Rescue diving question

[Ready2Scuba]

I just finished the academic portion of the PADI Rescue Diving Certification online. I just wanted to know if someone knows the skills I have to perform for remainder of the course. My instructor is out of town for several weeks and I can't get ahold of her. I was also wanting to know the same for the Divemaster Course...or if a person doesn't care much for teaching SCUBA, would Master SCUBA Diver would be better. I only want to become a better diver!! Any comments and help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Dive-aholic]

It's best to wait until the skills are demonstrated in class. The skills you'll be doing focus on working with distressed panicked and non-panicked divers. Kind of difficult to teach how to do that on the internet. The skills for the divemaster course are basically the skills from open water class but they must be done demonstration perfect. If you really don't want to teach then don't bother with divemaster. To be an active divemaster you will not only have to pay about $100/year to PADI, but you'll also be paying over $300/year for professional liability insurance. Master scuba diver is nothing more than a sign off stating you have 50 dives, 5 specialties, and rescue diver. It's not actually a class, just an expensive certificate. If you want to be a better diver then go out and dive. That's the best way to do that.

 

[Quero]

You have to demonstrate self-rescue techniques and do ten rescue exercises:
Self-Rescue Review:

• Cramp release
• Establishing buoyancy at the surface
• Airway control
• Securing and using an alternate air source
• Overcoming vertigo

Ten buddy rescue exercises:

• Assist a tired diver
• Rescue a panicked diver on the surface
• Assist a responsive diver on the surface from shore, boat or dock
• Respond to a distressed diver underwater
• Search for a missing diver underwater
• Surface an unresponsive diver
• Rescue an unresponsive diver at the surface
• Exit an unresponsive diver
• Provide first aid for pressure-related injuries and administer oxygen
• Respond from shore/boat to nonbreathing diver at the surface

 

[Selchie in LB]

All my training has been through PADI. Rescue was probably the best class I took after OW. AOW was not really anything special. It just allowed me to do a couple of different dives. I have learned so much by getting out and diving.

I did go on to DM. I guess I am still considering instructing. The next in water class I took was intro to tec. You can take other tec classes through GUE or UTD. Look for the threads on DIR, fundies, primer, etc. Those classes focus on bettering dive skills including buoyancy, finning techniques, etc.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[Searcaigh]

I agree with Dive-aholic, if you have no plans in teaching why bother with the DM course, just get out and dive and enjoy yourself.

However finish your Rescue Course, if you have a good instructor this is a really fun course.

 

[AfterDark]

All my training has been through PADI. Rescue was probably the best class I took after OW. AOW was not really anything special. It just allowed me to do a couple of different dives. I have learned so much by getting out and diving.

I did go on to DM. I guess I am still considering instructing. The next in water class I took was intro to tec. You can take other tec classes through GUE or UTD. Look for the threads on DIR, fundies, primer, etc. Those classes focus on bettering dive skills including buoyancy, finning techniques, etc.

Good luck and have fun!

Hey Selchie how you doing? When you coming back to RI? Haven't seen you here in while. I just finished AOW and Nitrox. I'm thinking rescue next year. Gota do some diving!

 

[DivemasterDennis]

I would add one skill I always include with my rescue students, and that is a "controlled buoyant ascent." It is really a buoyancy skill, but we work on surfacing without movement through fine control of air in the bc. DO NOT practice it on your own. It may or may not be a part of your class.
DivemasterDennis

 

[Crowley]

I would add one skill I always include with my rescue students, and that is a "controlled buoyant ascent." It is really a buoyancy skill, but we work on surfacing without movement through fine control of air in the bc. DO NOT practice it on your own. It may or may not be a part of your class.

Rescue Exercise 6, part 1 of the PADI rescue course is to demonstrate controlled positively buoyant ascents using the low pressure inflator. Part 2 of exercise 6 is surfacing the unresponsive diver using positive buoyancy control, so I hope it is definitely part of the class!

For the rescue diver student - you really need to see these skills in action by watching the demonstrations both on DVD and in the water with an instructor. Until you see them and try to do them, you won't really understand exactly why you need to do one thing or the other.

For DM - I agree with previous posts - unless you plan on working in the business, MSD is much more relevant to the recreational diver. DM doesn't really teach you how to dive, it teaches you how to supervise and assist other divers. Buoyancy and dive skills are not really core parts of the class, you need to have good dive skills to be a DM, but the course doesn't really teach them, and unless you want to go pro, MSD and lots of diving in between is much more worthwhile.

Cheers,

C.