Identifying a skilled rescue diver?

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How about looking at their certification card?
 
I teach this in my classes from OW up: the best rescue is the accident you prevent from happening. Again, it gets down to situational awareness.
 
I teach this in my classes from OW up: the best rescue is the accident you prevent from happening. Again, it gets down to situational awareness.

A great deal of attention in the R class I took was focused on spotting and preventing issue, before even entering the water, and long before they might lead to a rescue situation.
 
A great deal of attention in the R class I took was focused on spotting and preventing issue, before even entering the water, and long before they might lead to a rescue situation.
It just can't be stressed enough.
 
The best rescue divers will most likely be divers that have worked as lifeguards.

In an emergency, almost everyone performs to their level of training and experience. Training meaning how often you drill or practice skills, not initial training. This applies to all emergency workers and combat warriors.
 
Prevention and safe attitudes, yes, +1

When things go pear-shaped you want someone who has prepared, rehearsed, and who can think and act in the moment. A lot of it is mental. You want the diver who does mock emergency drills in their head on the way to work and who has an attitude or resiliency and service that goes beyond diving. Some people have lipstick and pantyhose in their desk drawer at work, you want someone who has gloves and a cpr mask. Not because they'll make the difference but because it shows a certain mindset.
 
My experience working as a Paramedic, Ambulance Station Chief and teaching/doing first aid for more years than I want to admit to changed my persepctive bit. The reality is as previously mentioned the best options are prevention and intervention before the ship hits the sand!

How a person reacts to an emergency tends to be fairly consistent. People who are trained and/or inclined to STOP, THINK, REACT are likely to be the ones you can rely on. The person I will always note as potential help will be calmly going about setting up for the dive. They will be listening to the dive brief and taking a good look around the boat, entry point and quietly scanning the other divers to figure them out. The person you can count on in an emergency is the one who can take charge but doesn't NEED to be seen as in charge. In Oz we say they won't be "Big Note-ing themselves"

:giggle: One of my favourite stories was told to me about a dive trip where a woman was going on and on about how lucky they were that she was on the boat. She was a surgical nurse and would take care of them all! This went on for 3 days before our friend got so fed up he said to her..."So you are a Surgical Nurse ... do you know what my wife does?" Obviously the answer was "No" His response was "She tells people like you what to do.. she is a surgeon" The rest of the trip was peaceful. Our friend the surgeon felt no need to carry on about what she could do.

Everyone hears about the Flight or Flight Response. We seldom hear about the Freeze Response which is just as natural... think Deer in the headlights (maybe if I am very still the danger will miss me and go away). Everyone wants to think they will always have the Fight response especially those of us trained to respond to emergencies. ANYONE is capable of a Freeze Response like the doctors @Miyaru mentioned if the event is too far out of their comfort or experience zone. The recovery time for those who are trained is significantly reduced tho.

When I trained paramedics I always told them "If the difference between life and death is what you do in the next 10 seconds, the life you are most likely to save is your own. If you do not stop and think before you act there is an escalating risk of doing the wrong thing and making things worse."

Be aware, be prepared and always remember you don't live in a vacuum. Your decisions should always respect your commitment to being there to take care of your loved ones.
 
I'am not a formally trained rescue diver (did several courses, never bothered for a card), but I have been diving with a lot of them varying from rescue diver to DM/Instructor. Till this day I'am not very impressed by the majority of them regarding dive skills.

The best divers who I trust most are Tech trained divers. These guys are aware of themselves, their mates and their surrounding. Because of that they mostly avoid getting into trouble. And if some occasion arises they react calmly as far as I have experienced, because they train skills and situations (a lot). To me key is in training. Training skills makes you comfortable under water which gives you an advantage in difficult situations which hopefully leads to staying calm under stress. No guaranties however, everyone can panic in the right circumstances.

So a card does not mean anything to me, up to date skills on a high level however are highly appreciated when the s**t hit the fan.
 
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