Padi rescue diver course

[Frosty]

Im just back from completing my Padi rescue diver course.I have to say IMO it proved to be by far the most physically challenging and rewarding course Ive had since returning to diving.
If anyone asks me about specialities etc without hesitation I'd recommend this course to anyone.
Lots of common sense stuff but a lot I just hadn't thought of.

 

[antattack]

It was my favorite class too. I recently got a refresher when I assisted with a rescue class. You get a completely different perspective when you play victim all day !

Keep training~!

 

[driftwood]

The rescue class is the first specialty that makes you very aware of your other divers. It definitely increased my "situational awareness".

 

[Griffo]

I thought Rescue was the second best class I have done, and it was far far far ahead of anything except Fundies which makes Rescue seem pretty easy in comparison.

I especialy liked the way my rescue instructor tailored the demand level to push my personal comfort envelope - he even had me bring up two OOA divers (who knew you could buddy breath off the short hose?!) in order to push me which I loved. I reccomend it to every diver.

 

[TSandM]

Rescue is an excellent class, and one which I think every avid diver ought to take. Honestly, there is very little I would change in that class -- it's just about right the way it is.

 

[Mustard Dave]

I did mine a year or two ago in Capernwray, a former Quarry and now a dive centre in Lancaster. The water was 4 degrees C and the wind was blowing a hooli. The instructor said at the end of the course it was the only time he'd ever seen waves in there. Because the wind was so strong, we were being blown away from the entrance and water was being sprayed in our faces.

The dive school always get somebody to play 'uncle knob-head' when students are doing the scenarios which adds to the pressure but makes it good fun. I'd echo what others have said about helping out afterwards. The dive school are on a winner with the free assistance but you get an opportunity to keep your own skills sharp. Being uncle knob-head is also great fun!



There was an interesting incident this weekend. I was at the same site with a club member. We were making our way back to the exit, slowly coming up the slope of what was once a road. I spotted a diver, lay prone on the bottom but breathing. I looked at my buddy, who was clearly thinking the same as me. I had a quick glance around for the victim's buddy but nobody was nearby. My buddy was waving his hand in front of his face but he was not responding. I began to manoeuvre myself behind him for a CBL and signaled my intentions to my buddy. Next thing, two divers approached at some speed and we concluded we had stumbled upon a rescue course and left them to it. We surfaced monents later and looked in the direction we had come from to see the rescuers being debriefed by the instructor. The instructor then muttered somthing in our direction along the lines of us interfering, so I congratulated him for the example he was setting to his students by criticising two divers who found an unresponsive diver and followed their training.

 

[TMHeimer]

I had to do Rescue in 5 straight days, which was a bit grueling, especially with the distance I live from the shop. Oddly, at my then age of 52, I didn't find it overly demanding physically, but there sure was a lot of thinking.

 

[oldschoolto]

who knew you could buddy breath off the short hose?!.

You're joking right?? You know we can buddy breath with a vintage double hose.....:vintagediver::wink1:

Jim...

 

[Oldbear]

I was disappointed in my course. It was taught at the major tourist spot in Dubai and to be honest was not that challenging. The resort has one of the most fantastic training facilities I have ever seen, but the experience level of the instructors was dismal to say the least. I paid for that in later pro-classes as I have had to do "make-up". I really noticed just how poor the instruction was when I did have quality instructors in my DM and AI courses. Standards might have been met, but there is no substitute for quality instruction.

 

[Griffo]

You're joking right?? You know we can buddy breath with a vintage double hose.....:vintagediver::wink1:

Jim...

Only half joking. Obviously you can buddy breath with anything you can manage to get into your mouth, but I was very surpised at the ease of such a task.

The instructor had actually told my first donor recipient to refuse to give up the reg on the long hose, but I didn't even try to be honest. I just assumed it was better for me to be in control of the buddy breath than two OOA divers. I just pulled the bungee over my head and buddy breathed off it with OOA diver #2. I guess I was saying that I had never considered the possibility that I would ever have to, and i'm suprised that it was long enough to do so comfortably. It was actually quite easy. If you had asked me before I tried it I would have imagined a virtual bear hug to make it reach, but it had plenty of length.

As I said, it was fun though. Maintaining an ascent with one diver on my long-hose and one buddy breathing off my short hose was certainly a good test (for me) under task load.