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How to Become a Rescue Diver

Written by Noreen
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Published on February 15, 2010
scuba rescue diver

As a certified diver, whether you are looking to take up diving professionally or just for recreation, we’d always recommend you train at least up to a Rescue Diver level. Rescue diving courses and training are not designed only for someone looking at rescue diving or scuba diving as a career, but for all those who want to know what to do in the event of problems underwater and to just expand your knowledge and experience for stress free diving.

We’ve always advocated that even though you always dive with a dive buddy, in any emergency your most dependable rescuer is you. A rescue course by any of the scuba certification agencies is one of the best ways of being a better scuba diver for both yourself and your dive buddy.

What is a scuba rescue diver?

The rescue training, which teaches you to anticipate and manage risks as well as responding to any basic in-water problems and diving emergencies is a challenging and demanding course. However, ask anyone who is rescue diver certified and they’ll tell you it is the single most rewarding and useful certification they’ve taken since open water. It’s the ultimate boost in confidence in the water, a a must when diving.

Why you should be a rescue diver

Why become a certified Rescue diver? Occasional emergency situations arise even in recreational diving. With this advanced level of training, you would have the additional know-how needed to respond quickly and help save lives. Even the most routine of dives can go sideways quickly from a case of diver error. With this level of training, you’ll be able to not only recognize a hazard in the making, but get control of the situation before it gets out of hand. All your dive buddies will want you along on the next charter! Additionally, you could move into the world of professional diving. Swift water rescues in flood scenarios, EMT rescue, there are even underwater crime scene investigator divers! CSI: Bahamas, anyone?

scuba rescue diver
Image via Shutterstock

What do you need to be a rescue diver?

It goes without saying that you need to be a certified diver to even consider the scuba rescue course however, more than just an open water diver certification you need to complete your advanced diver course  with 20 or more logged dives. Some scuba certification agencies like PADI and NAUI have a pre-requisite of being trained and current with first aid and CPR while some others like CMAS offers the CMAS 2 star certification which is an advanced plus rescue diver level course without the need for separate first aid and CPR training.

Other than that, it’s important that you are very comfortable with all the scuba skills taught to you in previous training which may be needed in this course. It helps if you can remain calm, composed while being quick thinking and react efficiently in a controlled manner.

What you learn in Rescue Diver training

  • Self-rescue techniques
  • Learn to spot potential problems and managing stress in other divers.
  • Emergency management
  • Scuba Equipment Function
  • Common Equipment Problems
  • Release Function and Problems
  • Panicked diver response
  • Rescuing the Responsive Diver Underwater
  • Rescue Exits with the Responsive Diver
  • Rescuing the Responsive Diver at the Surface
  • Rescuing the Unresponsive Diver Underwater
  • Rescuing the Unresponsive Diver at the Surface
  • Missing diver procedures
  • First aid procedures for pressure related accidents

Scuba Diving Equipment Requirements for Rescue Diver

During the course of the training you use all your basic scuba gear — Scuba mask, Fins, Buoyancy Control Device (BCD), Weight-belt and Regulator — including a dive computer, mostly provided by the dive shop conducting the course included in the price. Other than the normal gear, a Dive Knife and Signaling Device are needed during the training.

Rescue diver training usually takes 3 days and includes theoretical study from a manual provided as well as practical exercises in the form of dive accident scenarios performed in either confined waters (swimming pools) or sometimes shallow open water. Rescue diver is the last of the recreational course and the next level in diving is more for professional pursuits. We definitely feel that Rescue level is a must for all divers as it’s always better to Be Prepared but Hope for the Best!