expect/teach if we were ever involved) as new instructors if we chose to continue learning and seek out more knowledge both in and outside our 'field'.

 

[miss_scuba]

I tend to agree with Damselfish in regards to the Rescue Course and how it differs from any other course. You will need to get ready for the worst. I always make my students rescue the biggest diver on the boat, making them go beach diving, carrying people through the surf zone... because in my experience it is not the fit lady who needs to be rescued in pool like conditions. but again, they call me the dive natzi for a reason I guess

also agree with Scootergirl: it is all about the instructor teaching the class. I know instructors who never break out the pocket mask during the training and I know instructors who will make you do the whole helicopter rescue... the question is, do you want it easy or do you want it GOOD?

 

[PatrickDives]

I recommend GirlDiver. She has a "Teens Only" Basic Open Water class that my nephew is taking, limit of four students and no one older than 18.

Before they did their Open Water dives I spoke with Cindy and I was impressed. Not only is she patient (key to being a good instructor), but she is enthusiastic and highly motivated.

I am looking forward to taking her Xtreme Rescue course as well. But I think I will have to wait a bit until the New Year, just don't have the time/$$ right now. If you haven't taken the course yet, maybe I'll see you there. Cindy did tell me about her Xtreme Rescue, and I liked what I heard...sounds very thorough. I respect her philosophy on diving and education.

Hope that helps.

Have a good one.

Patrick.

 

[El Orans]

I have inquired as to if they will allow men to join us as well since my sig other needs it too.

It's not really in my area but I'd love to take this rescue course...

 

[PatrickDives]

I have inquired as to if they will allow men to join us as well since my sig other needs it too.

Men are allowed to take her classes, Cindy invited me to take her class and I look forward to it when I have the time.