How to be a better diver ?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

The Rescue course is definitely worthwhile. It will change your perspective on diving, and give you a broader foundation on which to build your diving experience. Advice in favor of taking the Rescue course is about as close to unanimous as anything you'll find in diving.

Oh, and it's a lot of fun too. I recommend doing it with a class of 5 to 8 students, as there is a lot of interaction in the scenarios.
Make sure there will be scenarios, it's not a given.
 
Thank you all for your comments. Your input will certainly help me focusing on aspects I wouldn't have thought of.

I was planning to take the intro to tech course in a month or so, but never consider taking the Rescue Course. That may be a good option. Maybe it is more relevant to do Rescue before ITT... ?

Thanks again :)

Yes, absolutely take Rescue before ITT.
 
The non-diving course which I recommend the most (even if you are not a diver) is Gareth Lock's Human Factors in Diving: Human Factors Skills in Diving - Home

Skills wise, I cannot recommend enough a DIR gatekeeper course like UTD Essentials or GUE fundies (I took the latter). With a focus on fundamental skills and team based diving, there is the added benefit of improved awareness. While I don't consider myself a DIR diver as I dive solo, traditional sidemount, etc., fundies was the most invaluable skills course I've taken hands down. My biggest mistake was taking it relatively late (~380 dives). So wish I took it 300 dives earlier (hint, hint). :wink:
 
I also highly recommend taking the Rescue Diver course. It's an excellent way to build your situational awareness with yourself and with what's around you, develop a stronger ability to deal with mishaps, and to spot potential hazards before things spiral out of control. It's a great course and will test your physical and mental stamina. The more you know... the more you know what can go wrong... and this will help keep your overconfidence in check.

All of the above and +1 for the Rescue Course. It really made me aware of how sh@t can hit the fan and what to do about it. I'm sending both my kids (16&18) to take the course in 3 weeks.

Now I'm starting Tec and the whole safety and redundancy approach to it also makes you aware of how fragile you're down there. Having a good instructor indeed helps, and I have a good instructor.

The Rescue course is definitely worthwhile. It will change your perspective on diving, and give you a broader foundation on which to build your diving experience. Advice in favor of taking the Rescue course is about as close to unanimous as anything you'll find in diving.

Oh, and it's a lot of fun too. I recommend doing it with a class of 5 to 8 students, as there is a lot of interaction in the scenarios.

Rescue is the first class I want my students to take after Open Water. Or at a minimum my rescue skills workshop that is basically the rescue class with a lot of emphasis on prevention and responding as a team rather than as an individual.
Rescue should be done before AOW and depending on the Intro to Tech class you are taking, certainly before it. My ITT class is 6 dives and includes classroom and pool sessions. Rescue helps to identify those portions of ITT that you may want to pay special attention to before you even get in the water. For many people ITT is the first time they'll experience doubles, carrying a stage, sidemount, etc. Rescue will help to identify those areas where the additional gear may require you to adjust your expectations and do a self-evaluation.
Are you ready for the additional weight of doubles, the extra task loading, the extra gear? Do you really trust your buddies and your ability to assist each other?
Rescue skills used to be in every OW class. They got dropped in order to increase output and profits by some agencies. Other agencies and instructors still include them in the open water class.

Yes, absolutely take Rescue before ITT.


Well, the answer to my question is quite clear, so I will postpone the ITT and go for the Rescue Course. I have no idea what to expect but I'll have a good chat with the dive shops in my area and make my choice.

Diving is fun indeed, and I assume it's even more fun when one understands what's going on and how to deal with the unexpected (to a certain degree). That was the idea behind the post and your comments and advice help a lot.

Thanks again.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

Back
Top Bottom