When to think about PADI Rescue?

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cwhitpan

Contributor
Messages
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Location
Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, United States
# of dives
25 - 49
Long time lurker, first time poster!

I am just about to finish up OW. My wife and I are going through as a thing to do together, and for me it is about facing a lifelong fear of water head on. One I am happy to say I am overcoming solidly and wondering what took me so long!

Some background may help put all of this in perspective.
- We have friends of ours that got us into trying a Try Dive in Playa last year. They have been diving for 10 years (vacations mostly) and are well over 100 dives.
- Did the Try dive with another couple and we all loved it, except my wife who got vertigo after someone shot under her when she was getting ready to descent (bubbles dislodged her mask) and aborted. Not knowing any better I conitnued, and fell in love with it.

We have been taking classes and I find my wife just seems to need a bit of help here and there to get past things, remember to slow down and think. Sometimes she will shallow breathe and it will cause her to feel short of breath etc...
Our instructor (Owner of the LDS) Dave is awesome and has been helping with a lot of these little issues, as she gets better and better.

I am thinking ahead to how I can be the best buddy possible for her (and my other friends) at this point. I am beginning to think more and more that maybe me seeking the PADI Rescue would be a great way for me to be able to support, help and recognize any issues that may arise.

What is the consensus on this line of thinking, and when should I (if at all) consider working on this? Note that we have a trip planned in May to Caymen with diving as an activity, if not the full purpose.

Thanks for all the past posts, I am finding a great community here!
 
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You have to get your PADI Advanced Open Water Cert before you can become a rescue diver.
 
Dive. Dive and dive often. Being an effective "rescue diver" (it cracks me up when people ask if it allows one to jump from helicopters:rofl3:) has a lot to do with confidence. Many of the skills in the PADI Rescue Class force you to manage yourself PLUS another diver. So if, as a relatively new diver, one still has to consciously think about buoyancy, not holding your breath, etc, then one should gain more bottom-time. Bottom time builds confidence, and it takes confidence to take control of someone who isn't in control of their own situation. Plus, like Deep-6 mentioned, Rescue requires AOW. So in the interim, you guys should buddy-up with more experienced divers (like your LDS owner-friend) as mentor-like dive buddies.

Cheers:D
 
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The AOW class will introduce you to new abilities (you get to choose 3 specialties), you'll hone your skills as they pertain toward navigation, air management, dive planning and buoyancy control. You'll also extend your depth by being required to make a deep dive. You should also look into diving locally, instead of only doing it on vacation. That way you can log more bottom-time and not only aquire new skills but practice them often. Try that for awhile before you decide to become a rescue diver.
 
You have to get your PADI Advanced Open Water Cert before you can become a rescue diver.

That is incorrect you only need to be certified as adventure diver with underwater navigation as one of the dives.

In terms of when taking the course first and foremost you need to make sure you can actually help yourself and therefore be proficient with fundamentals like buoyancy control and gas management.

If you can't stay at safety stop depth or you run out of air it is unlikely that you can help others.
 
Interceptor 121, from the PADI website:


Prerequisites
To enroll in the PADI Rescue Diver course, you must

Be 15 years or older
Have a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification (or have a qualifying certification from another organization)
Be trained and current for first aid and CPR within the previous two years (Ask your instructor about Emergency First Response CPR and first aid courses).

here's a link to the page:
Rescue Diver Primary and Secondary Care Courses - PADI Scuba Diving Training Organization

Not trying to start an argument, just trying to give out accurate information. :wink:
 
It is a course worth doing - when you are ready that is!

My husband had been a rescue diver since before I met him and I certainly felt safer in his hands with that knowledge (he's since moved through the professional route).

I only got round to doing my rescue course this year, 6 years and many dives after my OW. I learnt a lot and was pleased I'd finally got round to doing it. However there were some relatively new divers on the same course that struggled with some of the basics - such as the search patterns maintaining a steady depth and managing themselves as well as someone else.

So I'd agree with the other posts - the best thing you could probably do now is dive and practice as much as possible so it all becomes second nature and that you don't panic if a situation does occur. Then when you are more confident look to starting the course.
 
I'm also a new diver and just from what I have read and gleemed from other people, I would say definitely go at least to Rescue Diver. Everyone tells me it is the first class that really helped them to start to become a better diver. OW and AOW give you skill sets, but you really use the skills in Rescue.
 
When to take Rescue Diver?

When you're comfortable enough in your own skills and using equipment that you're not going to have to self-monitor all aspects of your own diving. Because a lot of Rescue diving is about others, not just yourself (although self-rescue is covered as well).

Another way of saying it is: Take the next class only after you're comfortable with the skills taught so far. If you're not comfortable with OW skills, you should still be focusing on these. Remember, you are the only one who will monitor whether you need to conduct refresher training. And you can do that on your 15-foot stop, or even during your dive. You and your buddy will both benefit.
 
As always, it is good to see more folks interested in becoming the best diver they can be, and to want to ensure that not only are they safe, but that they can ensure (or at least help) in the safety of others.

That being said, as others have mentioned, the first thing you need is bottom time. Get yourself more experience in bouyancy control, breathing, relaxation and the like. As you get more comfortable, you then move on to AOW where you gain the use of an instructor to bounce your questions off of. Use this time wisely and ask the questions that you need answers to so that you can be the best diver for yourself first.

As you then get even more time in the water, you will find yourself naturally checking on other folks - noticing small things that could make a big difference, situational awareness, environmental conditions... when you find yourself paying as much (or more) attention to other people ensuring that they are safe, then you are probably ready for a rescue class. You will then learn what to do in case those pople, whom you are now naturally noticing, take the whole thing south fast.

While you are to be commended for the goal of wanting to be there for your significant other as soon as possible - you don't know what you don't know - and only time and practice (and maybe a few posts here and there) will give you that knowledge. To be the best rescue diver you can be takes time and practice - when you are truely ready, you will know.

Lastly, when you become rescue certified which I have no doubt you will, do not forget to practice, practice, practice to keep up those skills.

Good luck, learn much - and let's have some fun out there. Oh, and did I mention time and practice?

And PearlDiver beats me to the punch. Well, at least we agree! Must be a Texas thing.:cheers:
 
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