How fit are you for a Rescue ?

[Remy B.]

How fit are you for a Rescue ?

Even that the video was done with divers in Tec gear, it is a valid question to the Rec divers.

We know that we shall dive XXX amount of meters/feet in XX amount of time, all good, you can complete this but how are you after this test, are you near becoming the second victim or ditching the victim.

Note: I'm not rescue certified, because I feel that I'm not in that top condition yet, I can complete the test described above but I'm sure I will be out of breath when I finish, then I ask my self, how good can I be as a rescue diver, and the first rule you get in rescue course is DON'T BECOME THE SECOND VICTIM.

So for that, I started 4 months ago to cross-fit, and after a year I know I will be in that Top condition to say, yes I can successfully rescue a person in all type of conditions, I'm going for that certification.

 

[TMHeimer]

I have never known how fit, really. I did OK in the course in 2006 and DMd OW courses 4 years. All I had to do once was a tired diver tow. It has bothered me now and then that I still have no experience with a panicked diver--buddy or myself--which is fine by me if I finish my diving life without that. Now I almost always dive solo, so I may never know. I tend to be with a buddy maybe one out of 40 dives. My location makes it expensive and awkward to find a buddy, so I don't practise the skills except for mimicking them on land--unless it's something you can do without a buddy.

 

[drrich2]

Rescue Diver is an interesting course I see as having 2 primary benefits; the obvious is to rescue other people, and which the name implies and sounds like it could be called 'Lifeguard Diver.' I think if that's all there were to it, a lot fewer people would take the course and many wouldn't want the responsibility/liability having an official cert. of that nature might entail. While politically incorrect, it's very common for people to want to not intervene in emergencies.

The other prime benefit is learning the mindset of caution, foresight and risk assessment. Similar to what the SDI Solo Diver course teaches. The art of rescuing yourself before you even get into trouble. I think this is the key reason the course is so highly recommended by so many people.

5 Years after taking the course, how many people have kept up on CPR certification? How many remember the different methods of hauling an incapacitated diver out of the water, and when to use each? Quick, what's the detailed protocol for recognizing and managing hyperthermia?

I'm not dissing benefit #1, but I think benefit #2 probably does more good for more people and has a lot more staying power.

Richard.

 

[claymore]

This is an interesting topic to me as a DM who is reaching an age when the question arises in my mind "It the excrement hits the air handling facility will I have the physical ability to get an unresponsive or injured dive back to shore and be able to render assistance when I get them there." I do think that many of the Dive Professionals would be hard pressed to compete the physical requirements for the DM class or the unresponsive diver rescue from the Rescue Class.
I think I may have 4 or 5 years left before I will not be able to handle a solo Rescue and have to quite doing open water work as a DM.

The Rescue Class is more about learning what to do and not to do in a Rescue situation. There are no physical requirement for the Rescue Class.

 

[Marie13]

This is an interesting topic to me as a DM who is reaching an age when the question arises in my mind "It the excrement hits the air handling facility will I have the physical ability to get an unresponsive or injured dive back to shore and be able to render assistance when I get them there." I do think that many of the Dive Professionals would be hard pressed to compete the physical requirements for the DM class or the unresponsive diver rescue from the Rescue Class.
I think I may have 4 or 5 years left before I will not be able to handle a solo Rescue and have to quite doing open water work as a DM.

The Rescue Class is more about learning what to do and not to do in a Rescue situation. There are no physical requirement for the Rescue Class.

This was an interesting post for me, as I've wondered how do petite divers handle parts of the rescue class, especially getting someone into a boat/back onto shore with the help of 1 other person (SDI standards)?

As for the DM physical requirements, I looked them up as I was curious. Yikes!

https://www.tdisdi.com/wp-content/u...al/SDI Leadership Standards_03_Divemaster.pdf

1. Snorkeling skills – Minimum equipment: mask, fins, snorkel and additional equipment as required

1. 800 metre swim with mask, snorkel, and fins non-stop without the use of arms in less than 17 minutes
   
2. 400 metre swim on the surface, non-stop, any stroke, without the use of swimming aids, in less than 10 minutes; swim goggles permitted

1. Scuba
   
   1. In water, transport another diver in full scuba equipment at a quick pace for 4 minutes
      
   2. Demonstrate a complete rescue scenario satisfactorily
      
   3. Perform underwater skills with and without a mask
      
   4. Swim on the surface, in full scuba equipment, using the snorkel, 100 metres
      
2. Bring a diver, simulating unconsciousness, up from depth, not greater than 6 metres / 20 feet; at the surface swim them 100 metres in less than 4 minutes
   

 

[claymore]

With the proper skills a small person get a large person out of the water and onto shore. You are not carrying them out of the water but dragging them out on your back.
The Rescue Class is well work the time and effort. I generally try and DM the Class once a year to keep my skills and knowledge current.

 

[Bubblesong]

my daughter and I are both 5'2" and we each carried the instructor, (brave soul) out of the water on our backs. The stress of true fear would be worse, but at least we practiced good techniques, which make it possible.

 

[TMHeimer]

Having read the many Rescue Course threads over time, I came to the conclusion that the physical requirements are this and that on paper but vary greatly depending on the instructor. Though a very good course (I think), the one I took 11 years ago was for me more taxing mentally than physically (I was 52 then). I certainly did a lot more physical stuff as a working DM years later. Yet some others described their courses as something you'd have to be 20 years old and in Olympic shape to complete.

 

[Remy B.]

Then comes the question, of honesty with your self, do you want to to the course properly and know you can do it or you only want to do it for the awareness part.

I was talking to an rec instructor not so long ago and he ask me if I was rescue certified as he know I do Tec dives, I told him that I didn't feel my self in top condition yet to do the Physical challenge of the course proficiently, and he told me to not worry it is as well about the awareness and mind set, that the physical part was not so important.

Which I differ with this, because you actually shall be the complete package, I guess it is a question of ethics with your self, do it right or don't do it.

 

[Lorenzoid]

If you get yourself into top condition, you will not even come close in the Rescue course to feeling like you have exerted yourself. Anyone who is reasonably fit would consider the amount of physical exertion required of course participants to be rather low. Your instructor won't award you extra points for, and you probably won't learn anything more by swimming fast, not getting out of breath, effortlessly towing your fat classmate, or something like that. My Rescue instructor was a petite girl.