Rescue, done, finally!

[gypsyjim]

Finally completed my PADI Rescue diver yesterday at Lake George. Feels a bit like I've been run through an old fashioned wringer washing machine, but what a good feeling of accomplishment at the same time.
I started my Rescue back in June but tore a calf muscle on Day 1 and after Day 2 my leg forced me to quit till it healed. At 56 I don't heal as fast as I used to. I picked up again with the next class these last 2 weekends, for the final 3 days, the course director having added an extra day so we could work on boat responses.
Just as we finnished our final scenario yesterday; a boat response to distant divers (thunderstorm blew in hard during the ecercise for that added touch), and we were returning to shore, we actually had to respond to a real accident where a parasail powerboat capsized in the sudden high winds, and we got to work on a recovery. Made for a really full day, but left quite an impression on all of us.

As Rich Morin, the Course Director had been saying since Day 1: you simply never know when you will be needed to respond, and you can never assume that you are done for the day! His attitude of immediately preparing for the next dive, even when you're not planning one certainly showed it's merits yesterday.
This is the same PADI Director who witnessed the Ethan Allen disaster about 3 years ago while teaching an OW class across the bay, and whose instructors and divemasters did the recovery on the 47 senior citizens lost, while their students served as shore support! Rich's lessons carry a lot of credibility and hands on experience, which makes taking this course with him so much more intense, and in the end, more rewarding!
As he said yesterday during our final debriefing: it's not if you will ever need to respond, but when. Even the part about always being aware of potential problems and preventing possible situations from escalating is a part of that responding to others in need.
Please pardon my long post, but I wanted to share my experience, and encourage anyone thinking of taking the Rescue course to find an instructor team that REALLY teaches it. We got to witness another group at the same lake do a 2 day "stamp the c'card' type rescue course and there is NO comparison.
Done, thanks for letting me vent.

 

[1_T_Submariner]

Congrats! Nice write up about your class.

 

[gypsyjim]

Thanks, I know it was long, but I had to vent some.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Congrats! We are starting this course this month and I'm excited about it. I appreciate the insight.

 

[DeepSeaDan]

Finally completed my PADI Rescue diver yesterday at Lake George. Feels a bit like I've been run through an old fashioned wringer washing machine, but what a good feeling of accomplishment at the same time.
I started my Rescue back in June but tore a calf muscle on Day 1 and after Day 2 my leg forced me to quit till it healed. At 56 I don't heal as fast as I used to. I picked up again with the next class these last 2 weekends, for the final 3 days, the course director having added an extra day so we could work on boat responses.
Just as we finnished our final scenario yesterday; a boat response to distant divers (thunderstorm blew in hard during the ecercise for that added touch), and we were returning to shore, we actually had to respond to a real accident where a parasail powerboat capsized in the sudden high winds, and we got to work on a recovery. Made for a really full day, but left quite an impression on all of us.

As Rich Morin, the Course Director had been saying since Day 1: you simply never know when you will be needed to respond, and you can never assume that you are done for the day! His attitude of immediately preparing for the next dive, even when you're not planning one certainly showed it's merits yesterday.
This is the same PADI Director who witnessed the Ethan Allen disaster about 3 years ago while teaching an OW class across the bay, and whose instructors and divemasters did the recovery on the 47 senior citizens lost, while their students served as shore support! Rich's lessons carry a lot of credibility and hands on experience, which makes taking this course with him so much more intense, and in the end, more rewarding!
As he said yesterday during our final debriefing: it's not if you will ever need to respond, but when. Even the part about always being aware of potential problems and preventing possible situations from escalating is a part of that responding to others in need.
Please pardon my long post, but I wanted to share my experience, and encourage anyone thinking of taking the Rescue course to find an instructor team that REALLY teaches it. We got to witness another group at the same lake do a 2 day "stamp the c'card' type rescue course and there is NO comparison.
Done, thanks for letting me vent.

...you had a very thorough program - thanks for taking it & showing that you give a hoot about your fellow divers.

Tell me, did your class practice alot of in-water resucitation work; if so, how was the rescue breathing conducted ( I'm interested in anything extra beyond standard )? When you got victims to the beach, did you practice alot of resuc. work there? Were defibrillization trainers used? O2? Pocket masks with mannikins? I ask these questions as an informal poll of training techniques. Rescue is my favourite course to teach & I'm ever on the lookout for ways to improve. Thanks for your help.

Regards,
DSD

 

[emttim]

Finally completed my PADI Rescue diver yesterday at Lake George. Feels a bit like I've been run through an old fashioned wringer washing machine, but what a good feeling of accomplishment at the same time.
I started my Rescue back in June but tore a calf muscle on Day 1 and after Day 2 my leg forced me to quit till it healed. At 56 I don't heal as fast as I used to. I picked up again with the next class these last 2 weekends, for the final 3 days, the course director having added an extra day so we could work on boat responses.
Just as we finnished our final scenario yesterday; a boat response to distant divers (thunderstorm blew in hard during the ecercise for that added touch), and we were returning to shore, we actually had to respond to a real accident where a parasail powerboat capsized in the sudden high winds, and we got to work on a recovery. Made for a really full day, but left quite an impression on all of us.

As Rich Morin, the Course Director had been saying since Day 1: you simply never know when you will be needed to respond, and you can never assume that you are done for the day! His attitude of immediately preparing for the next dive, even when you're not planning one certainly showed it's merits yesterday.
This is the same PADI Director who witnessed the Ethan Allen disaster about 3 years ago while teaching an OW class across the bay, and whose instructors and divemasters did the recovery on the 47 senior citizens lost, while their students served as shore support! Rich's lessons carry a lot of credibility and hands on experience, which makes taking this course with him so much more intense, and in the end, more rewarding!
As he said yesterday during our final debriefing: it's not if you will ever need to respond, but when. Even the part about always being aware of potential problems and preventing possible situations from escalating is a part of that responding to others in need.
Please pardon my long post, but I wanted to share my experience, and encourage anyone thinking of taking the Rescue course to find an instructor team that REALLY teaches it. We got to witness another group at the same lake do a 2 day "stamp the c'card' type rescue course and there is NO comparison.
Done, thanks for letting me vent.

Thanks for sharing, sounds like you got your money worth out of the class!

 

[drummerboy]

Congratulations!! It seems like it was a great course. Thanks for sharing!!

 

[DiverBeth]

Congrats. I went through rescue about 6 weeks ago and yeah I was put through the wringer too but I really enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing.

 

[gypsyjim]

...you had a very thorough program - thanks for taking it & showing that you give a hoot about your fellow divers.

Tell me, did your class practice alot of in-water resucitation work; if so, how was the rescue breathing conducted ( I'm interested in anything extra beyond standard )? When you got victims to the beach, did you practice alot of resuc. work there? Were defibrillization trainers used? O2? Pocket masks with mannikins? I ask these questions as an informal poll of training techniques. Rescue is my favourite course to teach & I'm ever on the lookout for ways to improve. Thanks for your help.

Regards,
DSD

We did quite a bit of in water resuscitation, and tows, both mouth to mouth and pocket mask. We spent no real time on snorkel tows, as non self draining snorks are getting pretty darned rare around here. We all covered AED defrib in our 1st Responder classes, but spent more time in both 1st Responder and Rescue on O2 and rescue breathing.
Our team spent quite some time working on "timed" response from predive day and post dive day situations, to better prepare us for real life scenarios, and teach us to never assume that we would not be needed to respond. I do not believe that this is in the basic PADI Rescue format.
Reflecting our local situation and our teaching teams experiences, we also spent some time learning to respond to distant victims by small boat. That was also the most fun we had: picture responding from a Navy style inflatable to situations requiring either snorkel or dive teams to reach victims where the boat itself could not go. I noted in my post, our final and actual boat scenario was followed immediately by a real life response to a capsized boat situation, which underscored the relevance of this part of our training to our local. No real rescue was required in yesterday's situation (just a recovery), but BOY, was that ever close to several of our scenarios!!!!

 

[uncleavi]

There is nothing like good solid rescue training.
I love to teach the course and go slowly and love teaching DAN Courses as well.
To have taken a good rescue course with 02 and AED is so important. I keep my 02 kit in my vehicle all the time.
Good Job!