Just completed Rescue Diver!

[Garyra]

Hi everyone,

I am so excited that I just had to tell someone! I just finished my Rescue Diver Weekend. My God that was a lot of work. The instructor we had for the class was fantastic. Him being a Paramedic/rescue diver/fireman on Lake lewisville for 12 years was a great asset. He had a lot of professional first hand experience that he could relate. I have to say that the class was fun, but was the most tiring thing that I have done in a very long time. We had to bring the biggest guy I have ever seen diving (well over 300 lbs. and lean too!) up from the bottom, float him and do rescue breathing too. My legs are still so tight that I can't hardly staighten if I sit down for more than 20 mins. The only part that I had a problem with was learning how to plane them out on the surface to get them floating, but after a few tries I learned the trick and had no problem doing it after that.

My instructor is anxious to move me right on up into dive master training. My biggest fear is the timed swims and tows. Any suggestions on how I should prepare for this?

Gary

 

[UndrWatrDan]

Hi everyone,

I am so excited that I just had to tell someone! I just finished my Rescue Diver Weekend.

My instructor is anxious to move me right on up into dive master training. My biggest fear is the timed swims and tows. Any suggestions on how I should prepare for this?

Gary

Gary,
Congrats on finishing the Rescue Diver class. I just finished my divemaster cert back in February. Best thing I can suggest is to get in a pool and swim. I am not in the best shape but still managed to complete all the swims and tows. It's based on a point system and if you don't score well on one, scoring well on another can get you thru. I spent time in a pool swimming laps before I did my timed swims and it paid off. Good luck.

Danny
www.divingrebels.org

 

[Queen]

Congrats Gary!! It's a thrill to finish that cert. Lots of scary stuff in the class but what a feeling of accomplishment when it's over! I remember the first time I had to bring up a guy and try to level him out, I was DYING and then realized I'd left his weight belt on...D'oh

 

[downunderjenn]

Congrats on finishing rescue. It won't be nearly as difficult when you do rescue for your DM course.

I went running to help with my pool strength, as I got winded swimming. Then, I got into the pool. It's not nearly as difficult as you think, though you'll have some grumpy moments.

Now, I like swimming.

 

[Detonate]

Swimming is really the only thing that will help you with the swims. You have to train your body to do more with less oxygen. i.e. swimming 30 minutes straight a day with a snorkel won't do much to help you with your 450, but swimming 10 mintues a day without a snorkel, and you'll see improvement every day.

 

[Moostang]

Congrats Garyra!

 

[tx.lakerats]

I agree with EVERYONE above!! I went and swam everyday for a month and I could REALLY tell the difference... get your body use to swimming and you'll pass with no problems!

 

[ShakaZulu]

Congrats, all divers should do that course if they haven't. Yes, it was indeed tough getting the unconsious diver through the waves........... It's so crazy that O2 training has to be seperate when 90% of scuba related incidents involve O2.

 

[Moostang]

In all honesty i believe rescue is one of the best certifications for making you a better diver.

Moostang

 

[Garyra]

In all honesty i believe rescue is one of the best certifications for making you a better diver.

Moostang

I so agree with you Moostang. I took lifeguard training when I was a teen and had minor med training in the service, mostly for chem warfare, but Rescue Diver really opened my eyes. Since my instructor had pulled more than a few bodies out of Lake Lewisville while working there as a paramedic, I learned a lot of practical stuff too. It reminded me of a bunch of stuff that I had forgoten over the years and lots of new things to consider. For instance, while doing the gear removal and rescue breathing on the surface, I learned the importance of knowing how to take your buddies gear off them.
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Gary
"Never forget your towel and don't panic."