Workout for rescue diver?

[Blackwood]

In my Rescue course. Our Instructor pulled a fastone. He got all set up in Tech gear with multiple stages. If your not familiar with this set up..Get busy reading and asking questions from some one whom dives Tech.

To be fair, if I had to remove a tech diver from his gear to rescue him, I'd cut him out of the harness, unclip the stages, and leave the gear behind.

 

[pmetz]

Cardio (running,bicycling,swimming laps with fins)!!!! Also, work on your breathing rates when working out. The calmer you are the easier it is. If you can avoid huffing and puffing you will think clearer, and not overstress your body. Other than that you will be fine. When I did my rescue course and before navy schools which are physically demanding I normally carb load the night before (pasta) and then eat bananas and a smoothie the morning of the physical evolution. The pool work will be easy, and depending on the surf conditions, the final day will be the physical one. Have fun!! Rescue was the funnest course I took. Here is a sample of what you can do on a mon/wed/fri routine": run 1.5 miles, swim 30 minutes straight (pace not to stop), then bike if you can for 20 minutes. Its easier than it sounds and it will get easier after the first few times

 

[fisherdvm]

Rescue class, for me, was not that difficult. I wish more people would take it, and not worried about these comments. My guess is, most instructors would not push it beyond the limit of their students. I think it is good to be an efficient swimmer - as you are expected to perform rescue with and without scuba. My usual routine was running alternating with swimming for 30 to 45 minutes 5 to 6 times a week.

 

[Blackwood]

First question I would ask myself is whether you are pursuing fitness just to pass the course...

Agreed.

If one is getting into shape to pass a rescue class but will allow that level of fitness decrease afterwards, what's the point? (note, I'm not suggesting that the OP will do so).

If you have to push yourself to get through a class, how do you expect to get through a real emergency?

Also, I suggest doing the class in your normal gear. If you normally dive singles, do it in singles. If you normally dive doubles, do it in doubles. And ask that you instructor and/or victims be outfitted similarly to you standard dive buddies.

 

[scarefaceDM]

Technically yes we would have cut the gear off if it were a real rescue...but since that was not the case....we just removed the stages and swam the victim in. Perfoming the rescue as we went...We had to call every move out to satisfy the instructor and to show him we understood the proceedure.

 

[Mr. Seahunt]

At 25, you should have no problem with the Rescue Diver course, especially if you're relatively fit. I'm 35 and passed my course a few years ago with no problems. I'm relatively fit but had gained a couple of unwanted extra pounds after my wife had our second child (caring for a newborn binds you to the house more than one would think). Anyway, to prep, I tried to get in as much swimming as possible but ended up doing more hiking in the mountains due to pool availability issues. This helped my endurance in the end. The main thing to remember is to pace yourself when doing any of the Rescue Diver exercises. This is key! I watched some of my classmates exhaust themselves by racing at the beginning of the swim tests only to fail because they had nothing left toward the last few laps. If you remember that this is about endurance more than speed and that it is not a race, you will do fine. Getting familiar with your gear in and out of the water will help. Also, try to pay attention to the gear of your classmates and instructors who will play the victims in the various scenarios. This will help you when you have to provide rescue breaths while towing them and removing gear. Again, this exercise will be all about task loading and pacing yourself. If you're calm and conscious of your actions, you will not waste energy and will do fine. It's also very important to eat well and hydrate, as noted by other SB members here. Lots of potassium from bananas should cut down on leg cramps... Anyway, I found Rescue diver to be one of the most fun scuba courses I've taken so far. Keep it fun and exciting and you should enjoy it as well. If you make the most of it, it should be a turning point in your diving education. It is really enlightening and should give you a whole new perspective on your approach to diving. I hope you have a great time with it! Lots of luck!

 

[Blackwood]

Technically yes we would have cut the gear off if it were a real rescue...but since that was not the case....we just removed the stages and swam the victim in. Perfoming the rescue as we went...We had to call every move out to satisfy the instructor and to show him we understood the proceedure.

I was simply suggesting that much of what's done during training is unrealistic, but arguably for the better.

 

[sculwell]

Next to a well-structured Divemaster course (which, in my opinion, is the most physically demanding certification course, even more so than the IDC), the Rescue Diver certification course is perhaps the most grueling. It is nothing out of the norm, though. There is very little actual "diving" involved, as most of it is conducted on the surface or on the shore and there is a lot of "dragging" and whatnot, but nothing that a fairly in-shape 23 year old can't handle...

 

[ian@1904]

For me this is the best of the PADI courses.

You should expect to learn a lot about personal rescue and managing scenarios. If you are used to delegating tasks and then managing processes this relatively OK. Some people will literally dive in to effect a rescue rather than use other human resources.

Here in the UK under BSAC we run a Practical Rescue Management course. When I want some fun. I make the manager stand on one spot and delegate all tasks, not doing anything themselves. It is fun and people learn a lot about themselves.

Having been involved in a variety of incidents e.g. diver lifts from 40m, freeflows in side wrecks, entanglements, sea searches for missing divers.......(my helicopter lecture uses real pics of friends) knowing what to could save a persons life, or improve their recovery.

The RD course will make you a more thoughtful and better diver, Enjoy.

 

[girldiverllc]

Rescue class is designed to take the focus off of your own diving and put it on your dive partners. This begins with assessing potential problems prior to them becoming a rescue situation. (No brawn required here...but you need to be aware of your set up and other peoples set ups...)

During your rescue class, the most physical thing you will probably do is lift fellow divers out of the water and remove them to the beach. Yeah, it's tough...and they can be heavy. But I'm 5'1" and I did it. May not have been pretty...but a real rescue never is.

I personally took rescue "too early". I could barely get my gear put together, so when a scenario took place, I really struggled with being such a new diver. While, ideally, a rescue student can put their gear together (as an instructor, this eases my load)...in a real life situation, victims rarely ask how new to diving the other divers at the dive site are before they have an accident.

I personally recommend that EVERY diver take the Rescue class as soon as they can afford it (note...nothing said about being "ready" for it). You don't want to be the diver who either CAN'T do something when an accident happens, or the diver who adds another victim to the mix because they don't have the training to respond and keep themselves safe.

You're never "ready" for an accident. They are ugly, scary and no matter what level of training you're at...something you never really want to experience. However, with proper training (personally recommend finding a program that will allow you to come back and assist with a rescue class after taking yours...) you should be able to conduct a rescue effectively and safely.