Rescue Cert, is it truly a must have cert, or not?

[TMHeimer]

In reading here I have found the Rescue Course varies a lot by instructor. The requirements may be done up to snuff, but the physical difficulty seems to vary a lot. For my course it was 4-5 days in a row. I found it mentally challenging, but not so much physically even at my age then of 52.

I've taken EFR Courses (PADI) that varied from fairly extensive full day courses to a couple of hours at night (watch a video, ask/answer questions, play with the dummy). Neither did anything with bandaging. St. Jonh's Ambulance course (Canada) was more thorough with bandaging. Either case the test (if there was one) was a joke because you couldn't fail. Doing any of this every 2 years IMHO means next to nothing if you don't review it yourself-- unless someone has a heart attack 2 days after your course.

 

[Cthippo]

I don't suppose they let you challenge the EFR course if you are already an EMT?

 

[pauldw]

I don't suppose they let you challenge the EFR course if you are already an EMT?

Probably depends on the instructor. They did for me based on my background.

 

[MichaelMc]

Rescue does have dive or water specific stuff:
- Silent drowning
- Directing a beach rescue support team
- Doing the Beach to bottom to Beach plus CPR rescue portion of it
- Bringing diver to surface, ditching gear, water rescue breaths,
- Diver tow
- Diver carry out of water to dry sand
- Watching for signs of distress, warning signs of future diver issues. A big part of the class and prevention.

(Mine was NAUI/Scientific plus DAN First aid for professional divers (CPR, AED, O2, etc), so YMMV)

 

[MikeHoncho]

I don't suppose they let you challenge the EFR course if you are already an EMT?

My instructor allowed it being a paramedic for 27 years.

 

[Cthippo]

Be interesting if you show up for the class, drop the tube, start an IO, and manually defibrilate the dummy, especially if they didn't know you were a provider.

 

[brsnow]

I did the SSI class coupled with DAN oxygen/first aid/ redid CPR, I thought it was worth it and enjoyed it.

 

[happy-diver]

Yeah do CPR, it should be compulsory as soon as families become pregnant
Oxygen provider cobble some gear together to oxygenate on the way home

If you go diving enough, you will rescue yourself plenty to not need a course

 

[Tripp]

"Rescue Cert, is it truly a must have cert, or not?"​

It is not a must-have for you, personally. I think, however, we would all want our buddy or someone on the dive to be capable of rescuing us were we to get into trouble. So, it is an altruistic certification. One that you do in order to benefit your diving buddies, and our greater diving community. I am an anesthesiologist who is required to constantly maintain my BLS, ACLS, and PALS, and it did me a world of good, but was physically very taxing.

The statement: "the class I took was horrible" can and has been used to denigrate every single type of course ever offered, and is the reason we all recommend research into instructors prior to signing up.

 

[tursiops]

The rescue course is an oxymoron. Learn CPR, first aid, and some basic techniques used by firefighters. Most of the rescue techniques are passive.

OP, ignore this post.