Are Rescue Skills really needed by the average diver.... ?

[glocklt4]

You can buy the book or crew pack on Amazon but you really need the class. This is a class I'd highly recommend that you take with your wife. It's really not the type of thing you can learn from a book.

Completely agree. I was just trying to read up more into what we'd be getting into. Agree about doing the training with the wife. She isn't as experienced (45 dives) and gets frustrated easier, so it will be a challenge for her, but a good one.

 

[AggieDiver]

What I felt was the most important benefit from my Rescue Diver class was the situational awareness that I gained by starting to look outside and around me for really the first time. All training up to that point was focused on me and/or my buddy and what we were doing. For the first time in the rescue class, they start teaching you to be aware of others, to look critically at conditions and operations to allow you to anticipate problems before they occur. You start to look at the dive habits of others around you in a different light, and just generally see things differently after taking a good rescue class. I recommend taking it to any diver who will listen. If possible, take it with a group...what you learn from the divers around you and watching them and interacting with them during the class will be at least as useful as what the instructor tells you.

 

[axop]

Rescue should be mandatory and part of OW Certification. Yes, yes, I know make it as easy as possible to get started, but I have seen my share of incidents where I became a strong supporter of more advanced training for OW Cert.

 

[Tigerman]

Question is, how many of those incidents would have been avoided if the divers in question ACTUALLY stayed within their training and experience and most importantly within their comfort zone?

 

[TMHeimer]

Question is, how many of those incidents would have been avoided if the divers in question ACTUALLY stayed within their training and experience and most importantly within their comfort zone?

Agree completely. However....If you always do that but your buddy does something stupid, panics and grabs you and you have no rescue skills, you could be fubar. Plus don't forget to throw in the "insta-buddy" thing.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

That is often the issue. They are within the limits of their certification. But they have not been told the truth about how easy it is to die within those limits.

One incident I researched happened at the surface. Diver did not know how to help a buddy dump weights. He watched her drown while trying to hold her up by her octo.

To put it another way my rule is if you can't assist me you're not going to be my buddy or a buddy to one of my students. In fact I don't really want to even dive with you unless you are paying me to do it.

 

[Tigerman]

I dont take it quite that far. I'll let you dive with me even if you cant assist me, but unless I KNOW you can assist me, I consider it a solo dive as far as my safety goes and Im not risking my welfare to take care of yours.

 

[supergaijin]

One incident I researched happened at the surface. Diver did not know how to help a buddy dump weights. He watched her drown while trying to hold her up by her octo.

So PADI seems to address this basic rescue part of diving well before a dedicated 'Rescue' course. Here are some examples of 'how to avoid surface emergencies'. I thought the other agencies would be very similar if not identical.

QUIZ
(2A) 7.The most important feature of a weight system is:
A you can use it without your hands.
B you can remove the weight easily with one hand in an emergency.
C a design that keeps the weight from moving around during the dive.
D padding to protect you from accidental injury.

(3A) 6. You can prevent most surface emergencies (problems) by:
A diving only from boats.
B diving with a skilled buddy in a familiar place.
C using the best equipment made.
D reducing your physical effort and makinq yourself float.

(3A) 7. What is the first thing you should do with an injured diver at the surface?
A Make the diver float and check to see if the diver is breathing.
B get the diver out of the water.
C Find out what happened.
D Give the diver emergency oxyqen

Divers have the vast majority of their accidents by not following their training. Unfortunately inexperienced divers (and some experienced) forget their training at critical moments. Vehicle drivers do it as well- braking in a slide for example. 90% of dead divers are found with their weights still on according to at least one study. http://www.divingmedicine.info

Diving Fatality Data
• 90% died with their weight belt on
• 86% were alone when they died.
• 50% didnot inflate their buoyancy vest.
• 25% encountered their difficulty first on the surface
• 50% actually died on the surface.
• 10% were under training when they died.
• 10% were advised that they were medically unfit to dive.
• 5% were cave diving.
• 1% of "rescuers" became a victim.


I believe 'rescue skills' are required by the average diver and I also believe that they're adequately covered in a typical beginner diving course. It's simply not that hard to release a weightbelt, yet some certified divers are apparently incapable when stressed. How would more 'advanced' rescue techniques save more lives if they can't remove a weightbelt?

 

[TMHeimer]

supergaijin, Yes I agree that a lot of basic safety procedures are covered in the PADI OW course. But saying that rescue skills are adequately covered there has been debated often. There is nothing about dealing with a panicked diver--at surface or at depth. Nothing about inwater rescue breaths, possible equipment removal during a tow, bringing up an unconscious diver from depth. Also nothing about avoiding a panicked diver from climbing on you. Probably quite a bit more could go on this list. Personally, I don't think rescue skills are even close to being adequately covered.

 

[supergaijin]

There is nothing about dealing with a panicked diver--at surface or at depth. Nothing about inwater rescue breaths, possible equipment removal during a tow, bringing up an unconscious diver from depth. Also nothing about avoiding a panicked diver from climbing on you. Probably quite a bit more could go on this list. Personally, I don't think rescue skills are even close to being adequately covered.

How can teaching the above skills possibly result in fewer accidents when 90% die with their weightbelts on?