Doing rescue

[on_two_wheels]

Okay...so perhaps some or even all of this has been posted. I'm sure everyone will be just fine reading.

Apparently there used to be 4 ocean scenarios and now there's only two. Surfacing an unresponsive diver from the bottom and dealing with that same diver at the surface. Naturally, part of the training is removal of gear. Question: Do you actually remove gear and, if so, how much? The instructor can only hold so much, right?

 

[robooringding]

It depends on the scenario, for an unresponsive non breathing victim you have to remove all scuba gear and perform rescue breaths and when at a shore or dock cpr. All the scenarios are covered in the book and video for the rescue diver class.

 

[t1mm]

When I did my rescue diver course the instructor taught me things that weren't in the PADI book. He taught me how to surface an unresponsive diver while maintaining eye contact (put your hand under their BCD strap and then hold the reg in their mouth - prevents them from floating away and maintains eye contact). Also taught me how to get an unresponsive diver back into a RIB unaided (take your scuba unit + fins off, take his scuba unit off, hold his hands on the tubes while climbing into the boat, then dunking him up and down once or twice without his face going underwater. finally lift him up so that he comes to rest sitting on the tube). Then commence CPR etc.

 

[on_two_wheels]

Yeah...we went over the dunking method to get a little extra lift.

My original question wasn't so much about the scenarios as the actual removal of gear. So does the instructor hold all gear removed? Certainly we're not gonna drop it! Low vis is too common here.

One other concern...my rig is snug. If I'm in my drysuit, it's not coming off by another individual unless I can help. Might be able to in a wetsuit. We'll see. Still, I believe in train to reality. So I think I'll probably wear exactly what I dive in. I just don't want to set another diver up for failure.

 

[t1mm]

We took their weights off and put them into the RIB, removed their scuba unit while inflated and hooked the 2nd stage under one of the ropes on the tubes. No need for removal of any other gear before you get out of the water anyway.

 

[on_two_wheels]

Hmmm....Well no RIB being used. Guess we'll see. Thanks.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

My original question wasn't so much about the scenarios as the actual removal of gear. So does the instructor hold all gear removed? Certainly we're not gonna drop it! Low vis is too common here.

A DM (or two) can be very helpful when executing the OW rescue scenarios. The DM can serve as an extra set of hands that holds onto the gear (in the surf?) while the events are unfolding. It's great to make the scenarios as realistic as possible, but not at the cost of losing expensive gear. For my Rescue class, we had one DM tasked with holding onto all of our stuff.
I'm 99.9% certain that your instructor will brief you on this at the appropriate time.

One other concern...my rig is snug. If I'm in my drysuit, it's not coming off by another individual unless I can help. Might be able to in a wetsuit. We'll see. Still, I believe in train to reality. So I think I'll probably wear exactly what I dive in. I just don't want to set another diver up for failure.

Don't change anything on your rig for your Rescue class. As you alluded to, it's better to identify what challenges you must overcome with your own gear at sites you normally dive...since that's what you'll have to deal with in an emergency.

I'm sure that a diver with a knife and/or EMT shears could get you out of your rig rather quickly. You shouldn't have to play the "victim" in any of the "full" rescue scenarios, although you probably will practice getting people out of their rigs. The point of such an exercise is to figure out the quickest way to get the "victim" out of his/her gear at the appropriate time.

On a side note, as a rescuer, you will need to figure out a way to doff your own gear expeditiously while rescuing someone else.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

One thing I really fail to understand and don;t agree with is all the focus on one person rescues. If you and your buddy are properly trained what is more likely is coming upon someone whose initial training left something to be desired. I just did day one of a rescue class and I put much more emphasis on doing it as buddy team. I'm also of the school that while it's ok psychologically for the rescuer to try rescue breathing unless you are really good at it and don't end up climbing onto the vic or turning the head, which may close the airway anyhow, it;s better to haul ass for the boat or shore where you can get some stability and stand to deliver the breaths. As a DM and instructor I have been dunked more times than I care to admit by rescue students who had dropped my weights, inflated my bc, dropped theirs, and were nearly hovering out of the water and still in their eagerness to get the breaths in ended up driving me under or turning the head so that my throat was closed. New research is also showing that starting non rescue breathing cpr may be more valuable in keeping oxygen flowing to the brain. I still do what the standards require but also give them the new info and practice it both ways. Stripping gear alone is IMO BS. Ok to unclip so that by the time they get to shore or boat the bc is in effect a raft and you just slide them out of it.

 

[Dyno Bill]

When I did rescue it was..... a long time ago and as a single diver we dropped all the stricken divers gear as well as ours. with exception of fins of course. We retrieved a submerged diver out well beyond the surf zone and began rescue breathing as we brought the stricken diver to shore. The entire class swam along with us and took all the gear as the rescue progressed. In an actual rescue the gear is dropped with exception of the BC/ breathing unit. After removal of that piece the rescuer inflates the BC with the power inflator and sets it adrift to be recovered after the diver is on shore and paramedics have been alerted. I have done a few assists but never had to do a full blown rescue personally. We were taught to do a single diver rescue as that's the worst case scenario but having help available would just be a big plus in that situation.

 

[bleeb]

I couldn't find the posting again, but a while back, someone described having their shell drysuit punctured and their seals ripped while playing the victim during a rescue course. However, it shouldn't happen with a decent instructor doing a good briefing and keeping an adequately close watch, and reasonably careful fellow students (especially if they also wear drysuits and know how to handle them.)