I am new to diving but have a huge desire to do rescue diving. I've just now became open water certified so I am just now learning about all of this. Does anyone have recommendations or helpful hints for heading down this direction? I would eventually like to be an instructor. Thanks so much for any advice.
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Dive dive dive! I've seen a lot of people go straight through all of the courses without a whole lot of real life experience in between and I don't think that this is the way to become a good diver. Just diving with different people as much as possible is how you're really going to get better. Sometimes this means dealing with bad buddies/situations but that's where I've learned the most... I'm not advocating that you shouldn't go ahead and continue your diving education now, but make sure that there's still time for you to dive outside of that 
Crush
Contributor
I am assuming that the OP and SnorkelLA are PADI-trained. Not being PADI-trained I can't comment on what PADI AOW is like. That being said, I'd recommend NAUI AOW very strongly. IMHO you should train at least until the rescue diver level so that you are competent at bringing an unconscious diver to the surface in a safe, controlled manner.
I think all continuing diver education is valuable, and as a PADI, guy, it is my opinion that properly taught, the AOW class is an excellent course. As to moving on up with your credentials, I have to go with kitty_kat's komments. (typo intended- perhaps a great title for a blog?)
To be a competent divemaster and a competent instructor, you need to have some real diving experience, and in as many varied environments as possible, unless you only intend to ever operate in a single type of environment and teach and lead divers who intend the same. Cold water, warm water, current, calm, surge, surf, shore, boat, salt, fresh, good viz, low viz. The more experiences and the broader range of experiences you have the more you will learn and the more you will learn in the professional certification courses. It's not just a credential, but competence, that makes a good DM and a good instructor. I encourage you to do AOW and Rescue on you schedule. But I also suggest 100 logged dives NOT INCLUDING TRAINING DIVES before you start the DM program, and then add at least another 50 before starting an instructor program. That's just my opinion, but it has been arrived at over 12 years of being a PADI pro and watching scores of new DM's and instructors go through those programs. Those who have been diving a lot are a lot better dive professionals, in my experience.
DivemasterDennis
To be a competent divemaster and a competent instructor, you need to have some real diving experience, and in as many varied environments as possible, unless you only intend to ever operate in a single type of environment and teach and lead divers who intend the same. Cold water, warm water, current, calm, surge, surf, shore, boat, salt, fresh, good viz, low viz. The more experiences and the broader range of experiences you have the more you will learn and the more you will learn in the professional certification courses. It's not just a credential, but competence, that makes a good DM and a good instructor. I encourage you to do AOW and Rescue on you schedule. But I also suggest 100 logged dives NOT INCLUDING TRAINING DIVES before you start the DM program, and then add at least another 50 before starting an instructor program. That's just my opinion, but it has been arrived at over 12 years of being a PADI pro and watching scores of new DM's and instructors go through those programs. Those who have been diving a lot are a lot better dive professionals, in my experience.
DivemasterDennis
Dive the World
Contributor
Keep diving - and diving - and diving.
If you are an OW and there are dive sites within your area and within your limits - do a few of those first.
Get comfortable in water - with conditions - with your equip.
Then move forward.
I had to do OW and AOW as our dive sites are all beyond the limit of OW (20m+) - and I just done for a whole year and half and then moved to Rescue.
Take you time - dive dive dive and move forward when and as you are comfortable.
+1 on keep diving, IIRC I did not do my AOW until after I had 100 dives and then a few other courses with a marine biologist before doing my Rescue.
Get out there and enjoy the new freedom underwater
Get out there and enjoy the new freedom underwater
Congratulations!
Like previous posters advise - go diving.
Learn more about the sport and yourself underwater. Try some different locations and conditions. Go on a few trips.
AOW is a next step but you'll benefit more from it with more experience.
Like previous posters advise - go diving.
Learn more about the sport and yourself underwater. Try some different locations and conditions. Go on a few trips.
AOW is a next step but you'll benefit more from it with more experience.
+1 on diving diversity
Go tropical, go cold, go 100 ft viz, go 1 foot viz, day dive, night dive, wetsuit, drysuit, good buddies, bad buddies, be prepared for a bad buddy to take off on you and have your dive effectively turn solo and then take control of the situation, BUOYANCY BUOYANCY BUOYANCY!!!, learn new skills like navigation, learn to use less air, be comfortable and calm underwater in any situation then look at the rescue course. Progression will be AOW, then Rescue.
Our Rescue class was slightly more privileged that others as we are cold water drysuit divers. Having taken that specialty and knowing how they work and the risks associated made the rescue course easier. If you have to bring a non responsive diver from 100 ft and he's wearing a drysuit it would be prudent to understand how air expands in the suit during ascent and how to deal with that in a controlled fashion to prevent a run away which could lead to much more serious consequences to the diver and yourself. Rescuing someone on a night dive or current dive has it's additional challenges and is stuff that isn't taught on the rescue course. If you have experience in those settings then the rescue would feel easier and more in control than if you'd never done it before and were unable to assist at all due to your own lack of experience.
Have fun! :cool2:
Go tropical, go cold, go 100 ft viz, go 1 foot viz, day dive, night dive, wetsuit, drysuit, good buddies, bad buddies, be prepared for a bad buddy to take off on you and have your dive effectively turn solo and then take control of the situation, BUOYANCY BUOYANCY BUOYANCY!!!, learn new skills like navigation, learn to use less air, be comfortable and calm underwater in any situation then look at the rescue course. Progression will be AOW, then Rescue.
Our Rescue class was slightly more privileged that others as we are cold water drysuit divers. Having taken that specialty and knowing how they work and the risks associated made the rescue course easier. If you have to bring a non responsive diver from 100 ft and he's wearing a drysuit it would be prudent to understand how air expands in the suit during ascent and how to deal with that in a controlled fashion to prevent a run away which could lead to much more serious consequences to the diver and yourself. Rescuing someone on a night dive or current dive has it's additional challenges and is stuff that isn't taught on the rescue course. If you have experience in those settings then the rescue would feel easier and more in control than if you'd never done it before and were unable to assist at all due to your own lack of experience.
Have fun! :cool2:
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