Rescue Diver Course - I can't recommend it based on my recent experience

[Bogtrotter]

I just reread your opening post and noticed that you only had rescue scenarios on the first day. Our scenarios were for the duration of the course plus shore exits so I don't think you actually got more than average for this. Anyway I hope you ultimately see value in it.

 

[Bob DBF]

Where do I sign up?


If you should find yourself in a true rescue, you will be writing those guys a thank you. The one thing you didn't mention was whether or not there was an emphasys on always calling in help as soon as possible in an emergency, that will be a deciding factor in a real situation, as none of us are f'n [-]Super[/-]Aquaman.



Bob
-----------------------------
"the future is uncertain and the end is always near"
Jim Morrison

 

[TONY CHANEY]

Wow -- And as far as the second day, and being on guard all the time . . . I honestly think that's one of the things everybody SHOULD get from a Rescue class. If you come out of the class with a heightened awareness of where the opportunities for problems exist, and you are watching for them and thinking about how to avoid them or deal with them if they occur, you really have learned the lesson from Rescue. It's not so much about handling specific problems, as it is a mindset that problems can occur anywhere, and divers should be thinking about how to keep them from occurring, and how to deal with them when they do.

Funny how we think alike. When I read your post I did a self check and reflected back on past dives. For example: A buddy and I went to the quarry for a good day of diving. We were gearing up and as always small chat, planning and the usual general questions pertaining to gas choice, family members, dive plan etc. We are in no rush and have the place to ourselves except for one dive shop van that has been there since we got there. I start to talk about changing the dive plan to a search and recovery dive and add tidbits about how we need to handle the recovery. He has a worrisome look on his face and ask what am I talking about. I explain that when we got there the others divers were already underwater. I have been scaning the surface and have not seen any bubbles or the divers on the surface and it has been well over an hour and a half. (Maybe rebreather or maybe tech with extra gas but...) All turned out well in that they had gotten out on the other side of the quarry hidden in a small cove. Later we talked about why I was watching the water, the clock, etc. Because you need to always be on the lookout for adverse situations or accidents waiting to happen! Maybe just being a father to two little ones, maybe being EFR / Respiratory Therapist, prior military training or great dive training. Maybe a mixture of all the above but I am always on the lookout.

 

[SteveBF]

In the Army we had something called battle focused training which basically meant train as you will fight so we always tried to make training as realistic as possible within reason. The saying was "the more you sweat in training the less you bleed in combat" and to an extent it is very true. Sounds like you got a good dose of battle focused training and for what it's worth I think you definitly got your money's worth and then some.

 

[Lorenzoid]

OK, I will agree with most that there is some good here. If you can go through that much stress it will serve you well. I would disagree that the DM equip. exchange is a parallel. Unless they changed it because it is no longer pass/fail and part of the watermanship skills, there was no time limit. Doing that seems way easier than these rescue scenarios.

Just to clarify, I wasn't saying that the DM equipment exchange exercise is a "parallel" to Rescue exercises. What I meant was that both share the element of intentionally stressing the diver, though to different extents and for different purposes. My point was that the concept of having divers perform tasks that stress them is part of other advanced diving courses and not unique to Rescue. I have no experience with tec courses, but I've heard descriptions of training techniques that involve solving problems under stress. I think Rescue can be a gateway to this wonderful world of demanding, advanced training.

 

[diverjen]

So I opted to do all the initial coursework and confined water work at my own pace where I live in Shanghai, and just do the open water part on referral on holiday.

I sincerely thank you for sharing this experience here on scubaboard. I am a newbie diver who will eventually take AOW and Rescue. I wonder if the above reason was part of the disconnect in your training. To me the biggest problem with the above course would be the lack of communication establishing what day one was about, especially if it had been a little while since you had done the coursework and pool sessions at home. From all of the typical colorful sb responses, I assume that each instructor handles the course differently and it would have been better to have the same instructor all the way through. Also, criticizing you for accepting the tow line seems like a dick move to me.

Once again, thank you for sharing this, it will help me to better decide when to take Rescue and who from.

 

[phoenix31tt]

I only wish my rescue class is as through as this... wow...

my instructor already pre-warned me that his rescue course will be tough... and in all honesty i WANT it that way...

i especially like the psyching you up the first day and letting you sweat the third day... it illustrates that a diver should always be on their guard and ready for anything even if nothing happens...

you've gotten what seems like a great course and if you ever need to be a real life rescue diver you'd be better of having taken it

 

[Mike]

Just to clarify, I wasn't saying that the DM equipment exchange exercise is a "parallel" to Rescue exercises. What I meant was that both share the element of intentionally stressing the diver, though to different extents and for different purposes. My point was that the concept of having divers perform tasks that stress them is part of other advanced diving courses and not unique to Rescue. I have no experience with tec courses, but I've heard descriptions of training techniques that involve solving problems under stress. I think Rescue can be a gateway to this wonderful world of demanding, advanced training.

Not to single you out, I'm only quoting your words to make a general point -

In Rescue Diver, Diver Stress is in association with a Rescue Diver relieving stress in a diver needing rescue.

There is no intention of PADI to put stress on the student.

The benefits of taking Rescue are learning that you don't have to be stressed and the point of the excercises in the water are to teach the diver student through doing and practicing learned skills to avoid stress due to competency. Learning is benefited when stress is reduced and eliminated from the equation by a student diver realizing they have the skills to take control and initiate and follow through on a rescue. This whole diver ambush crap being thrown around by so many here is ridiculous.

Paid teaches rescue through a method of prescriptive learning, NOT through a method of boot camp.

Here is a copy of the PADI instructor manual for Rescue, nowhere in it does it teach an instructor to stress their student diver during the water portion of the drills. Instructors following that are following their own misguided testosterone filled fantasy, and robbing students of the learning process which should be controlled and stress free so that the student can apply their new knowledge to see positive results which reinforces the skills and creates muscle memory and confidence.

ftp://207.215.212.62/stuff/PADI/DIM/Guides/Rescue.pdf

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Actually those of us who do not teach under PADI guidelines are following the standards of our agencies. A rescue is a highly stressful situation no matter how many times you do it. Or teach it.

Those of us who have performed actual rescues feel it is better to show the student what they are likely to encounter by making the drills as realistic as possible. Including things like reminding students towing a diver that the longer they take the more damage is being done by not getting the vic to proper care. With panicked divers the vic is instructed to not take it easy on the rescuer and don't let up the panic until it's just not possible to continue it. This way rescuers know that letting their guard down can get them hurt or killed.

I'd rather show them a taste of actual stress then go over the ways to deal with it during the debrief. My rescue class is designed to be as real and as tough as possible with lots of variables thrown in that are not announced. Missing diver? OK but what you don't know is that he's missing in 5 feet deep vegetation with zero vis below 4 ft. In fifteen feet of water. Locate by feel. You can't see, your buddy can't see. He's wrapped in weeds now. Lots of stuff going through your mind as you are essentially alone, blind, and the only source of life for someone. Too slow and he's dead. Too fast and you miss him. Meanwhile someone is screaming at you to find their loved one any time you poke your head up.

That's our local conditions many times. Not clear water with good vis. You need to improvise. Think and act. FAST. With zero warning to the poorly trained OW diver that tries to mug you for your reg out of nowhere. An instructor pulling repeated OOA's without warning is doing the diver a favor. Building muscle memory so response is instinctive.

Real rescues suck. Big time. The more they suck in training the better prepared one is for a real one. And even then it might not be prepared enough.

 

[Frosty]

Mike I could namby pamby around this but in simple terms -you are wrong.
A rescue senario needs to be as realistic as possible.This invariably HAS to put a lot of stress on the trainee rescuer. I would be amazed at a person during rescue training who wasn't stressed and task loaded to close to their limit.
This will translate into a trained rescuer who is able to conduct a rescue in a calm organised manner.
Sorry if this seems harsh. Ive seen the result of staff who had the softly softly aproach to safety training (in another sport) go to pieces when real life came along and slapped them with a big dose of reality.
One case vivid in my memory was someone utterly frozen with panic whilst several lives were at stake.