Diver Rescue

[fjpatrum]

The next class for me is Rescue. I'm waiting until I feel like I've got enough confidence in my own abilities to feel like I can take care of myself before I start volunteering to look after other divers. I'm a beginner at diving. How would you feel about being paired with a buddy that's done OW, AOW, and did Rescue after 60 dives?

Personally I'd be very happy to dive with someone who's done a rescue class regardless of how many dives they have. Even someone who is a complete moron is going to get something out of a class, and something is generally better than nothing. I'm a true newb (less than 10 dives) and I already have asked my LDS about the rescue class. I think it's outrageous to be required to have a specific number of dives before rescue because understanding the possibilities and how to deal with them is only going to make me a better diver.

 

[Crush]

I think it's outrageous to be required to have a specific number of dives before rescue because understanding the possibilities and how to deal with them is only going to make me a better diver.

Brilliant!

 

[AndrewA]

The fourth open water dive of the BSAC Ocean Diver (our entry level qualification) is recovery of an incapacitated diver, including lift and surface tow. I have not found any problems teaching these skills at this stage in training.

 

[DevonDiver]

At what point in a diver's training should they be able to rescue their buddy (unconsious diver at depth, panicky diver at the surface)?

Ideally, rescue skills should be introduced as early as possible, but not so as to overload a diver as they develop.

The main benefit of specific training in rescue techniques is to minimise the risk to the rescuer. A secondary benefit is that the rescuer is given knowledge and experience that should increase the speed of rescue, via the reduction of required problem solving and options to be considered.

Thus, rescue training gives a quicker and safer rescue - but it does not mean that an un-trained diver would be unable to provide a rescue without that training....as some contributors to this thread seem to have assumed.

Do you feel that these skills should be part of the OW course? AOW? or should they wait until the diver is ready for Rescue Diver training?

The OW does have a fair amount of rescue & self-rescue skills embedded within it. Techniques such as CESA, OOA Ascent, Buddy Tows are examples. Some rescue theory is also introduced in the classroom; i.e. questions about prioritization of actions needed for unconsious divers at the surface.

The OW course also, importantly, deals with the necessity for good buddy procedures - which IMHO is the bedrock of rescue capability, as prevention and/or early intervention is far more important than highly technical rescue skills for an incident that has been allowed to progress into a major emergency.

I think that most scuba agencies expect that a well-trained OW diver would use this limited information, coupled with common sense and judgement, to keep their buddy safe in the event of an incident. Most divers would guess that they should bring their unconsious buddy to the surface ASAP. Humans, of even the lowest IQ, tend to understand that not breathing is a bad thing!

The AOW course is sadly lacking in rescue skills development. I firmly believe that this course should introduce new elements of rescue and self-rescue as a 'bridge' to the full Rescue Diver course.

If the OW course introduced 'basic' rescue skills, then the AOW course should contain 'intermediate' skills, before the Rescue Course developed 'advanced' skills.

The requirement for CPR training is another issue. AED operation is another. O2 provision is another. Whilst not specifically 'scuba rescue' skills, the ability to support casualty life function, pending medical resucitation, is invaluable for any diver. That said, it would be beneficial for any hobbiest, sportsperson, motorist etc etc.

I think CPR should be more strongly 'encouraged' from OW course onwards. AED and O2 should be required for rescue courses.

How do you feel about being buddied up with a diver who can't perform a basic rescue if you get into trouble?

As I've said before... I wouldn't assume that any diver couldn't perform a basic rescue, just because they hadn't attended a specific training course.

Neither would I assume that they could be trusted to rescue me, just because they had a rescue cert card!

As a scuba instructor, I am used to being in the water with untrained divers on a daily basis. I rarely had Divemaster support when teaching, so I swiftly developed a mindset that I shouldn't rely on any external assistance in the event of an emergency. I had to be confident of my self-rescue capacity. I had to plan and conduct those diving activities with an appropriate risk assessment based on the fact that I was unsupported.

Having developed that mindset, I now don't really have any problems with being buddied with novice divers who are (on paper) unreliable for rescue.

Have you performed a rescue while diving? If so, were you trained to do so?

Yes, many times.

My first 'proper' rescue was the recovery and resucitation of an unconsious diver at the surface. This happened on my Divemaster course, so I benefitted from having the training 'fresh' in my mind. Even then, the rescue was not textbook - more instinctive than methodical. Having said that, the casualty survived, regained consiousness out of the water, was evacuated by helicopter to hospital and recovered. He was a huge 300lb+ guy...so that gave me a lot of confidence.

Since then, I've dealt with literally hundreds of incidents that required some form of 'rescue' intervention: panicked divers (surface and underwater), bolters, OOA, low on air, vomiters, severe narcosis (inside a silted out wreck!), exhausted divers, DCI hits etc etc I've rescued a few drowning swimmers and snorkellers too.

Did I have training to do those things? Technically, yes I did. However, every scenario was very different and far from the 'textbook' scenarios I encountered on training courses.

The most important aspect with my effective rescue interventions was having the confidence to 'act'... to take responsibility and get involved. This is closely followed by the capacity to keep a cool mind and avoid panic. Only then can you effectively problem solve and react effectively. The specific rescue techniques utilised were of much less importance than that.

 

[DCBC]

Were you in fullface? or a rec rig? How deep? Were you "dead" when you hit the surface and then revived? Or did the reg actualy stay sealed in your mouth? Just curious. If you were in rec gear and unconscious under water I gotta say you are one heck of a lucky guy. If you were in fullface or hardhat thats an entirely different thing.

The first time, I was using a rebreather with the Navy and was decompressing at 30 feet with a standard face mask. The second time, I was using SSMG with a SuperLite, comms had failed and the gas pusher screwed-up the mixture.

I've successfully rescued an unconsious scuba diver (OOA) and brought him to the surface. He lived. It does happen and can happen to anyone. I know I'm not bullet proof, no matter how well I plan the dive. I try, but unfortunately sometimes *hit just happens. I suppose that's why they call them accidents.

 

[DCBC]

As I've said before... I wouldn't assume that any diver couldn't perform a basic rescue, just because they hadn't attended a specific training course. Neither would I assume that they could be trusted to rescue me, just because they had a rescue cert card!

I would agree, but would suggest that one who is trained is better prepared to undertake a rescue than one who doesn't have training. People no doubt will try to do their best. As Instructors however, I believe we have a duty to give our students the skills that they may reasonably need before they dive independently with their buddy without the aid of a rescue diver, DM, or Instructor. Thanks for your input Andy.

 

[nielsent]

I think that with rescue that it is an integral part of being a well rounded diver. Basic open water instruction should have the goal of producing well-rounded divers. Even if it is more or less discussing it in a classroom situation, where you go over the common sense of rescue. For example, it would have been a great thing to even have heard that the easiest way to stop a diver from panicking is to establish positive buoyancy, or perhaps the process one should go through when you see someone unconscious underwater or on the surface. I suppose just talking about the possibilities and what to do would be better than the way the possible dangers of diving are sugar-coated in an OW class.

 

[fnfalman]

I think that OW should be like a Navy SEAL/Combat Swimmer lite course. Everything except for the killing part.

That way you'd know that the diver is "competent" to handle any emergency that may pop up while diving.

 

[DevonDiver]

The only people who can truly handle any emergency are NASA astronauts..... and MacGyver.

Rescue divers should do the NASA moon-landing preparation course and it should be taught by MacGyver.

"Houston, we...have a problem!" (panicking diver at the surface..)

 

[NC Kelly]

OW should hit the basic rescue, which I think it covers pretty well. There should be a discussion during class that explains the risk the deeper you go. I think the Rescue certification should be a requisite to doing the AOW course. I would hate be be at 100 feet and have an unconscious buddy and not have a clue how to handle the situation. Where if it happened at 30 feet, I at least know that I could shoot us both to the surface safely.