Is Rescue training a turning point in diving perspective?

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Not necessarily, it really depends on the individual and where they are at mentally. I took rescue at 22 years old in college. It did not shift my mentality, I was young, brash and cocky. At the time is was just another set of skills in my kit bag. Time and experience were more important factors in changing my outlook.
You said the same thing I said without taking up half a page. I just acquired the skills. But was at age 52 at the time, so not so cocky. It wasn't a turning point for me either.
 
Never took rescue, but I'm another ex-lifeguard so I've been pretty outward focused from the start.

Just like lifeguarding, I think once you've gotten into the habit of really looking, you can often head off problems before they become serious. I've never had to do a rescue underwater (I've done one tired diver tow on top), but I've helped people with small problems so they never had a chance to become big problems: returning dropped weights, helping reattach tanks, pointing out unrolled dsmbs, taking an edge of panic diver slowly and calmly to the surface.
 
AJ:
Never done the Stress and Rescue course myself, but watched quite some S&R courses given. Did the GUE Fundamentals myself. I do not feel having missed out on something. Even more, I think a Tec course, even intro, makes better divers than S&R from what I have seen...

Rescue course is not about skill or technique on diving.
Different ball game.

A Technical pass in GUE Fundamentals requires some Rescue skills and drills. That may be what AJ is referring to.
It's not required for a Recreational pass, but if another student in the same course is going for a tech pass, the Rec pass student will be exposed to the Rescue portion or might be part of it.
 
...my observation is the rescue course often causes an attitudinal and confidence-boosting transformation in divers that is very positive in net effect...

Absolutely. When I took Rescue with about 40 dives in 2002, I had just begun to venture out diving with just buddies rather than in courses or on shop-run dives.

During the Rescue course, one of my instructors showed me how to use leverage rather than strength to rescue my self-confessed 300 lb "victim" who was told to be a dead weight. Another petite girl and I had already chosen each other as buddies and one of the other instructors said, "Oh no, you're not", and re-assigned us.

With the other instructors tips, I managed to rescue that buddy multiple times and "passed with flying colours", against any odds that may have been bet.

The Rescue course was hard, but so much fun and very rewarding. My situational awareness increased greatly, I was more aware of other divers attitudes and behaviours, I believed I developed the ability to self-rescue, and I gained more confidence as a diver. One of the most important concepts I learned was to not become a second victim. It sounds easy, but in the heat of a rescue, it involves quick decisions and reassessments to find a balance between helping someone and becoming a second victim.

Rescue was one of the courses that I learned the most from.
 
Well, if applied, it may lead to an intervention before an all out rescue is needed...

Rescue first and foremost to me was about situational awareness. Remember, the best rescue was the one that didn't happen...

Think of what you may have prevented vs, having had to spring into action.

You may have done more than you think you have...
 
It likely is. I did my diving after I retired from the military so I was naturally outward focused/buddy orientated and could manage stressful situations. However I did learn quite a bit and I would agree that most people approach diving differently after rescue; I know some of my buddies focus has changed.
 
ScubaBoard did more for my diving than any class. More scenarios. More what-ifs. Better analysis. More options.
 
ScubaBoard did more for my diving than any class. More scenarios. More what-ifs. Better analysis. More options.
Can't argue with that. I got a lot of tips in the Going Pro forum over 10 years ago, including first hearing of drown-proofing for the DM course 15 minute float test. Could have been mentioned by my instructor....
 
A Technical pass in GUE Fundamentals requires some Rescue skills and drills. That may be what AJ is referring to.
It's not required for a Recreational pass, but if another student in the same course is going for a tech pass, the Rec pass student will be exposed to the Rescue portion or might be part of it.
Yes, indeed. I have GUE Fundies Tech, planning on Tech/Cave with even more rescue skills. Awareness no matter what stress you're experiencing is nr. 1 priority in these courses. Fundies made me a much better diver and buddy. No doubt more tech courses will do the same for me.

But I also referred to the bad skills (or even lack of skills) of the instructors I know teaching rescue. They can hardly help themselves in an emergency, but are teaching rescue to student's? I don't think an instructor like that can teach me anything, let alone rescue skills.
 
Another former lifeguard here... I first got LG certified back in 1991, and I took Rescue in 2010. In that 19-year timespan, I'd been working as a lifeguard for 14 years, sometimes full-time, so the Rescue course was mostly a big review of skills and mindsets I'd been practicing and often teaching. It didn't make a huge difference to me.
 
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