Hey there

[Kayla]

Hi everyone... I'm just getting back to the boards, but I'm a Search and Rescue diver myself, and was happy to see that a place had been created to post our ecperiences. If you wouldn't mind, I think that I would like to join in in some of the discussions.

A little background on my... I'm 16 been a SAR diver for a little over 2 years. (Surface support for one, rescue diving for one.) The Search and Rescue groups are supported by the sheriffs office in Skagit County, WA. However, we run an eniterely seperate council and everything, so we are self suficcent to a certain point. The dive team itself consists on 26 active divers. We respond to an average of two calls or so a month, and about that many trainings. We are luck enough to have three waverunners with trailers, and a 27 foot (or so, not exactly sure) Boston Whaler. We also have an old jail transportation van that we have made over to hold tanks, extra gear etc. I am the teams VP (dads the pres.) All of our divers are required to provide all their own gear at their own expense, and are not re-imbursed for traveling costs or anything, because it is a voulenteer organization.

I think thats about it, I can provide you with anything else that you might want to know..... otherwise I look forward to chatting with you!


Kayla

 

[Gary D.]

Hi everyone... I'm just getting back to the boards, but I'm a Search and Rescue diver myself, and was happy to see that a place had been created to post our ecperiences. If you wouldn't mind, I think that I would like to join in in some of the discussions.

A little background on my... I'm 16 been a SAR diver for a little over 2 years. (Surface support for one, rescue diving for one.) The Search and Rescue groups are supported by the sheriffs office in Skagit County, WA. However, we run an eniterely seperate council and everything, so we are self suficcent to a certain point. The dive team itself consists on 26 active divers. We respond to an average of two calls or so a month, and about that many trainings. We are luck enough to have three waverunners with trailers, and a 27 foot (or so, not exactly sure) Boston Whaler. We also have an old jail transportation van that we have made over to hold tanks, extra gear etc. I am the teams VP (dads the pres.) All of our divers are required to provide all their own gear at their own expense, and are not re-imbursed for traveling costs or anything, because it is a voulenteer organization.

I think thats about it, I can provide you with anything else that you might want to know..... otherwise I look forward to chatting with you!


Kayla

I have a couple of questions.

With you being so young what are they doing about insurance?

You refered to S&R divers and I was just wondering what type of training your team was getting. S&R or PSD?

I tell almost everyone this. "Do not let PEER PRESSURE push you into anything your not comfortable doing!" The younger you are the easier it is to get pressured into doing something.

Welcome aboard.

Gary D.

 

[Scubamedicjoe]

I agree with Gary , Padi , SSI, Naui , and most of the other's search and rescue class isn't a true search and rescue class its more how to assist and help your dive buddies ect, any way you might want to check out this class .
Dive rescue international dive rescue 1, to be honest I don't even think your old enough to take it yet sorry. Take time to get to feel extremely comfortable in the water. Like extremely low visibility, currents, and in general just plain old muck.
Then later on as you get more experienced you can move more into the PSD role which is different than a dive rescue course.

 

[teknitroxdiver]

Yeah, Kayla, this is a great forum but if you're underage I wouldn't bother. Pretty much just read what others post.

 

[Kayla]

Ok, lets see. Because divers are not employed through the county, they can't carry insurance thru them. However, because my dad is a corrections officer for the county, its kind of a double standard. We both also carry DAN insurance. The rest I suppose it just kind of up to us... but like most groups, if you're not comfortable with your skills on a certainj search/ recovery... ya just don't go. Nobody will force you to do anything.

All of our courses are provided by senior divers in the group that have gone thru the "professional courses" and have become certified instrustors. Until a diver has completed all the requirments and trainings, they don't go in the water, its pretty simple. Thats why I did surface support for a year. I still participated in all the trainings and got my requirements in, and took enough time to feel comfortable in different surroundings and to get to know search patters, etc, like the back of my hand.

Never would I let peer pressure lead me into something that I didn't want to do. Ever since I was just little I have wanted to do this, but I had to wait until I got to the right age to actullay join the group.


Teknitroxdiver--- ouch. If you didn't want me around there are a lot better ways to go about that then to bring in the fact that I am underage. Honestly, I just don't see what that has to do with being a competent resuce diver. Unless there is an age limit on posting in this section... I don't see where you have a valid point.....


Kayla

 

[teknitroxdiver]

Sorry if you took it that way. I was saying that because I'm under 18 too, and from all the attempts by other under-18ers here, we are pretty much thought of as uncompetent and completely inexperienced. I definitley want you around! Maybe we can prove that just because we're under 18 doesn't mean that we're dope-smoking, law-defying, unresponsible, careless, inexperienced wanna-be looking to get killed. (Whew) Sorry for the mix-up.

Which course did you take? I've got an offer from the local dive team to work with them, and i'd like to get some training before I do that. All the courses I've seen have a minumum age of 18.

 

[Kayla]

Thanks for clearing that up! I actullay haven't taken any courses thru a LDS, because we have members in our group that are certified thru (a company that I can't remember) to teach practical/actual rescue/recovery things. I looked into a few classes, but realized that they were more for the "general" diver and not the "SAR diver." Does that make sense?

Sorry for the confusion earlier!


Kayla

 

[teknitroxdiver]

Yeah that makes sense. I took the PADI Rescue Diver course, and while I think it will help out in quarrys and such, I know it isn't near enough training for recoveries in the White River.

Kind of a dumb question: What is your groups method for call-outs. Do you use a beeper system or something else?

thanks

 

[gjmmotors]

Yeah, Kayla, this is a great forum but if you're underage I wouldn't bother. Pretty much just read what others post.

Bull****, if someone has something to add that could make a difference in any facet of psd work let them. I could care less if they were 15 or 50. Kayla, feel free to post, he can choose to ignore your comments if he wishes.

You can feel free to ignore mine too, as Im only 22, . However im an instructor, and an active psd since 18, im not an expert nor do I claim to be. Im here to share ideas.

-g mount

 

[teknitroxdiver]

Okay, Okay, I hereby restate my post:

Please post alot and share your experiences, but beware that most are not as open-minded as gjmmotors.

And no, I'm not going to ignore your posts.