Rescue diver

[TexasMike]

Rescue diver is one of the few courses where the instructor/staff to student ratio is heavily weighted towards the staff. In my class, we had four students and about 8 or so Instructors/AI's/DM's.

And since you learn by doing, the instructor will develop lots of different scenarios for the students to "manage" to see how you react to whats going on and "solve" the problem.

In my rescue course some of them turned out to be sort of funny when we reviewed them after the instructor called "time out" and we debriefed.

The first one that our class ran was where a panicked diver was on the surface saying that he couldn't find his buddy (this was the trapped and low on air diver scenario). So while two students went to get into their gear, me and my buddy scrambled to the dock and threw out the rescue rope and hauled him into shore and onto the dock.

Remembering that it was important to control the diver that we just brought out of the water, I grabbed him by the harness and pulled him up the bank and started questioning him on what happened, where he had been diving, what is buddy was doing/wearing, etc. And then I had the idea that to keep him from heading back into the rescue area and adding the the confusion I would get him out of his scuba unit. So I got a good hold on the tank valve, and got a bystander to help him unclip and unbuckle.

Then as soon as the diver felt he was free, he slipped out of his harness, yelled "I GOTTA SAVE MY BUDDY!!!!", and runs down the bank and off of the dock leaving me holding his harness/tank with a "what the heck just happened" look on my face.


The other funny incident was when two of the DM's surface during the tail end of another scenario and started a loud argument. Then we hear, "WHY YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING...!!" and they started figting and trying to push the other underwater.

Us students got that one managed and solved, but later we had a good laugh because it was so well staged.


Anyhow, I should say that Rescue Diver is a very good course and I recommend that all divers take it. It is quite a lot of work, but the info and skills you learn will help make you a better diver in the long run. (but that's not to say it can't be fun as well )

 

[Northeastwrecks]

I agree with TexasMike. You work, but you have fun.

One of the better scenarios I ran into involved a diver suffering from DCS at the surface and a missing buddy running short on air.

Our instructor used a DM who owned a rebreather to play the OOA buddy. There were no bubbles and very little noise. The DM ran a wreck reel from his last location to where he was hiding. The rescuers had to find his reel and follow it after he deliberately silted out the bottom.

By the way, you'd be amazed how fast a rebreather diver regains consciousness when you try to remove his equipment. Apparently, getting water in the system is very bad. Of course, for the first few minutes, the rescuers thought that his concern was part of the scenario and kept trying to convince him to give it up.

 

[SubMariner]

Se7en said:

You need a valid first aid certificate before you start, so that information is assumed knowledge in the course.

This is inaccurate. In order to be certified as a Rescue Diver you need to have valid First Aid and CPR before the end of the course. IOW, you could go through all the Scenarios THEN complete the PADI Medic First Aid Course or an equivalent from another agency.

By the same token, if you already have a current valid certificationn in CPR/1st Aid from one of the recognized agencies such as Red Cross, St. Johns Ambulance, etc., then you do not have to take any other training.

It is not necessary to take the DAN O2 course in order to complete Rescue Diver. However, the O2 course does teach you what the equipment is all about & how to use it effectively. (I.E.:what flow rate for an adult, the difference between demand valuve and non-rebreather masks, etc.)

Inevitably, any of my students who do the RD course find it challenging, rewarding, and fun.

Please feel free to PM or email me if you have any other questions.

~SubMariner~

 

[Northeastwrecks]

FWIW, I completed the Rescue Course last week. My instructor will not issue my certification for Rescue until I complete the MFA course (this week).

I seem to recall a requirement that any first aid certification be no more than 2 years old at the time that Rescue is completed. Is this correct?

 

[MSilvia]

In my PADI rescue course, we went over flow rates, and the different types of O2 regulators (with training only on demand systems). Is this not normally part of the rescue diver curriculum? If not, how can a PADI rescue diver be expected to provide appropriate first aid for drowing or DCS injuries?

 

[SubMariner]

I seem to recall a requirement that any first aid certification be no more than 2 years old at the time that Rescue is completed. Is this correct?

That is true: First Aid and CPR must have been completed within the past 2 years to be able to attain RD certification.

~SubMariner~

 

[O-ring]

I just called my LDS and the PADI Course Director there looked it up and told me that the book states only that the student must have a CURRENT CPR certification.

He said that would be ok with him and that I wouldn't need basic first aid or the PADI Medic class or whatever it is...

 

[SubMariner]

O-ring, I am discussing this very thing with my CD. We have been looking over the requirements for Rescue Diver and Divemaster in the Instructor Manual.

So far it looks like the Manual only stresses CPR at the Rescue Diver level and discusses First Aid in the Knowledge Development section of the course. However, both First Aid and CPR are required for Divemaster. This strikes us as an inconsistency, so I will contact PADI Training directly to see if they can elaborate on this issue.

Rest assured that once I find out the skinny, I'll be posting it here.

Stay tuned!

~SubMariner~

 

[chrispete]

this past weekend, and it basically teaches just that, how to operate the equipment, how to administer the O2, and to tell you never to use a manually activated regulator without further training (can you say "pop!" if you hold it down a bit too long.)

They went out of their way to say that it did not in any way teach first aid techniques beyond assessing the situation, setting up the equipment, strapping the mask on the vic, and calling for help, and that it only supplemented prior (or future) training in first aid.

 

[The Chairman]

I am a Rescue Diver... have been for a while. This past Sunday I participated in a rescue workshop with Walter and some others from another board. I have but one thing to say...

YOU CAN'T PRACTICE ENOUGH!!!

Take all of the courses you can and then re-take them. Diver rescues are taught from the most basic class in NAUI on up. You can NOT succesfully complete a NAUI OW class without knowing how to rescue a Panicked diver on the surface, AND an unconscious diver on the bottom. They have to do this in the pool and in Open water. The reason??? Practice is the key... by the time a diver is taking a NAUI Rescue Diver course or an Advanced Rescue Diver course, they know how to deal with things when the ca-ca hits the fan.

I would also reccomend taking First Aid, CPR and Oxygen Provider before you take Rescue diver... BTW, I took my PADI Oxy provider AND my Dan Oxy provider at the same time. The instructor taught for both and taught to both standards in her class.