Specialty courses

[pacificgal]

Are there any you would deem as a "must have"?
My dive club was offering an U/W navigation specialty, and I was thinking about it, and the fact I've done my AOW nav course and can navigate my way out of a paper bag, would this be something I would be willing to spend $130 on, plus the gas and parking, etc. for the dives?
Which led me to think, which specialty course would be worth the time and money? What do you think?

 

[dannobee]

Drysuit if you ever need to rent one.

 

[fobturbo]

Kristina,

I saw that email and am contemplating taking the course, but am interested to hear in what others say as well.

As far as "must have" specialties, IMO, for CA diving, I'd say nitrox, drysuit & rescue.

 

[mikeguerrero]

Save you money for UTD Essentials class... I see you benefiting from that much more... :O

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

If you can navigate (that is, get back to the anchor or beach almost all of the
time) you don't need a course.

Specialty courses well worth it:

Rescue
Rescue
Rescue
GUE Fundies
DAN Oxygen First Aid for SCUBA Diving Injuries

On the last one: You may not have an O2 rig, but you might be there when
there needs to be someone who knows how to set it up. I was recently
on-scene at an incident where a diver off a small boat had a rapid ascent,
and they wanted to put him on O2 proactively. The boat had an O2 rig,
but the fellow they had left on the boat didn't seem to know that there was
a valve on top that needed to be turned with a wrench. He figured it out
by and by, and the diver seemed to be OK when they got to the dock
a bit behind me (no ambulance, good body language). I thought the class
was worthwhile even though I have a lot of experience with medical O2
tanks (my late wife was on O2 for a couple of years, I can swap tanks in
about 15 seconds in a dark movie theater with my eyes closed.) It was
still worthwhile.

 

[rmitchell248]

If you can navigate (that is, get back to the anchor or beach almost all of the
time) you don't need a course.

Specialty courses well worth it:

Rescue
Rescue
Rescue
GUE Fundies
DAN Oxygen First Aid for SCUBA Diving Injuries

On the last one: You may not have an O2 rig, but you might be there when
there needs to be someone who knows how to set it up. I was recently
on-scene at an incident where a diver off a small boat had a rapid ascent,
and they wanted to put him on O2 proactively. The boat had an O2 rig,
but the fellow they had left on the boat didn't seem to know that there was
a valve on top that needed to be turned with a wrench. He figured it out
by and by, and the diver seemed to be OK when they got to the dock
a bit behind me (no ambulance, good body language). I thought the class
was worthwhile even though I have a lot of experience with medical O2
tanks (my late wife was on O2 for a couple of years, I can swap tanks in
about 15 seconds in a dark movie theater with my eyes closed.) It was
still worthwhile.

I completely agree with the rescue and 02 classes!!! They are a must for the diving that we do around here. I have an 02 kit under the back seat in my truck......

 

[pacificgal]

Thanks for the info everyone. I want to take rescue, but due to my dialysis access, I am forbidden to lift more than 40 pounds with my left arm, which causes some instructors to think twice about letting me take the class. If there's an instructor out there that will work with my "disability" please PM me. I deserve to know how to self-rescue and stop, think and act like everyone else, and when was the last time you came out of the water and there was absolutely no one around to help if you needed it?
Besides, if my buddy needed to be pulled out of the water unconscious, screw the dialysis access. I would be willing to sign a waiver releasing you of liability should anything happen, I accept the risks involved and have weighed the risks against the benefit of having the knowledge.
MikeG, I think the December UTD class is full, I'm diving with Kathy and Don tomorrow so I can see UTD in practice. I am SO looking forward to it!

 

[kathydee]

, I'd say nitrox, drysuit & rescue.

Save you money for UTD Essentials class...

Specialty courses well worth it:

Rescue
Rescue
Rescue
GUE Fundies
DAN Oxygen First Aid for SCUBA Diving Injuries

I agree! Excellent advice! I am so glad I took: Rescue, Nitrox, Drysuit, and Essentials

Rescue had a section on how to use the oxygen kit which unfortunately we had to use during class on a real rescue. But we saved him because of our new skills ;-). Heres the story, a good advertisement for taking a rescue class: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/near-misses-lessons-learned/268397-real-rescue-course-very-close-near-miss.html

Wondering what else the "Dan Oxygen First Aid..." teaches that Rescue does not?

MikeG, I think the December UTD class is full, I'm diving with Kathy and Don tomorrow so I can see UTD in practice. I am SO looking forward to it!

I bet you could talk Don into starting another Essentials class in January if others had interest ;-). I really look forward to finally diving with you tomorrow too!

 

[rmitchell248]

Wondering what else the "Dan Oxygen First Aid..." teaches that Rescue does not?

The PADI rescue class has a basic 02 delivery segment but DOES NOT certify you as an o2 provider it just opens the door to you getting certified as a provider. The DAN class offers an Oxygen first Aid class and an Advanced o2 provider course that gets more in depth with Manually Triggered Ventilators and Non Rebreather Bags ect.

The PADI 02 provider course only uses a constant flow set up or a demand valve, Which both require a breathing victim to be very effective.

DAN also has a "DEMP" Class which is Diving Emergency Management Provider. It bulks the Automated External Defibrillator, Oxygen First Aid, Advanced Oxygen First Aid and First Aid for Hazardous Marine Life Injuries together and makes a much more complete first aid class than Rescue Diver alone.

Generally after or in conjunction with PADI Rescue people will take an o2 class to round out their rescue abilities.

If you have taken Rescue and not an o2 provider course and provide oxygen to a victim there are huge liabilities that could fall upon you if the victim or victims family were to take advantage of the legal system we are so lucky to have in place right now.


Hope this helps

 

[dannobee]

Wondering what else the "Dan Oxygen First Aid..." teaches that Rescue does not?

It does get you a card that allows you to get oxygen fills. That is, until you get a tech diving card that allows same.

The DAN O2 course does go into far more detail administering oxygen than the rescue class does.