How fast is too fast?

[redseaalien]

Is zero to rescue in four months not a little bit fast? Or is the theory behind everything really the most important part of it and the rest of it will fall into place with just more diving?

I signed up for the course this fall because I didn't feel I was quite ready to get out of the water yet for the year, and while I feel it's probably given me enough to cover my own *** in some situations I might not have known what to do in before, and reduce my risk of being made into a victim by someone else, I'm still not entirely sure I'd be incredibly useful rescuing someone else.

Since I'm not a professional, just a "vaguely trained bystander", not on call or anything, I can't be sued if anything bad happens to someone in the water near me, right? Assuming I'm not the cause of it, don't do anything to further harm the person, of course? Or have bad buddies been successfully sued even if they weren't the cause of the problem?

 

[skybird]

you coudln't dive without taking classes? i am not qualified to offer much of an educated opinion, but would think it would take a bit of time to just get basic skills down

 

[scubapolly]

It is a bit fast. I believe, however it is important to be trained in some basic buddy rescue skills early if one is to be an effective buddy. Some agencies such as NAUI teach this right from the start, and I would recomend waiting until you are totally comfortable in the water. However if these skill weren't covered in your BOW class then, you probably made a wise move jumping into the rescue class.

As long as you are not a divng professional, you are covered under the Good Sameritan Law. In order for this to be valid, you need to stay within the limits of your training. You can be protected from failure to act, in many cases with saying that you did not feel it was safe for you to act.

 

[Derek S]

Red,

IMHO, EFR and Rescue Diver should come prior to AOW in a diver's progression. The skills that you learn there will be much more useful than "Fish ID" or "Boat diver" (seriously - what kinda crap is that? Pay me $200 so I can teach you how to giant stride).

In all seriousness, if you as a diver feel comfortable enough in your skills to take the EFR/Rescue class, go for it. As far as the suing part goes, that's what the good samaratin law is for. My employer pays for me to be EFR (AED and CPR) certified on a yearly basis, so it's no big issue for me.

Again, IMHO, anything that is going to make you a safer diver is a class you should consider. Good luck!

 

[jeckyll]

I'm planning on taking Rescue early next year. Honestly I don't know how many dives I'll have at that point, but I'm trying to get out at least once a week for 1 -2 dives, so hopefully around 25 - 50.

It is so unfortunate that the risk of lawsuits is becoming a decision in taking a potentially life saving course (for yourself or someone else). There is so much wrong with the world....

Bjorn

 

[Manta Aria]

I think the " Good Samaritan Law" only applies in some States, not every one. Do some checking. Some training agencies want you to have AOW and/or Deep (I think) to take RD. As Derek says the progression between agencies can be weird . I feel that if your Instructors had any misgivings about your taking and passing their RD course they'd let you know. If they passed you, and gave you the cert., then I would be led to beleive that THEY found your demonstration and knowledge of the skills THEY taught you at least adequate if not superior. By this same measure these Instructors may be the ones you might aid someday in an emergency, they want you prepared. And if your certed, they obviously have confidence in you.
Whewwww... sorry about that.
Have Faith and Dive Safe RSA,:05: :14:
-Manta

 

[wetrat]

"Fish ID" or "Boat diver" (seriously - what kinda crap is that? Pay me $200 so I can teach you how to giant stride).

Agreed. And before a diver learns what to do in an emergency, they need to spend $200 each for underwater photography and drysuit diving - CHACHING!!!!

 

[redseaalien]

you coudln't dive without taking classes? i am not qualified to offer much of an educated opinion, but would think it would take a bit of time to just get basic skills down

Well, it seems to be kind of the "off season" up here for recreational diving, thought it might be good to pick up more skills. I learned to dive where it was warm and blue, rather than cold and green and brown, I didn't even know until after I'd signed up for the class that I was practically (well, if you don't count the 3+ hour drive) sitting on piles of wrecks - before then I just thought that diving was something you did in warm places, not a local sport, and so without enough money to go on vacations in the winter, there would be no other way to work on anything at all. Still haven't been diving in a quarry, but from what I've heard I'm not missing much, other than it's a body of water that isn't a pool.

 

[redseaalien]

Agreed. And before a diver learns what to do in an emergency, they need to spend $200 each for underwater photography and drysuit diving - CHACHING!!!!

Are all PADI courses mostly the Put Another DVD In/RTFM style I noticed with the rescue one? The nitrox stuff, I expected that, of course, but it seemed like in the rescue class there was an unusually large amount of that, given that it's (supposedly?) a diving class?

I have no idea what may have been in the open water textbook that we didn't cover, since nobody else in my class when I took that had a copy, they didn't have any English ones left we'd be able to read. So obviously we didn't have the knowledge reviews to fill in at the end of each chapter, and there was no DVDs or videos or anything for that either.

Do most dive shops try to run you through the OW/AOW/Rescue/DM sequence as fast as possible? There was at least one person in my rescue class with a couple fewer logged dives than me, even, and they're already recommending what specialties will be the quickest and easiest to pick up to get ready for divemaster...almost as if they don't think there's such thing as a competent diver with only an open water or advanced card?

 

[packman]

Do most dive shops try to run you through the OW/AOW/Rescue/DM sequence as fast as possible? There was at least one person in my rescue class with a couple fewer logged dives than me, even, and they're already recommending what specialties will be the quickest and easiest to pick up to get ready for divemaster...almost as if they don't think there's such thing as a competent diver with only an open water or advanced card?

My LDS doesn't do this, at least in my experience. They do have a listing of the different levels and requirements for those levels (SSI shop). They also list when they are offering different specialties, but it is up to you to sign up for the courses if/when you want them. The only requirement they have is that you take their deep/wreck diver course (or show that you have the experience) before diving with them off the NC coast. This is just they know that you know what you're doing out there and not get yourself or someone else killed.