"Rescue Diver" - Your experiences?

[live_2_dive]

My LDS makes rescue almost a year long course. Some of them are pretty snobby about how the course is so much better than what is offered elsewhere simply because it takes so long. They run a few pool/classroom sessions, have the rescue divers in training help out in the pool with OW students, have them help out with OW students on their OW weekends... etc. Then at the end of the summer, after participating in club dives and running a few scenarios they finally get signed off as rescue divers.
Has anyone else experienced this? It seems like overkill to me (more free labour for the LDS) but due to the dive shop politics I haven't gone into it too much.

that sounds more like a DM course than a Rescue course; that being said, (if I were to be in that course) I would welcome the extra experience...I feel that any experience is good experience (or at least something good can be learned from every experience)


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PADI Rescue/DM 09100Z7445
Dr Dive/Wet Dream/Sea Cobra/Y-Knot

Diving is my passion...I live to dive!

 

[rhwestfall]

its up to the instructor, but that seems a bit "excessive".

Session 1 - first Aid/O2
Session 2 - Academic
Session 3 - in-water (also observing other groups diving)
Session 4 - practical & scenarios

4 days

You cant attempt to provide a simulation of everything.....

 

[meagicano]

its up to the instructor, but that seems a bit "excessive".

Session 1 - first Aid/O2
Session 2 - Academic
Session 3 - in-water (also observing other groups diving)
Session 4 - practical & scenarios

4 days

You cant attempt to provide a simulation of everything.....

They don't do any scenarios beyond the ones required - it's the same course you would do in a week, as shown above, but they stretch it out over months to get the rescue divers to help out around the students.

 

[flots am]

It the instructor runs his class like a "boot camp", I would look elsewhere. You don't need to tow someone a long distance to master the techniques.

You will learn a number of techniques to use when helping a diver who is panicked, but If a panicked diver is too big and strong, you stay away until you can safely approach them.

I'll second this. If you're working really hard or it's scary or dangerous, you're doing it wrong. What's worse than a drowning is a drowning and a rescuer with a heart attack or permanent injury.

It would have been interesting to see what your instructor would have done if you let the panicking diver panic until he was all worn out, then rescued him.

flots.

 

[henryrendleman]

One of the best classes I have had yet in terms of learning how to be a better diver. Lots of material and wisdom to be gained.

All that means is you will likely get more real world panic attack skills or searching skills. The thing is it will not be the same from diver to diver.

 

[Slmason.72]

It was one of the best classes I have taken. That said, when you learn to defend yourself from a panicked diver, DO NOT come back to this board and openly admit that you would try to free yourself / defend yourself from said panicked diver... I learned this by experience. Now, at least for SB discussions, if a panicked diver attacks me... I'll roll over and allow them to maul me...

I was honestly shocked at the responses from that discussion. Lost a bit of respect for some folks that up until then seemed like knowledgeable individuals.

That said, of the many folks on this discussion, were you taught in rescue to defend yourself from a panicked diver? Even if you realized said panicked diver was going for your reg, but in such a way that you were concerned about losing more than your reg and getting wrapped up? (obviously you'd donate your reg, but in a manner that was safe for you.)

 

[CamG]

This was a great class to take to assist and the skills you pick up are a necessity!
You will use them somewhere or sometime when you least expect it!
So do not allow those skills to become rusty or that the best place to stop a incident is before you ever get into the water.
Stop, Think, then Act!
Identifying diver distress can be done before it gets to panic and it is best to do so!

Train well learn the correct way to approach distressed or panicked divers.
If you handle them correctly you will keep your mask, if you don't then the mask is optional anyways!

CamG Keep Diving....Keep Training....Keep Learning!

 

[flots am]

That said, of the many folks on this discussion, were you taught in rescue to defend yourself from a panicked diver? Even if you realized said panicked diver was going for your reg, but in such a way that you were concerned about losing more than your reg and getting wrapped up? (obviously you'd donate your reg, but in a manner that was safe for you.)

Just an FYI, a truly panicked diver on the surface will climb you like squirrel up a telephone pole and have no interest in you or anything you have, aside from using you as a means to stay above the water.

A truly panicked diver underwater will also have little interest in you and will most likely rocket for the surface.

flots.

 

[lowviz]

...//... were you taught in rescue to defend yourself from a panicked diver? ...//...

Not only defend, but approach. But that was in Jim Lapenta's course...

---------- Post Merged on September 13th, 2012 at 12:34 AM ---------- Previous Post was on September 12th, 2012 at 11:58 PM ----------

"Defend" is an interesting concept, yes, I would certainly free myself. You do this by making yourself as uninteresting (read descending if on the surface) or as un-reachable as possible. Exactly same thinking on how to approach.

 

[RichWilx]

What site will you be visiting?

I'll be at Stoney Cove - so there'll only be about 200 other divers watching me.