Requirements To Complete Rescue Diver Course?

[Jayfarmlaw]

I don't remember any "skills" test like open water mask removal. During the panic diver scenarios, you can fully expect to have your mask knocked off or displaced, regulator ripped out, and a fin in the face. My panicked diver got away from me and bolted...I could not stop him without bolting myself....so he was on his own. I swam at him with my Octo offered to him, he swiped at my primary and moved my mask in the process, then bolted. I actually went to my air 2 because it was easiest to find. The class is lots of fun, parts are physically demanding, and will test your skills as a diver. My instructor has become a good friend but put me through my paces before passing me. The course is awesome, it will make you a better diver, but is not a cakewalk that you get your certification for paying the cost. (At least it shouldn't be).

You never experience high stress situations in open water training Being exposed to the scenarios is incredibly valueable. absolutely take the course. Try and work through your mask/eyes issue, in a panic diver situation, there would be no guarantee your mask stays on. Knowing if you can work through having your mask pulled off and regulator yanked may keep you from becoming a second victim. That's what this course prepares you for, not only recognizing a problem with another diver, but tests your abilities as well. Knowing it's an issue will allow you to utilize other options if something goes bad.

Good luck,
Jay

 

[guruboy]

As multiple people have already said, there is no mask skill in rescue. However, as rescue is mainly about preparing yourself for what-if scenarios, there may be times, especially in pool sessions, where your limits might be tested (reg yanked by out-of-air diver, mask knocked off, etc.) to see how you react (but probably not so extreme in an OW session).

NAUI Divermaster course used to require a skin (snorkel) ditch and recovery skill where you had to-
1) dive
2) remove mask, fins, and snorkel
3) surface
4) dive back down
5) put-on mask, fins, and snorkel
6) clear mask
7) surface and clear snorkel without lifting face out of the water

 

[TMHeimer]

Rescue Courses vary a great deal from what I've read on SB. I think the one I took was quite good--everything was covered pretty thoroughly. But there weren't any masks knocked off, etc. When I was playing "victim" later on I was not asked by the instructor to knock any Rescue candidate's mask off or reg out. But these seem like good ideas.

 

[flyboy08]

I did not have to remove my mask either, but if I was asked to, I wouldn't of hesitated as that request would of been easier than the myriad of tasks that we did have to perform

 

[boulderjohn]

My panicked diver got away from me and bolted...I could not stop him without bolting myself....so he was on his own. I swam at him with my Octo offered to him, he swiped at my primary and moved my mask in the process, then bolted.

I don't know exactly what happened in your scenarios, so what follows should be considered generic in nature.

As the instructor in a rescue class, one of the challenges you have is making sure that students or DMs acting as victims act in a realistic way. For example, when I was taking my rescue diver class, I had to approach a panicked diver struggling on the surface, with the part of the victim being played by a fellow rescue student. I used an underwater approach, going down and under with the intention of coming up behind him. When I did, he dived down after me and tackled me. That's not realistic. Someone struggling to stay on the surface will never intentionally dive down and tackle someone under water. Similarly, a panicked, OOA diver under water will either grab for one of your regulators (often the primary) or head to the surface--not run away from you.

It is important that you have victim's react realistically so that rescuers can learn the proper skills to use in those situations.There are maneuvers you should use in these situations because they are safe--that's why we teach them.

 

[Doby45]

I don't know exactly what happened in your scenarios, so what follows should be considered generic in nature.

As the instructor in a rescue class, one of the challenges you have is making sure that students or DMs acting as victims act in a realistic way. For example, when I was taking my rescue diver class, I had to approach a panicked diver struggling on the surface, with the part of the victim being played by a fellow rescue student. I used an underwater approach, going down and under with the intention of coming up behind him. When I did, he dived down after me and tackled me. That's not realistic. Someone struggling to stay on the surface will never intentionally dive down and tackle someone under water. Similarly, a panicked, OOA diver under water will either grab for one of your regulators (often the primary) or head to the surface--not run away from you.

It is important that you have victim's react realistically so that rescuers can learn the proper skills to use in those situations.There are maneuvers you should use in these situations because they are safe--that's why we teach them.

You are right on John. When I went through the police academy we had "subjects" that were instructors to help with the reenactments and some of the instructors were great and some were simply ridiculous. I remember doing a felony stop and had done it by the letter, I mean perfect. But right at the end, the instructor (making sure no one could possibly pass the encounter) stated that he had a grenade and threw it out the door of the vehicle at me. I was like "Are you shitting me?" You CAN actually train people to fail and it is necessary that an instructor realizes that.

 

[Vindobona]

I just completed the Rescue Diver course a few days ago.
I have exactly the same fear as you (except that my problem is not the eyes, but that I have a hard time breathing through the reg when my nose is not covered by the mask), but luckily there were no mask removal exercises and my mask wasn't knocked off.

 

[TMHeimer]

I just completed the Rescue Diver course a few days ago.
I have exactly the same fear as you (except that my problem is not the eyes, but that I have a hard time breathing through the reg when my nose is not covered by the mask), but luckily there were no mask removal exercises and my mask wasn't knocked off.

I've seen OW students with this problem. I don't know the details of airway control other than there is something called the glottis and something called the soft pallet (I think). One of these controls shutting off the nose (from water in this case), the other shutting off the mouth (throat passage). It is difficult to explain exactly how you do this, but real simple to do. These things being closed is the reason students are taught to always blow a tiny stream of bubbles when the reg is out to avoid lung overexpanion injury when ascending (or going "Ahh..." doing CESA). But you probably know that. Practising closing off these passages without being in water, I think, is the way you start toward being completely comfortable without a mask on (or reg in--well, you can close your mouth for that of course). Close one, not the other, then reverse, then both at once--fool around with it. Then of course underwater. When I took Rescue I made a couple of other mistakes which I later worked on--which had nothing to do with the course content, but were basic to diving. I had only 26 dives at the time, so upon getting the Cert. I obviously was not the best rescue diver. This airway thing is something you should straighten out for sure. Good luck.

 

[george_austin]

I think you need to get over that before your Rescue Course - or any other course- find a pool and your goal is to FIX that issue - then work on it in open water. It's not a character fault but you will have in your career times when you lose your mask and need to either go find it or get back to the boat from the anchor line or whatever.
I've lost mine in a ripping current while finishing a deco stop - full flag at 60 ft on the anchor line in a 6 kt current with 20 minutes left on that stop. Good luck - you'll be fine but it is kind of a big deal IMO

 

[geoff w]

Lots of really good comments here. But getting back to your original concern - think about what you are asking! In your OW training, you should have "mastered partial flood and clear mask, full flood and clear mask, and underwater mask remove and replace. For those times when you really want to take your mask off under water

Think about a rescue situation. Why would anyone need to remove their mask underwater, or someone else's? You're going to have a hell of a time trying to get a mask back on a panicked diver underwater, but that's not one of the skills. And putting a mask back on an unresponsive diver underwater is lower priority than getting them to the surface. Once you're on the surface, you will need to remove your mask, either as the victim or rescuer, to perform rescue breaths

As far as getting physically tired and working out to build up strength, a good instructor should be able to assess the class participants for physical strength and plan instruction and scenarios accordingly. The reality is having a 90 lb girl do a fireman carry on a 300 guy out of the water simply isn't going to happen. Your instructor should train everyone to work with their strengths, thinking intelligently, and not expect everyone to be super-human strong