PADI /NAUI / SSI Rescue

[mweitz]

I am a little confused (as usual). I want to dive a site in a couple of years. It is considered an "advanced" dive to 130' or so. When I mentioned it to the dive shop they told me that I had to be a Rescue Diver to do that dive. They are a NAUI dive center. The dive is "The Roses" in Moorea.

So, my dive shop is an SSI shop. The only course that looks like "Rescue Diver" is their "Stress & Rescue" class.

This is where I am and where I am going:

OW with 21 dives, 12 Tropical and 9 Monterey, CA.
AOW Starts 9/7/04
- Night / Low Vis
- Boat Diving
- Drysuit Diving
- Navigation
Deep Diving 9/22/04
CPR & First Aid 10/23/04
Stress & Rescue 11/2/04

Is this considered a "Rescue Diver" or is Rescue Diver someone with much more training? If it is not, can I get the equivalent with SSI or do I need to take a PADI course?

Thanks,

Mark

 

[jbd]

I am a little confused (as usual). I want to dive a site in a couple of years. It is considered an "advanced" dive to 130' or so. When I mentioned it to the dive shop they told me that I had to be a Rescue Diver to do that dive. They are a NAUI dive center. The dive is "The Roses" in Moorea.

So, my dive shop is an SSI shop. The only course that looks like "Rescue Diver" is their "Stress & Rescue" class.

This is where I am and where I am going:

OW with 21 dives, 12 Tropical and 9 Monterey, CA.
AOW Starts 9/7/04
- Night / Low Vis
- Boat Diving
- Drysuit Diving
- Navigation
Deep Diving 9/22/04
CPR & First Aid 10/23/04
Stress & Rescue 11/2/04

Is this considered a "Rescue Diver" or is Rescue Diver someone with much more training? If it is not, can I get the equivalent with SSI or do I need to take a PADI course?

Thanks,

Mark

Yes. Stress and Rescue is the name of SSI's rescue course.

I don't see why someone would need to be a rescue certified diver to do a dive to 130 feet though :06: Did they give you an explanation?

 

[mweitz]

Well, the Lonely Planet lists it as a 130' advanced dive. Who knows what the dive shop does though?

As we get closer to the trip we will email the dive shop and get more information.

Thanks for the info.

Mark

 

[melfox26]

While it seems somewhat silly to require that someone be "Rescue Diver" certified to do a dive, if that's their policy, you must adhere to it. What about someone with over 1000 dives that is only OW certified, they aren't qualified to do that dive as opposed to someone that has only taken classes, is "Rescue Diver" certifed with only 20 dives under their belt? Anyways, something to ponder.

I'm PADI certified, Rescue Diver currently, doing Divemaster right now. PADI requires that you have AOW before doing Rescue while with SSI you can take Rescue with just the OW cert. If you are interested in the PADI route, I highly suggest Diver Dan's in Santa Clara, www.diverdans.com ,

Don't stress out too much in "qualifying" to do a particular dive. By doing a lot of diving over the next two years before your trip, you're going to become a great diver, regardless of what card you have in your wallet.

Mel

 

[jbd]

Who is Lonely Planet? Also is there anything about this dive site that makes it particularly difficult other than depth?

One other note--pretty much all the agencies recognize each others certifications so you would not need to take a rescue from another agency once you have taken the SSI Stress and Rescue course.

 

[mweitz]

Melfox,

It was just a casual conversation with one of the dive guides on my way home (we ran into him at the ferry) so I didn't get any specifics.

jbd,
They do travel guides. http://shop.lonelyplanet.com/product_detail.cfm?productID=926

I think he was sort of stressing that I was too new a diver to make those dives if you know what I mean ... Let me check what the Lonely Planet book says:

"It is a deep dive suitable only for experienced divers". 1

The dive starts at 98' and goes to 131'.

Mark

1. Jean-Bernard Carillet and Tony Wheeler, Diving & Snorkeling Tahiti & French Polynesia. Australia: Lonely Planet Publications, 2001

 

[sealkie]

I have dove The Roses in Moorea - it is a spectacula site - and you can easily dive to 130 ft + there + it is possible to dive it at 100 ft also. That area is prone to currents both on the surface and at depth so you need to be pretty competant - but it certainly not the toughest diving I have ever done

If you have not already booked with a dive operator I suggest you contact Rafeal at Moorrea Blue Diving - he has a small but efficient and pleasent dive shop that operates out of the Moorea Pearl Resort but will pick up divers from other locations

http://www.pearlresorts.com/moorea/diving.asp

 

[eponym]

Hi, Mark.

I took SSI's Stress & Rescue with a couple of friends and we thought it was a great course. The stress evaluation skills (buddy and self) and the rescue practice can make you more aware of the environment and your own mental state while diving. A common response to the class is, "why isn't this taught in open water?"

I'd suggest you'll also want to take a CPR class, if you haven't already done so.

I think it's great you're planning so far ahead. Let us know how it goes as you progress!

Bryan

 

[mweitz]

Hi, Mark.

I took SSI's Stress & Rescue with a couple of friends and we thought it was a great course. The stress evaluation skills (buddy and self) and the rescue practice can make you more aware of the environment and your own mental state while diving. A common response to the class is, "why isn't this taught in open water?"

I'd suggest you'll also want to take a CPR class, if you haven't already done so.

I think it's great you're planning so far ahead. Let us know how it goes as you progress!

Bryan

Yep, CPR / 1st Aid is 10/23, right before Stress and Rescue.

I did the dive a couple of times when I was there (I used ScubaPiti, had a great time). I did 91' and 94'. There was really nothing to it. Just like all my other dives there as far as I could tell. I loved the Monti though and want to really see more of it.

Thanks all,

Mark

 

[Diver0001]

Yes. Stress and Rescue is the name of SSI's rescue course.

I don't see why someone would need to be a rescue certified diver to do a dive to 130 feet though :06: Did they give you an explanation?

We suggest Rescue + 50 dives to dive on the North Sea wrecks. It's just a guideline for experience because the conditions can be fairly challenging and you don't want people to get in over their head, as it were..... Could be the same kind of thing.

R..