Diving in threes

[redseal]

I hope that YOU are kidding when you suggest "diving totally unprepared" whether it's for dive number 1 or dive number 49.

The point I was trying to make is that in all complex endeavors, one must know and practice the basics before one can move on to more difficult and demanding skills. Rescue diving, from people who have taken it, have uniformly stated that it was one of the most physically and emotionally demanding courses, yet very satisfying courses they took. If you're more concerned about where your gear is, how to operate it, how to simply dive, then how in the world are you going to be able to concentrate on rescuing someone in trouble. Art.chick is right on target; perhaps you should re-read her post.

By all means, take the rescue diver course whenever you feel it would benefit you most. I plan on taking it when I've got some more experience to make it more worthwhile.:mean:

 

[devilfish]

redseal once bubbled...
I hope that YOU are kidding when you suggest "diving totally unprepared" whether it's for dive number 1 or dive number 49.

The point I was trying to make is that in all complex endeavors, one must know and practice the basics before one can move on to more difficult and demanding skills. Rescue diving, from people who have taken it, have uniformly stated that it was one of the most physically and emotionally demanding courses, yet very satisfying courses they took. If you're more concerned about where your gear is, how to operate it, how to simply dive, then how in the world are you going to be able to concentrate on rescuing someone in trouble. Art.chick is right on target; perhaps you should re-read her post.

By all means, take the rescue diver course whenever you feel it would benefit you most. I plan on taking it when I've got some more experience to make it more worthwhile.:mean:

Redseal, with all due respects I did read the post the first time. Rescue is a demanding course, the 50% of it, the portion of actual responses. The other half of the course is the awareness and knowledge about the stupid things that divers do and get away with it, except that one time. In other words, what causes diver accidents. A topic which is hardly if ever discussed in a basic course. It is during the "learning" pahse after the "C" card when stressful situations or accidents do happen. Statistally most accidents happen to divers with less than one year experiance and less than 50 dives. Then the numbers drop off until about the 7th year of experiance when divers begin to feel too confident. In a nutshell, divers take a basic course, get certified, are told to never dive alone, and are send out with a blessing. Well, if one diver can't help another in a stressful situation or rescue their buddy, they in fact are diving solo. Nothing happens till it happens. Just because during basic course divers attempted once or twice to practice OOA situations, "Oh youhoo, can I borrow some of your air please" which is not what the real world, otherwise without a good rescue course they are not a buddy team. Yes, I believe that basic rescue training and skill are absolutely critical for safe diving and survival into becoming a more experianced diver. Unfortunately most agencies took out that part of training because the numbers of certifications would drop off, it's a matter of marketing and survival. Unfortunately the competion survival is at the cost of the sole or family that only wanted a wonderful activity. One loss is too many, yet we read of many more, and many more that we do not publicly hear about. There is more to diving tha just jumping in with relatively well functioning equipment. Water is our friend, it gives us life, it allows us to play in it and with it's wonderful creatures, but water can be also ruthless, we can not bend it's rules and survival skills are absolutely necessary. Yes, I am serious.

 

[newdiverAZ]

Thanx everyone for the input. I guess this was a pretty "in the gray" area. I personally do not so much care about the demands of the rescue diver course, in my opinion the rewards would far outweigh the sacrifice. Granted I will not take this course the day after my open water, but it is something that as soon as I am able to do I wil. I feel any information that we can have on saving someone else, be it a member of my family or otherwise, is prolly the most valuable info an instructor can teach. If anyone knows anyone who has taken the class a post from them would be really kewl. Thanx again for all your input. Once again these forums are awesome



Thanx
Brian

 

[zboss]

art.chick once bubbled...
I know lots of oceangoing teens, & it's true that you cannot smoke crack, crash cars, or have unsafe sex underwater. they are a good group of kids & he'll do well to be among them.

You just aren't being imaginative enough