When should a Rescue course be taken

[voop]

That seems doutfull to me. Here in the US the YMCA is affiliated with CMAS. If you get your OW with YMCA you can get a CMAS card by simply paying a fee. YMCA does not require rescue as part of the OW cirriculum.

James

Note: I do not speak on behalf of CMAS or any CMAS federation, nor do I claim any specific knowledge of the CMAS standards, beyond what's to find on the CMAS www-site.....

....but.....I live in Europe where CMAS is big. So I have some knowledge on how it works in pratice.

CMAS is a "federation of federations". YMCA is apparantly one such, but for example the French federation of divers (FFESSM), the Belgium ditto (LIFRAS), i think BSAC too and others -- all are independant federations who issue their own certs. Typically through double-sided cards, with the "other side" then being a CMAS rating.

So, for example, you can get a c-card with the french "level 3" on one side, with a CMAS *** on the other side. All well and good.....

...except that the french "level 3" doesn't correspond to the LIFRAS (belgium) "level 3", nor to the CMAS "standards" for the CMAS *** card. I could go into more details on why and how the levels differ from the CMAS standards, but that's not usefull in this discussion. Let me just examplify: a CMAS *** diver is, supposibly, an experienced diver who can lead beginning divers on explorations (i.e. a divemaster-type). A French "level 3 diver", who gets a CMAS *** card, is explicitly not allowed to do that -- in France you need to be a "level 4 diver" -- who is also given a CMAS *** card (!)

Put in PADI terms, a CMAS *** is supposed to be a DM, but if you see a CMAS *** card from France, he can be either a "DM" or a "RD" and you have no way of telling.

Please (before you start bashing France) notice that this sort of confusion isn't exclusive to France, but to most countries with federations applying the CMAS system of diving. In fact, I know of only the very few "comercial" CMAS schools (who issue CMAS-only cards) and one federation (the Danish dive federation) who follow the CMAS standards. Everybody else that I know of issue "confusing" certs with at best a "rough" correspondance to CMAS std's.

In other words: the individual federations may or may not follow the CMAS standards when handing out CMAS cards. Interresting, no?

So while most european CMAS divers indeed have rescue training from "day one", I can point out a few european federations who do not teach rescue skills for their first level(s) of (CMAS) certs.

 

[garyfotodiver]

This is cut and paste from the agencie web site I stop after 2 agencies. I am basic NAUI, Advance and Rescue PADI and taking DiveMaster with ACUC.


The following are PADI Pre Req in order to attend a Rescue Diver course
·
...SSI Advance Open Water Diver, & Specialty course ...

I didn't read all 40 or so posts, but this statement is odd. SSI gives Stress/Rescue after OW. I know; I am presently enrolled in a course.

I had my 13 year-old daughter watch the video and work out the questions with me, and she remarked that much of what was in the course was covered in her PADI OW class.

And I thought there were standards...

 

[Sylvain]

Thanks for all your comment it is nice to see the different opinions. Judging from the different post this is a close race.
No matter what I hope that the comment brought up by all will eventually surface again at higher level in the different organization and if it is not taught with basic, more rescue skills will be added to the different basic courses (ie: how to approch a diver to remove his weight belt to keep him on top)so people can help fellow divers just in case the unexpected happens.

 

[Windwalker]

I remember in 3rd Grade learning First Aid and Mouth to Mouth. I also remember learning what to do when you discover a Bomb and what to do when one goes off near by. If a 3rd Grader can learn that. Then what is so hard about learning a rescue course. That just seems like a "Diver" extension of First Aid. What is wrong with teaching it in BOW? The extra time and training could very well save many people's lives. Yea.. It might cost more. So what.

 

[Mrs Fic]

SSI offers a Diver Stress and Rescue Course that you can take as soon as you finish your OW cert, as far as I know.