Stress & Rescue with only 8 logged dives ?

[azmodan50]

Stress and Rescue is nothing more then a specialty course. From the SSI website:

"Stress is a major contributor to rescue situations and diving accidents. Through this course you will learn accident prevention, as well as how to handle problem situations if they occur."

"The program is about avoiding, recognizing and solving problems on the surface and underwater."

Where does it say that this person will be a rescue diver? It will make him a safer diver and a better buddy. This course should be a requirement before anyone even gets their OW cert.

 

[Jill from Phoenix]

'Rescue' should be part of every diver's basic training. Every class should include a rescue refresher and build on. Not only does this develop strong rescue skills, it creates stronger divers that are anticipating, thinking of prevention, able to keep themselves safe and look out for buddies.

 

[spectrum]

Hi, I'm now taking the S&R Course. One of the fellow divers that is taking the course with me is newly certified as OWD last december 2010 and has only 8 logged dives.
I know that there is almost no requirements to do the S&R course but OWD Cert, but accepting a student with only 8 logged dives, without deep diving cert or navigation, sounds to me without any logic.
What can a Rescue diver like this do if the victim is beyond 18 meters depth or he has no clue of how to search a missing diver.

It's a good deal for the new diver. These classes are more cerebral than diving skill based and unless he/she is a basket case they should do OK. This is in the context of it being just a sepecialty, not actual Rescue Diver.

My bigger concern is that you will get the short end of the stick by being paired with a lame buddy. Without even a real/dive per month what's the basic ability like?

As for needing to go beyond 18m that is not an issue as S&R skills are always in the context of your personal skills, welfare and risk tolerance.

In a specialty course no full scale searches are likely. Common sense navigation should be plenty.

Pete

 

[BlackPatch]

Being a Diver with limited dives under my belt, I find the Stress and Rescue course of great benefit. Having an additional Skill Set that makes me safer under water personally and to others is of great benefit.

I look at the other replies from seasoned Divers and find that is almost the universal response.

On the OW I did with Sub Sea Experience, Jack did impart a few of the skills from the Stress and Rescue course into the OW. His rational was that it made Diving a more comfortable pastime and it made you safer due to the fact that you could manage stress more effectively by having a Skill Set that allowed timely recognition of issues and you to deal with them before they manifest into an issue.

I will be doing the Stress & Rescue very soon in it's entirety. I have no doubts that it will make me a much more solid and dependable buddy.

 

[tdtaylor]

I just completed the SSI S&R class, and it was definitely more than a Specialty. I believe a large part of that had to do with the instructors (three on three), one who is a Fire Department Rescue Team Member/Trainer. Over 4 hours in the classroom, a separate time for the book test, two "packed" hours in the pool (nonstop for our pool time was limited by a thunderstorm), then almost 7 continuous hours in the quarry (with low visibility). Practiced many, many rescue scenarios (rescuer on the platform, the victim goes down to the platform, the two swim off then the victim "acts" out the scenario, and rescuer has to get them up and back- we all got to improve our acting skills). The last scenario was a lost buddy/diver scenario, with the surfacing Buddy surfacing too fast and his buddy unconscious on some platform. The three of us had to calm the one buddy (who of course was going to get DCS from surfacing too quickly), search for the other, get both to shore (rocky) with significant tows, transport up a steep hill, start ABCs on two victims, etc., oxygen deployment, documentation, calling authorities. The third lead instructor acted like a bystander so we could direct him. We then spent 10 minutes being questioned about our actions, times, status as if the authorities/medical personnel were on the scene. I don't think any other class has taught me or pushed me so hard- for the good. I was exhausted in the end, but felt good about the class.

While this class could be taken by a new diver with good skills, I was multitasking so much that more experience under the belt (or under the tank) definitely helped me get the most out of the class. I hope all S&R classes are this rigorous. It does concern me, that as Jim L. mentioned, that many of these skills should included in the OW or AOW course- my courses included very little. I strongly believe the easier aspects of the S&Rclass could easily be incorporated into the earlier classes.

Just my two cents.....