Requirements To Complete Rescue Diver Course?

[outofofficebrb]

Hi, folks.

I'm thinking about getting my Rescue Diver cert and am wondering what exercises are required to complete the course. I'm not so worried about the physical tiredness part based on what I've read but.....Don't laugh. (Actually, please do, it's really silly!) My hesitation is that I can't/hate/won't open my eyes underwater. Being maskless means just keeping my eyes closed. How much of that is required in completing the course?

I really enjoy the water, swimming, and especially diving but that's one thing that has me . OK, as silly as it is, you have my permission to unleash on me how ridiculous this is.

Thanks for letting me come clean!

 

[Oldbear]

There is nothing wrong or silly with you dislike of being maskless. We all have our discomforts. For me I do not like tight wet suits around my neck. When I dive cooler waters I have to deal with this and wet suits/dry suits.

To answer your question, no. You do not have to remove your mask underwater during the Rescue course. If you go Pro and move onto Divemaster, then there no mask skills (same ones you did in Open Water) that you will have to demonstrate.

So rest assured and have fun with the Rescue course...it can be a lot of fun with the right instructor.

~Oldbear~

 

[Skulmoski]

I concur, no mask skills; however, you could get your mask knocked off during the role play sessions. This did not happen during my course so I do not know how frequent this occurs.

Good luck with the course

GJS

 

[outofofficebrb]

@Oldbear @Skulmoski

Great! I was worried I would have to dive into the water to retrieve my gear maskless (or something) and be able to see what I'm doing which would mean eyes open. I'm feeling better about the Rescue class and am thinking I will do it. It will be better for me as well as any dive buddy or group that I will dive with. Thanks so much for the info and for not giving me a hard time about it. I was ready to give myself the most-dumb-post-ever award.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Lots of divers who wear contact lenses have gotten pretty far in their diving experiences without ever opening their eyes underwater. I have done some "no-mask skills" in various courses but always kept my eyes closed and did them by feel.

Does anyone know of any course in which performing a no-mask skill necessitates keeping one's eyes open?

 

[boulderjohn]

As others have said, you won't have to remove your mask. If your only issue with being maskless is not wanting to open your eyes, don't worry about that in general. As instructors, we know that many of our students are afraid of losing contact lenses, so we assume that any time a mask is removed during a drill, at least some of our students will want to have their eyes closed throughout the process. No problem. I can't think of anything we do in any class that would require you to have your eyes open without a mask.

On the other hand, if you are extremely uncomfortable just having the mask off, that is something you really should try to overcome. You should feel comfortable being underwater with that mask off for extended periods of time--you never know when it can come off for one reason or another, and you can't be panicking if it does. Not long ago I was working with a DM candidate who really struggled with that, and I told her she could not pass the could that way. I told her how she could overcome it, she did, and now she is perfectly fine with it. She assisted me in a class just the other day, so she was obviously successful. If that is a problem, I can give you the same advice I gave to her.

 

[TMHeimer]

I couldn't open my eyes uw when I took OW course as 2 weeks earlier I had lazer surgery. I don't recall any requirement either for demonstrating the no mask skill during the DM course. It's probably a good idea to try to get used to opening your eyes in OW (fresh or salt), as you may need to find your own lost mask. I always avoided opening them in the pool--don't mind salt water but hate that chlorine.

 

[The Chairman]

It depends on your instructor. If I detect a weakness, I'm going to go after it. If I have an inkling that you have a problem with your mask off, then you can be sure I'll be inventing exercises designed to strengthen you in that regard. It's not that I just want to be a sadistic a-hole, but the whole point of a rescue course is to introduce you to helping others so you have to be squared away yourself. In fact, unless you get blind sided at least once in the class, I haven't done my job to make you think! I've only been called an a-hole once, but I've heard the "SUMBITCH" expletive a few times during each class.

I have a class starting tomorrow, so it should be FUN, FUN, FUN. Well, at least for me.

 

[VaeVix]

Well the goal of the rescue is threefold : learning techniques to help another, recognizing the risks so that YOU don't put yourself in a dangerous situation, and being confortable enough underwater (and on the surface) to handle an emergency. Goal 2 and 3 implie that you are reasonably comfortable without a mask, in my opinion. Not to say "you like it" but at least "hey I can still breath, so no need to kill myself by bolting to the surface". In my experience, the roleplay will definitely at least include the risk of getting your mask ripped off (in my case primary and secondary as well and dragging me down in a panicked diver scenario).
My best guess would be to talk about the fact that you are not comfortable without you mask with your instructor, so that he knows not to pull a scenario like that (though he would test you before in any case, no doubt) an use the course to work on it (there is no shame it is a very frequent fear, being underwater is not natural, without the mask is even stranger but it is a question of habit).

For me a part of your quest to become an effective rescue diver is to learn overcoming this fear (it can be fun, and the kind of thing you'll talk about afterward "I can't believe I was able to do this but now it seems easy". Training is about that: getting used to unusual and uncomfortable situations to widen our comfort zone. ).

 

[outofofficebrb]

As others have said, you won't have to remove your mask. If your only issue with being maskless is not wanting to open your eyes, don't worry about that in general. As instructors, we know that many of our students are afraid of losing contact lenses, so we assume that any time a mask is removed during a drill, at least some of our students will want to have their eyes closed throughout the process. No problem. I can't think of anything we do in any class that would require you to have your eyes open without a mask.

On the other hand, if you are extremely uncomfortable just having the mask off, that is something you really should try to overcome. You should feel comfortable being underwater with that mask off for extended periods of time--you never know when it can come off for one reason or another, and you can't be panicking if it does. Not long ago I was working with a DM candidate who really struggled with that, and I told her she could not pass the could that way. I told her how she could overcome it, she did, and now she is perfectly fine with it. She assisted me in a class just the other day, so she was obviously successful. If that is a problem, I can give you the same advice I gave to her.

I really appreciate your reply from an instructor standpoint. I'm totally fine having the mask off. It's just opening my eyes underwater. I'm sure if I had to and it were life and death, I'm sure I would make it work......and I know the point of the class is to make it as real as possible. I'm just hoping that I won't fail because I can't/won't/hate to.

Well the goal of the rescue is threefold : learning techniques to help another, recognizing the risks so that YOU don't put yourself in a dangerous situation, and being confortable enough underwater (and on the surface) to handle an emergency. Goal 2 and 3 implie that you are reasonably comfortable without a mask, in my opinion. Not to say "you like it" but at least "hey I can still breath, so no need to kill myself by bolting to the surface". In my experience, the roleplay will definitely at least include the risk of getting your mask ripped off (in my case primary and secondary as well and dragging me down in a panicked diver scenario).
My best guess would be to talk about the fact that you are not comfortable without you mask with your instructor, so that he knows not to pull a scenario like that (though he would test you before in any case, no doubt) an use the course to work on it (there is no shame it is a very frequent fear, being underwater is not natural, without the mask is even stranger but it is a question of habit).

For me a part of your quest to become an effective rescue diver is to learn overcoming this fear (it can be fun, and the kind of thing you'll talk about afterward "I can't believe I was able to do this but now it seems easy". Training is about that: getting used to unusual and uncomfortable situations to widen our comfort zone. ).

Thankfully, I am totally comfortable without my mask on and can still breathe through my reg without inhaling water just fine. It's just opening my eyes underwater. I think you bring up really good points about what the rescue class is about in the beginning. Excellent!