Quickest Path to Rescue Cert

[TMHeimer]

So wouldn't it be more fair, and correct to say you want to see increased rescue skills included in OW? Saying there is none isn't correct at all but some continue doing so.

Agree completely.

 

[Diver0001]

Good points. But when I refer to no rescue skills in OW I am thinking of the big stuff, the buddy stuff. Mainly what to do when your buddy panics--on surface, at depth, or if he starts to bolt to the surface. .

People seem to have different interpretations of what a "rescue" skill is. Much of the discussion over the years has revolved around PADI making a choice to delay teaching the CBL until the Rescue course while some people, and some agencies, seem to prefer putting this into the OW course.

What I see is that we'll never tire of debating which choice is the right choice. I don't hear of a lot of accidents involving rookie divers where the conclusion of the accident analysis was, "if only he had known the CBL".

What I *do* hear is a lot of accidents involving rookie divers (and some experienced ones) where the conclusion was, "if only they had watched their instruments" or "if only they had dropped their weights".

Those skills *are* in the OW course and if you ask me PADI isn't entirely unjustified in putting the emphasis at the OW level on the skills that will help to avoid or mitigate immediate problems that the diver is having *before* it gets to the point of panic, drowning or needing to know a CBL.

There is value in the "big" rescue skills, of that there can be no doubt, but making sure rookie divers focus on their own diving first doesn't seem like such a stupid idea to me. Nevertheless, it is a choice and as such we'll debate it until our sun turns into a red giant and the oceans boil away to mist.

R..

 

[tenacious]

You can do the academic portion of the rescue class without AOW. I am only OW certified, but have completed the academics for the AOW and rescue classes. As far as I know, an instructor can't go through the water exercises with you prior to you completing your AOW dives. That being said, I would guess that someone would be willing to do the rescue dives with you without actually signing off on you to "officially" get your cert. I guess it would be a matter of you wanting to gain the knowledge and experience, or get a cert card?

 

[Hawkwood]

Yup, an Open Water diver can do the classroom and confined water sessions of the Rescue Diver course.

 

[Lopez116]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who posted. I thought I only had one option, but apparently I have many!


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[Frosty]

People seem to have different interpretations of what a "rescue" skill is. Much of the discussion over the years has revolved around PADI making a choice to delay teaching the CBL until the Rescue course while some people, and some agencies, seem to prefer putting this into the OW course.

What I see is that we'll never tire of debating which choice is the right choice. I don't hear of a lot of accidents involving rookie divers where the conclusion of the accident analysis was, "if only he had known the CBL".

What I *do* hear is a lot of accidents involving rookie divers (and some experienced ones) where the conclusion was, "if only they had watched their instruments" or "if only they had dropped their weights".

Those skills *are* in the OW course and if you ask me PADI isn't entirely unjustified in putting the emphasis at the OW level on the skills that will help to avoid or mitigate immediate problems that the diver is having *before* it gets to the point of panic, drowning or needing to know a CBL.

There is value in the "big" rescue skills, of that there can be no doubt, but making sure rookie divers focus on their own diving first doesn't seem like such a stupid idea to me. Nevertheless, it is a choice and as such we'll debate it until our sun turns into a red giant and the oceans boil away to mist.

R..

OHH WOOW--you said it so much more eloquently than I ever could.