Rescue Diver Preparation

[SeaWendy]

My husband and I will be doing the Rescue Diver course in about 5 weeks from now.

Here's the question:
What kind of physical challenges can I expect? How long will I have to tow him across the sand? Will I need more upper or lower body strength?

I have five weeks to get my butt smaller and my muscles larger! (Although a larger butt provides for more buoyancy, and therefore less kicking at the surface... hmm...)
:mooner:

Any suggestions on what kinds of exercises to do at the gym?

I'm not in horrible shape; I can easily swim a mile in a pool, without fins. But my upper body strength sucks. Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[utdivermatt]

I dont know if you can pick out a certain excersise to get ready for Rescue. It is tiring, but if you can swim like you say you can, you should be fine. You will be tired afterwards, for sure, but it just gives you a good respect for all you did during the day. I was exhausted after my first day, but also felt well rewarded knowing how much I had accomplished. Most of the work was in the water though, so I wouldnt worry about upper body strengh all that much.

 

[ClayJar]

While you have to be in reasonable shape for a good rescue course, being able to swim a mile is probably more than most ever do. You shouldn't need to go far out of your way, and if you drop all that prep once you're done, it'd be pointless anyway (since if you ever needed to rescue someone, you wouldn't have practiced as a weakling ).

The most significant thing in rescue is your brain, and most of the rescue drills simply aren't that difficult. Taxing? Sure. You *should* be tired by the time you're done, even if it means they have to push you farther. The key is to be able to perform when you're tired and distracted, as that's when they seem to suddenly throw something else on you.

(Rescue checkouts are like an episode of Columbo. As soon as you let your guard down, they'll find "one more thing..." Be vigilant, but realize that it's their job to catch you off guard, so the better you are, the harder the trials will likely be, at least if you have a good instructor. )

 

[Bismark]

If you are doing this in warm water, lots easier and less weight. If you are in cold water in a drysuit it is a little bit more work but if you can swim a mile...... shouldn't have a problem. Enjoy the class it is pretty interesting. The theory stuff is great and the practical application of what to do in an emergency is very useful. Enjoy and don't stress it.

 

[spectrum]

The scenarios should be all about being the best rescuer that you can be. You should learn how to make the most of your strength and other resources since not everyone can be a big heman. Showing up well rested is probably the most immediate thing you can do to help.

Pete

 

[DaleHall]

I just finished my Rescue on 1 Apr.. Talk about being tired that night and sore in the morning!! I was actually more sore on Suinday after the pool portion than I was Monday after the Open Water. We had an O/W class getting chekded out, so we could rest between scenarios. Here in GA, we don't have to deal with cold very often. It was 85 air temp that day, but the quarry we were in was a different story. 70 degrees at the surface, thermocline at 11 feet. 56 degrees below thermocline. In a 5mm, that sucked. But, all in all, an awesome course!!! You'll both enjoy it.. SeaWendy, check your PM's.

 

[Don Wray]

Don't worry...it's more about technique than anything else...some parts are strenuous, but you'll do fine.

 

[trtldvr]

The opperative word is cognizance. Be aware of your suroundings. Yes, physical ability is important.You will put those strong swimming skills to use, and you will need some strength to do extracations, but the ability to see things and having good judgment are key. Remember, The best rescues are the ones you never have to perform.

This course should be challenging, but also rewarding. As an instructor it is my favorite class to teach.

Have fun

trtldvr

DIVE ALIVE

 

[dldiver]

i'm about to start my rescue course as well so i really appreciate this thread!

now, kick me out if you think i'm hijacking...but i'd just like to piggy back a question on the same topic...

how long do you think a rescue course should take? i've heard of places that do it in a weekend and others who do it over a 2-week period. what do you all think is the average length and what will suffice?

when i finish the course i want to feel like i got something out of it - not just a crash course that was good enough to get the jist...

 

[ClayJar]

When I did my rescue course, I did it with an often buddy of mine. After the pool sessions, when everyone else was stowing gear, we asked our instructor and the shop owner (who was teaching a DM class, IIRC) if we could do some additional drills (like the bailout drill, for example). With everyone else watching as they tore their gear down, we did the more advanced skills that they usually wouldn't have bothered with.

In the checkout, we were actually told at one point that the instructor had never seen a diver in panic make rescuing him anywhere near as hard as we were making it on each other (we were actively trying to prevent being rescued, and not at all half-heartedly). We answered that we had done it the easy way, by the book, the first time around, but we wanted to challenge ourselves with more difficult tasks. The instructor pretty much chuckled and said carry on, then.

Basically, then, my point would be that if you can find a good buddy in the class who wants to get out as much as possible, and if you have a good instructor who will go along with making things harder than might be "normal", you can get a lot more out of the class. Our class wasn't a weekend, to be sure, but it certainly wouldn't have been as productive as it was if we had been content with merely passing with flying colors. The class just wasn't that hard... until we made it so.