Question Rescue course location recommendation?

[Doctor Rig]

I’m ready to take a Rescue course & I’m looking for experienced input recommendations on where to take the course. Help me out!! (Detailed recommendations would be ideal!)

I live in Michigan and it would be terrific, if I could find an good instructor/course in a location that is warmer & more enjoyable than in this neck of the woods, while minimizing travel, food & lodging expenses as best possible.

FYI: As proposed this will likely be a solo trip where an eat, sleep & having fun diving agenda would be ok.

 

[lionfish-eater]

Cozumel
Aldora

 

[TMHeimer]

I suppose Florida. Unless you'll be diving mainly at home, then I'd suggest there.

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

I recommend taking your Rescue course where you are going to dive. It won't be of any value doing it in the clear warm water if you dive in the cold dark Great Lakes.

 

[Marie13]

I recommend taking your Rescue course where you are going to dive. It won't be of any value doing it in the clear warm water if you dive in the cold dark Great Lakes.

Agreed.

OP, where do your local shops do their class dives? White Star or Gilboa, I’d bet if you’re in the Detroit area.

 

[Damselfish]

I only dive warm water now, took Rescue class as part of a LDS trip, and did the pool part at home. For the OW part on a tropical island, the instructor made a special effort to find us crappy conditions and near zero viz and do whatever he could to make it challenging. He even borrowed a boat to get our “victims” on. Which was all a good thing.

So yeah, if you dive at home at all, just take it there.

 

[TMHeimer]

I recommend taking your Rescue course where you are going to dive. It won't be of any value doing it in the clear warm water if you dive in the cold dark Great Lakes.

Nit picking, but it would be of some value anywhere because the skills are the same, you just don't do them in the tropics dressed like the Michelin Man with tons of weight. Just studying the book (or online) has value.

 

[Doctor Rig]

I recommend taking your Rescue course where you are going to dive.

i‘ve heard this comment before. I’m 50:50 warm and colder water diver, and I know what it will cost around here. My original post wasn’t very clear, I’m looking for a good warm weather destination spot where I can take the class and also enjoy a new warm destination while taking the Rescue class with budget travel & lodging expenses as best possible.

Because flights to Orlando are really cheap, I was thinking of the springs area, but then there’s no destination dive location (that I know of) where you don’t need a vehicle.

Southern Florida might be another option, but lodging is not typically convenient and inexpensive…. again that I know of.

I was hoping someone might know of a good shop or instructor who could or does offer this kind of thing. (To bad Cozumel flights aren’t cheaper.)

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

Nit picking, but it would be of some value anywhere because the skills are the same, you just don't do them in the tropics dressed like the Michelin Man with tons of weight. Just studying the book (or online) has value.

I did my rescue course in the St. Clair river. It has about 6 to 8 knot currents, back eddy's, 5 foot vis, freighter & boat traffic over head. I doubt if I had done my rescue course some where warm, sunny & clear, it would have prepared me for the dive conditions in the St. Clair.

 

[TMHeimer]

I did my rescue course in the St. Clair river. It has about 6 to 8 knot currents, back eddy's, 5 foot vis, freighter & boat traffic over head. I doubt if I had done my rescue course some where warm, sunny & clear, it would have prepared me for the dive conditions in the St. Clair.

OK we agree. But if you did ANY of your training in the tropics you would need to take it real slow as you learned to dive in the St. Clair-- or here in Nova Scotia. The rescue skills are the same procedures, just harder to do if conditions are rugged and maybe cold. Anything is harder in that situation. The rescue manual/online material is the same. It won't say "Hey, there's current and it's cold, so giving rescue breaths while towing and removing gear in this place is way harder".

But yeah I agree-- get the recsue training where you'll mostly dive. But if that may be 3 years from now, get it wherever it is first available so you at least know the skills.