When should a Rescue course be taken

[Sylvain]

Yes that is my question and I will give you my view about this first I think that 4 or 5 dives and you are certified is wrong. In June there was a death in Canada and this is why I am upset about when the Rescue course should be given. I believe a full Rescue course should be taught in conjunction with the basic open water course. Reason why most diver who complete a course will go diving with his new found diving buddy that just completed the same course and divers that are fresh off a course are more prone to do bad judgment call and like the accident that took place ( I don't know all the details) but I am told that they had just completed their basic course when the accident took place. Maybe proper Rescue training could of change the outcome. And by giving the rescue course it would give the diver more diving opportunity before they venture on their own. Right now in order to be able to attend the Rescue course you need you advance course. My wife has no intention to take an advance course because her goal is not to become a divemaster or instructor and she is happy with shallow dives. Some people will wait years before advancing but AN ACCIDENT CAN HAPPEN AT ANYTIME UNDERWATER this is why I think that the Rescue course should be done at the same time as the basic .

 

[DORSETBOY]

sylvain I'll deff agree with you..

with padi an instructor has the OPTION of teaching tired diver tows during surface interval on OW course, I personally would like to se all agencies inc PADI take safety more seriously, increase the length of all OW or OW type courses and teach rescue skills to new divers. There are lots of people who are OW / AOW for years and never even take a resuce course or get taught any of the necessary skills, but if you've never been shown properly how to carry out a rescue you're not going to be able to help no matter how many dives you've done.

 

[frankster1138]

What agency requires you to be advanced before doing a rescue course?

 

[Sylvain]

This is cut and paste from the agencie web site I stop after 2 agencies. I am basic NAUI, Advance and Rescue PADI and taking DiveMaster with ACUC.


The following are PADI Pre Req in order to attend a Rescue Diver course
·
· ACUC Advanced Diver or Plongeur Advange Scuba
· ANMP - CEDIP Niveau 2 Equipier
· ANIS Two Star Diver
· AUSI Level 3 Diver
· BSAC Sport Diver (with documentation of 20 dives showing experience in deep & navigation)
· CMAS One Star Diver (plus a minimum of 9 logged dives with 1 deep & 1 navigation).
· FFESSM Niveau II or Brevet De Moniteur Auxiliaire or Brevet De Plonge Subaquitique
· FIAS ARA Estensione
· IDEA Advanced Open Water Diver
· IDD Advanced Diver
· IDF Two Star Diver (with Alternate Air Source Ascent and U/W Compass Navigation dive)
· NASDS Advanced Open Water Diver or Specialty Diver
· NAUI Openwater II, Advanced Scuba Diver, & Specialty courses
· PDIC Advanced Open Water Diver
· SAA Club Diver (with documentation of 20 dives showing experience in deep & navigation)
· SSI Advance Open Water Diver, & Specialty course
· SNMP Niveau 1-Equipier & Niveau 2
· SSAC 3rd Class Diver (with documentation of 20 dives showing experience in deep & navigation).
· UK Military Diver
· US Navy Diver Second Class (Says DV2 on card) or Diver First Class
· YMCA Open Water II or Silver Star

ACUC
PREREQUISITES
§ Be an ACUC Advanced Diver or equivalent and have a minimum of 30 dives (see note in next point)
§ The student can start the course as soon as s/he is finished the Advanced Diver course, but will not get the Rescue Diver certification until s/he has compleated at least 30 accumulative dives
§ Important note: This course can also be taken as a specialty course, once the OWD course is finished. Ask your ACUC Instructor or the nearest ACUC office

 

[Kim]

There are a few different opinions on this one. I think that every dive you do - right from your very first - adds to your experience. When I was doing my first dives - (up to about 30 or so) I was probably still concentrating on my own situation more than anything else - sure I watched my buddy as well - but I probably thought that the only thing that I'd have to do for them was give them my octopus if necessary. I was basically checking and re-checking the theory and practice of how to dive. At about that point I began to realize that the theory WAS good - and my practice became somewhat better as well (at least I think so ). At any rate I began to worry a little less about constantly checking my gauges - watch - computer - breathing etc, and began to pay more attention to my surroundings. I realised then that there were more things that could go wrong than a simple OOA situation - from whatever cause - which for me was the point of mine or my buddy's octopus. When I was a lot younger I used to do competetive swimming in the UK - and I later did all the lifesaving exams up to Gold. It seemed natural therefore to extend that training to an underwater environment. The rescue training underwater has some elements that are similar to lifeguard training - but we had never had to bother about search patterns/navigation/ascent considerations/etc that can be part of an U/W rescue. The retrieval/CPR at the surface was almost the same though (except with lifeguards the victim generally won't have a convienent BCD!)
What this all comes down to therefore IMO is that you can't be a good lifeguard unless you can swim very well - and you can't be a good rescue diver if you can't dive very well. If you try to do either without those qualifications you stand a very good chance of becoming part of the problem - and not a solution.
So in the end the answer as to when you should do the course is probably - as soon as you can - that being as soon as you can dive yourself well enough to aid a situation - and not make it worse. Rescue diving can involve a lot of task loading - it's not just a simple mask clearing exercise - you have to be able to do a lot of things at the same time - for two people - and get it right.

 

[HammerNoMore]

I believe a full Rescue course should be taught in conjunction with the basic open water course.

I've said this so many times I sound like a broken record. I couldn't agree more.

James

 

[Kim]

I believe a full Rescue course should be taught in conjunction with the basic open water course.

I've said this so many times I sound like a broken record. I couldn't agree more.

James

While I can totally see the logic behind this point of view it would increase the length of the OW course and IMO would need so many more compulsory dives in the course (with the added expense) that far fewer people would try to get certified. Wether that would be a good or a bad thing is another discussion.

 

[Tobagoman]

I've got to agree with Kim. Most novice divers don't have the control, confidence and skill to conduct much of what is needed for Rescue Diver certification. Those skills have to come with experience and the confidence gained there-in. I think basic lifesaving manuevers can be incorporated into the basic courses, but most novice divers may end up complicating the situation by becoming a victim also if they were to try and conduct a rescue.
I'm amazed to see divers fresh out of the basic openwater go right into an Advanced Open Water course without any dives outside of those required in the novice course, the lack of confidence, control and skill is readily apparent in how they opperate in the water. I would like to see a 20 dive minimum to get the advanced certification, and make Rescue Diver part of the Advanced Course.

 

[HammerNoMore]

Wether that would be a good or a bad thing is another discussion.

Yes, it is. However it's being discussed here if you're interested, as you pointed out, in discussing it without hijacking this thread:

http://www.scubaboard.com/t61649.html

 

[Kim]

I've got to agree with Kim. Most novice divers don't have the control, confidence and skill to conduct much of what is needed for Rescue Diver certification. Those skills have to come with experience and the confidence gained there-in. I think basic lifesaving manuevers can be incorporated into the basic courses, but most novice divers may end up complicating the situation by becoming a victim also if they were to try and conduct a rescue.
I'm amazed to see divers fresh out of the basic openwater go right into an Advanced Open Water course without any dives outside of those required in the novice course, the lack of confidence, control and skill is readily apparent in how they opperate in the water. I would like to see a 20 dive minimum to get the advanced certification, and make Rescue Diver part of the Advanced Course.

I agree with this too. The AOW course is little more than a joke IMO. To combine that with Rescue would be a great idea. (On a side note this is my 500th post - so at least on SB I could probably try for the Rescue Surfer cert!!!)