How to find a good rescue course..?

[QBit]

Hello everyone!

I am new to the board, and I am looking to find information about how I can find the best rescue course for my money. What should they teach?

Thank you!

 

[zaberman1]

Can you provide a location so we may be able to recommend an instructor?

A basic rescue course should cover dive related injuries/illnesses, basic emergency management, emergency procedures, handling dive related incidents (panicked, unresponsive, and tired divers) both on the surface and underwater, O2, first aid, cpr, etc.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I'll try to go into more details later since I'm at work but most rescue courses teach along the same lines as far as what is there. the key though is How do they teach it? One can be by the book with a good instructor and give you the info. Another can be with a mediocre instructor who glosses over things they do not think are relevant to your area. The best is the ones taught by average instructors who have imagination, a desire to go beyond standards, a set of standards that they themselves have above agency requirements, and will test your every skill as a diver and rescuer. You will feel like you got beat with a baseball bat when you are done but it will be a good hurt. You'll look back on it and say now that was an education! I'll give some examples of what I mean later but hopefully others will come up with theirs as well.

 

[Blackwood]

Find an instructor who has actually rescued someone

 

[Slonda828]

I would also recommend that you have an actual EMT or dive medic teach you the first aid portion of your course. Having a real understanding of first aid will contribute enormously to making you an effective rescue diver. I thought I knew my stuff until I learned from an EMT instructor about the various circumstances that would require you to use the various equipment contained in a standard diving oxygen kit. "Use the demand valve one" is not really the ideal answer in all situations.

Here's a short list of things to look for in a first aid/rescue course as far as medical type stuff (from my position):

-When to use cannula, non-rebreather mask, or flow-restricted, oxygen-powered ventilation device (the "demand valve one" to most divers).
-How to perform one rescuer and two rescuer CPR.
-How to actually use a pocket mask for rescue breathing and attaching supplemental oxygen to it.
-Which flow rates are used for which pieces of oxygen delivery kit (6L, 15L, etc.)
-How to conduct a field neurological assessment.
-How to conduct a basic initial assessment (AKA the "A,B,Cs").
-Marine bites and stings, sings, symptoms, and treatments.
-How to establish incident command during a diving accident (who is in charge, and who relieves you in your care?)
-Signs and symptoms of DCS versus signs and symptoms of pulmonary barotrauma.
-The very basics of pneumothorax and tension pneumothorax.
-How to actually use and AED with two rescuers and integrate CPR into it.
-Covering how an AED is different than CPR, and why not all rhythms are shock-able.

That would be a pretty good rescue diver course from the medical aspect of it from my perspective as a WEMT. I am sure a dive instructor would have an idea what constitutes a good rescue class as far as scenarios go. I know mine involved a lot of swimming, thrashing, controlling other divers, and searches in low viz water. I am also sure that a doc would have things that he or she would want you to know, maybe if we are lucky TSandM will throw her hat into the lot.

Here is a link to DAN's field neuro PDF, which is very handy to have provided that you know how to use it effectively:

http://www.scubadiving.com/files/old/images/PDF/DAN_field_exam.pdf

 

[QBit]

Great advice, thank you!

I am working in many places. But maybe the best place to take this course is in Thailand?
I am not a very big/strong person. Will this have me working more? Will it be a problem?

 

[Tortuga68]

Shouldn't be a problem, you will be taught techniques to rescue larger people than yourself

 

[Slonda828]

I would say that, in the water at least, being smaller is better. You are less of a drag bag in water if you are smaller. Since you have redundant buoyancy in the form of a wetsuit, BC, or whatever, buddy tows are not difficult. It may be harder for you to packstrap carry or fireman carry someone on land, but ostensibly there will be passers-by to help you in that regard. I would take a small person who could swim well over a big burly guy that has trouble treading water any day of the week.

 

[Walter]

Blackwood brought up an excellent point. I took an excellent rescue class from an excellent instructor. I learned a great deal theory and practical application, but when I made my first real rescue, I discovered there were often better methods. Forget the spread eagle as a tired diver tow. Instead, loop a buddy line around the tank valve and drag the tired diver behind you. If you don't have a buddy line (every diver should always carry a buddy line), grab a regulator hose and drag them behind you. If you have to remove a diver from the water, don't strip the gear. Instead, have two people lift the diver. One on each shoulder. Grab the shoulder of the BC and lift together. The victim is on the boat easily in less than a second.

In all honesty, I really don't know if all rescue classes teach along the same lines or not, I've never examined various agencies' approaches. I doubt it because they don't teach along the same lines in other classes. It's important to be aware before, during and after the dive. Constantly assess the situation. Be aware of other divers, be aware of yourself, be aware of dive gear, be aware of the boat, be aware of the weather and dive conditions, be aware of entries (never make an entry without knowing how you will exit). Constantly assess the situation.

 

[D_B]

Walter also makes a good point, Rescue is not just about how to rescue someone, it's about being aware of all that's around you , to be aware of potental problems and heading them off before they do become rescue situations.

I think your going to have to ask the instructor how he teaches the class, and what he covers in it, and maybe some people you can talk to that have done his class