I'm a PADI Advance Open water Diver. I would like to know if you need how to swim to become a rescue dive cirt.?

I think it helps to know how to swim if you dive. However, you do not have to take a swim test as you did in Basic Open Water course. You will have to perform several "skills" in about 20 feet of water (at least we had to in my Rescue Course). Most of the "skills" you will do will be on the surface though, such swimming assist from the shore (you have to swim to the victim). Go to your local dive shop and ask one of the Instructors what all they will do throughout the course. Also, you have to take the Medic First Aid Course or equivalent prior to the class start date. I hope I helped. Happy Diving !!!!!!

Hey there, I think its really important that you know how to swim if you want to become a certifed Rescue Diver. I am about to take my last Rescue Diving class and they tell me that alot of swimming is involved. As a Rescue Diver you have certain responsibilities and leadership in Diving groups, so you must be ready for any situation.

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Originally posted by deaoni:
I'm a PADI Advance Open water Diver. I would like to know if you need how to swim to become a rescue dive cirt.?

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It is a requirment to know how to swim to become a scuba diver at any level. So YES you will need to know how to swim to become a rescue diver.

I suppose it depends on what you consider swimming. I am PADI rescue certified, and I don't swim in the traditional sense. I dog paddle, float on my back, and can stay afloat while moving through the surface of the water at a reasonable speed. But I have yet to master the "Proper" swimming form. My question to the original poster is how do you get back to the boat or shore after a dive? Some of the tasks you will have to do is retrieve a diver at the surface, locate a missing diver bring them to the surface and tow them back to shore/boat. Remember that you have your BC, your victims have a BC and they should be inflated while at the surface, so as long as you can cover a distance at the surface, you should be fine.

To be effective, you should be able to swim well, also it is a good idea to be able to swim well if you dive in general. <side note> There are some that do actually require you to pass a swimming test as well.