SSI Stress and rescue of Fundamentals?

[AJ]

Hi,

I am contemplating for a while now what to go for as my next dive traing. Should I follow the SSI Stress and Rescue of should I go with GUE Fundamentals? The real question I have is: is rescue a part of Fundamentals? And yes, how thorough is it compared to SSI Stress and rescue (or Padi for that matter)?

Like to hear your opinions on this matter. Btw. I am planning on GUE Fundamentals anyway, aiming for GUE Tech 1 in the future.

Greets, Albert Jan

 

[LiteHedded]

Fundamentals has a bit of a rescue component but they're not the same. I say take fundies

 

[CptTightPants21]

Stress and rescue is a completely different course than GUE fundamentals. With my rescue course, it was conducted over 2 days with 4 dives and was a combo search and recovery with rescue training. There is some training in GUE with bringing an unresponsive diver to the surface (if you want a tech pass), but that isn't the primary focus of the course.

If you are serious about diving, you will take both, but it isn't an either or. Stress and rescue is more for how to deal with situations when things go wrong and GUE fundamentals is how to be a more skilled diver in the water--buoyancy, trim, communication, task loading, etc.

 

[AJ]

You confirmed what I already thought. SSI S&R is very much on preventing things going wrong and being able to help your buddy when things went wrong. It takes 2 to 3 days and 4 to 6 open water dives to pass. Almost as much as the Fundies class.

I hoped fundies would also have a strong S&R component, but I gather this is not the case. Not really a problem. I will take both. It means some extra cash, but also developing into a more capable and safe diver. Thanks.

 

[LiteHedded]

Dir diving is more focused on avoiding situations where you would need to rescue or recover a diver. Different classes

 

[BoltSnap]

Fundies isn't a rescue course and the SSI S&R isn't a GUE Fundies course. Two different courses.

 

[TSandM]

I'm not familiar with the SSI Rescue class, but the PADI version really has very little actual DIVING in it. A lot of the in-water part of the class takes place at the surface: dealing with the panicked or exhausted diver, towing in an unconscious diver and doing gear removal and extrication from the water. So the honed skills you get from Fundies may not make a great deal of difference for the Rescue class. In addition, if you have changed your gear to the GUE standard, be aware that a lot of non-GUE instructors do not know how to manage hog-looped regs and continuous harnesses during some of the exercises. When I took Rescue, I was on the phone almost every night to my friend NW Grateful Diver, saying, "Bob, how do you "x" with our gear?" because my instructors didn't know.

 

[AJ]

In addition, if you have changed your gear to the GUE standard, be aware that a lot of non-GUE instructors do not know how to manage hog-looped regs and continuous harnesses during some of the exercises. When I took Rescue, I was on the phone almost every night to my friend NW Grateful Diver, saying, "Bob, how do you "x" with our gear?" because my instructors didn't know.

Ah well, there I have an advantage I guess. My diving school sold me my Wing. Single tank, but within the GUE/IANTD standards. They also taught me from the beginning using Tec standards like not kneeling on the bottom, but learning to do everything the tech way.

 

[Griffo]

I did SSI S&R about 50 dives after Fundies. As others have said they are very different courses. Completely different skills. I've never done PADI Resue, but SSI S&R does have a fair bit of diving in it. At least the version I did anyway.
The instructor I had was not familiar with Hog setups either, but we worked it out. I did most of the skills mid-water, but he did make me kneel for the equipment doff and don - this might have been just a safety thing for the instructor though. He also came up with ways to try to stress me out - such as me having to rescue not one but two OOA divers and bring them to the surface. He wanted to get "around" the benfit of the long-hose to increase the stress level, so doubled the number of people I had to help out.

Personally i'd recommend that people do both, but I found that having better mastery of my own in-water skills made the S&R skills easier, which subsequently meant the instructor lifted the bar, which then meant that I was placed under more stressful conditions. But that only happened because I had an instructor who was both passionate and intelligent.

 

[AJ]

Been a while, but I can answer my question myself now because I have taken both

SSI S&R:
Very good course. You learn to cope with stress and learn to recognize stress in your team so you can deal with it before it becomes a problem. A very important an valueable skill. Besides that, you learn important rescue techniques. Combined with EFR, it makes you a better and safer diver. It also makes you a better buddy because you're much more aware of what's going on in your dive team. I recommend this course very highly.

GUE Fundamentals:
Best and hardest course I did in my diving career ever (and maybe ever will do, planning GUE Tech and Cave ). This single course changed my perspective on diving. Meaning: how I dive, with whom I dive, how I configure my equipement, what gasses to use, what dives I make and I don't make, what fin kicks to use, etc. This single course made me a much better diver. It tought me advanced diving skills, but most of all: it enhanced my awareness as a diver. Diving to me is no longer about diving itself, but about enjoying myself under water while having good skills. I actually plan skills dives these days so I can enjoy the 'real' dives I make.

These courses are two very different courses. S&R is aimed at stress prevention through recognizing stress. Fundies is about increasing your skills level and therefore reduce stress through training. Personally, I advise to take them both. Just one thing bothers me. The way skills are taught are not exactly the same. SSI an GUE have different visions on how to do things. You will need to work that out with your instructors.