NAUI Rescue vs NAUI Advanced Rescue

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On this side of the 'pond', dive shops don't care as long as your certification covers the planned depth of the dive. I stopped my formal training at AOW (except for an SDI 'Solo' cert), and have never been refused.

The order from lowest to highest certification is usually considered as:
OW -> AOW -> Rescue

And dive operators will let people go mostly anywhere from AOW.

However, unlike PADI for example, NAUI Rescue can be taken right after OW.
So if someone shows a NAUI Rescue c-card as their highest certification, will they still be considered the same as a Rescue from PADI (thus assuming their level is above AOW) even though they might only have OW?
 
yet they’re not asking a binary question whether the person is at least AOW or not. So knowing the levels above AOW must have an impact/some value for them?
If I just want to know if someone is AOW or not I will still put all certification levels on my forms.
1. Customers will want to let you know if they are rescue or higher. It matters to them their training is acknowledged more than it is required for the dive. If the option isn't there they will complain.
2. Knowing your customer's certification levels helps in marketing. I am not going to let a DM know about an upcoming rescue class but I'll offer the class to anyone who checked AOW.
3. Rescue is rescue. It does not make a difference to the person asking in this scenario. They aren't going to try to sign you up for a rescue class and they won't be depending on your help in an emergency. They will expect you to be a competent diver.
 
Thank you @Scuba Scott

And what is your opinion on my message just above (#11)?
 
I think you are entirely too concerned about this. Is there something you are worried about not being able to do? If so call them and ask if it matters.

 
So, what’s the real difference between the two NAUI courses -- "Rescue," where you bring the diver back to shore; and "Advanced Rescue," when you actually bring them back alive?
 
The order from lowest to highest certification is usually considered as:
OW -> AOW -> Rescue

And dive operators will let people go mostly anywhere from AOW.

However, unlike PADI for example, NAUI Rescue can be taken right after OW.
So if someone shows a NAUI Rescue c-card as their highest certification, will they still be considered the same as a Rescue from PADI (thus assuming their level is above AOW) even though they might only have OW?

I understand why you are under the impression that "Rescue" is a "higher level certification" than AOW, but that is not how it works.

Rescue is ancillary to your other certifications, not higher. In fact, neither NAUI, PADI, or SSI require one to be a AOW or equivalent to enroll and attain Rescue certification. Here are the training/certification pre-reqs' for each of the 3 agencies noted:

PADI:
Adventure Diver/Junior Adventure Diver (or qualifying certification) with completed Underwater Navigation Dive; EFR Primary and Secondary Care training (or qualifying training) within 24 months.

NAUI:
All participants must be in good health and be previously certified as a NAUI Scuba Diver or equivalent.

SSI:
Must be an Open Water Diver with proof of CPR and First Aid Training within the last 24 Months.


Stating you are a "Rescue Diver" is akin to walking into a group situation and stating "hey everyone, just want you to know that I am first aid and CPR certified".

One of the major issues with Rescue Diver certification is that the skills are perishable, and none of the major agencies that provide Rescue Diver certification require continuing education or recertification to maintain the certification. Unless you are asked/interviewed, no one really knows when you obtained your Rescue certification or whether your instructor was particularly thorough or challenging. There are some who claim Rescue was the most challenging cert they participated in/obtained and there are some who feel it wasn't much of a challenge at all....like most dive training, the experience and challenge is very dependent on the quality of the instructor.

In fact, because there is no continuing education/re-certification requirement (other than CPR/First Aid), in my opinion there is far too much emphasis placed on the importance of Rescue certification, and not enough emphasis in incorporating rescue skills in the primary training curriculums (e.g., open water, advanced open water)...NAUI actually does is the exception to this as they include (or at least used to include) in their Advance Scuba Diver and Master Scuba diver course, much of that which makes up PADI's Rescue diver course....at least it was included in the NAUI training courses I took.

-Z
 
I understand why you are under the impression that "Rescue" is a "higher level certification" than AOW, but that is not how it works.

Actually I agree with you that Rescue is just ancillary to the other certs. I was mainly asking how it is perceived/considered by dive ops in practice.

My impression is that they usually consider a Rescue diver to be higher than AOW, and merely because most have the PADI hierarchy in mind

Note: And you are right about only Adventure Diver being needed before PADI Rescue, but in practice very few do not complete their AOW in this case.

Also in the case of NAUI, where instructors can adapt their course and raise the minimum requirements, a lot of them do require AOW before starting Rescue
 
Actually I agree with you that Rescue is just ancillary to the other certs. I was mainly asking how it is perceived/considered by dive ops in practice.

My impression is that they usually consider a Rescue diver to be higher than AOW, and merely because most have the PADI hierarchy in mind

Note: And you are right about only Adventure Diver being needed before PADI Rescue, but in practice very few do not complete their AOW in this case.

Also in the case of NAUI, where instructors can adapt their course and raise the minimum requirements, a lot of them do require AOW before starting Rescue

Edited to add:
I don't think dive ops consider Rescue Diver to be a higher certification than AOW. They have enough experience to know that the skillset varies from one Rescue Diver certified individual to the next, to the point that they can't reasonably rely on a client flashing a Rescue Diver certification card or its equivalent. I don't think they have any expectation that a client has or is going to identify themself as other than OW, AOW, or a professional level certification such as DM, AI, or I....and I don't think many ops even expect clients with pro level certifications to identify themselves at that level....they really just want to know if you poses the certification level, experience, and fitness to do the dives they have planned.

Original response:
In practice, I don't think any dive op would care one way or the other and I don't think any good dive ops will plan around a client's stated capability even if backed up with a certification card. The dive op will almost certainly not make changes to the activities they have planned knowing a client with Rescue certification is present. While it is nice to have capable hands when the shite is hitting the fan, your true training and capabilities are unknown to the dive op, and while you might be protected by "Good Samaritan" laws, the dive op may not be covered and could be held liable for negligence due to letting you step in any substantial way. If you happen on someone underwater or on the surface that needs your rescue skills then fine, put those skills to use, if the victim is conscious on the surface, you should be introducing yourself to them if at all possible and stating you can help, that is the time to let them know you are rescue certified....until that point, you will come across like you are carrying your ego in a handbag. I imagine that you don't approach the customer service desk when you go grocery shopping to let them know that you are CPR certified and standing by should another customer need help. Dive Pros (DMs, Assistant Instructors, Instructors, etc.) all need to maintain CPR and First-Aide certifications, and Rescue Diver is pre-requisite for them as well.

Be proud of the fact you are a capable diver. Be proud of the fact you poses Rescue Diver certification. Take that cert card and show it to the Starbucks Barista on your birthday and they will most likely give you a free cup of coffee. Be the hero when a hero is needed. Until then, be observant to what is going on around you and try to enjoy the dives you paid for.

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-Z
 
Maybe I didn’t formulate it clearly but what I was wondering is whether a dive shop will still request to be shown an AOW card when a diver shows his Rescue c-card (in the case the dive op needs to split the group between OW and the rest for example).

1) Basically can we just carry the Rescue card or do we need to bring both card?
2) And for 1), does it matter which agency issued the cert?
 
Maybe I didn’t formulate it clearly but what I was wondering is whether a dive shop will still request to be shown an AOW card when a diver shows his Rescue c-card (in the case the dive op needs to split the group between OW and the rest for example).

1) Basically can we just carry the Rescue card or do we need to bring both card?
2) And for 1), does it matter which agency issued the cert?
1) just carry and present your AOW. Nothing else matters unless you get MSD or become a DM/Instructor and WANT to show them.
2) agency didn't matter nowadays
 
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