Vance's PADI Advanced Diving Course 2011

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Here you will find information on the

PADI Rescue Dive Course
Resulting in PADI Rescue Diver Certification

taught by Vance Stevens, P.A.D.I. Open Water SCUBA Instructor #64181

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Course Overview

e-learning: Many of my students are opting to take the academic portion of the course online. If interested, visit http://www.padi.com/scuba/scuba-diving-guide/start-scuba-diving/learn-to-scuba-dive-online/default.aspx

Minimum age: 15 (12-14 for Junior Rescue Diver certification)

Other Prerequisites:

Certified as PADI Advanced Open Water Diver or equivalent rating.
"Equivalent" means proof of certification beyond entry-level, minimum of 20 logged dives, documented experience in night, deep, navigation.

Ideal number of students: individually or 2/3 (8 permitted)

Certification requirements:

Successful performance on 5 knowledge development segments and PADI Rescue Diver final exam.
Demonstrate skills from Self-Rescue review in either confined or open water
10 open water exercises and 2 scenarios to be done in a minimum of 5 open water dives over a minimum of 2 separate days.
Prepare an emergency assistance plan for a dive site
Sanctioned CPR course completed within 24 months of certification.
View PADI Rescue Diver video.

Cost:

For all my courses taught privately, I collect from each student a 800 dirham fee, or 700 if you've completed a course with me beforehand. (3.68 dirhams per US$)
In return for training, the instructor expects that the students will pay for all the diving involved in their training, including costs of air fills, any extra equipment rentals, and boat trips for themselves and the instructor. There is also a 100 dirham certification fee to cover the purchase of a PIC or positive ID card application from a local retail supplier, which PADI requires in order to process your certificate with the picture that you submit with the form.
The cost to you for the course may vary depending on the number of students participating in the course, how much equipment you have to rent, and how many boat dives you make (vs. shore dives), and sometimes on the policy of the dive center we use (some allow instructors with students to dive for free or at a discount).

Brief Summary of the PADI Rescue Diver Scuba Course

The course consists of five modules, each with academic and open water components. Self-rescue exercises may be done in confined water.

This is an overview - exact requirements can be found in the PADI Rescue Manual.

Self Rescue Demonstrate correct procedures in each of these situations:

Cramp release
Establish buoyancy on surface
Airway control
Use of alternate air source
Overcome vertigo, reestablish sense of direction

Exercise 1 - Tired Diver
Demonstrate appropriate response to a distressed but rational diver at the surface, including

approach
evaluation
contact
calm victim
assist
transport
equipment removal

With distressed but rational diver	Where	*Completion date for instrutor's record*
*approach, evaluate*: head out of water, paced, address diver to determine level of response	at surface
*contact, calm*: attempt to talk diver through problem, establish buoyancy, provide tactile and vocal support, allow rest if possible	at surface
*assist and transport*: face dry, near horizontal, able to swim, in control	at surface
*equipment removal*: weights if necessary, tank if necessary, rescuer bcd can be extended to victim	at surface

Exercise 2 - Panicked Diver
Demonstrate appropriate response to a panicked (irrational) diver

approach
evaluation
practice releases
underwater approach, turning and knee cradling victim

With panicked (irrational) diver	Where	*Completion date*
*approach, evaluate*: head out of water, paced, address diver to determine level of response	at surface
*contact, release, control*: swim behind victim but if grabbed, push up and away to go underwater, turn victim by knees and come up behind , knee cradle, establish buoyancy	at surface
*assist and transport*: face dry, near horizontal, able to swim, in control	at surface
*equipment removal*: weights if necessary, tank if necessary, rescuer bcd can be extended to victim	at surface

Exercise 3 - Response from shore, dock, or boat (without scuba) to a responsive victim
Respond to a conscious, distressed diver

nonswimming assists (reaches, extensions, throws)
entry considerations
swimming assists and rescues, with/without flotation
tows with/without equipment removed (including "modified tired swimmer" carry)
egress with conscious victim, post attendance

With conscious, distressed diver, rescuer dons mask and fins but does not wear scuba	Where	*Completion date*
*nonswimming assists*: throw a line if w/in 9 meters, use tag line, use floats or makeshift (bds, fender buoys, whatever floats and can be thrown to victim)	at surface
*entry considerations*: use mask, fins, snorkel and something for floatation, enter water at point closest to victim and maintain view of victim (jump, don't dive)	at surface
*egress with conscious victim*: assist onto boat or shore	at surface
*post attendance*: discuss considerations	on boat or shore

Exercise 4 - Distressed diver underwater

Demonstrate proficiency in responding to a distressed or overexerted diver under water
Identify/respond to a panicked diver making uncontrolled ascent
Conduct alternate air source ascent as donor

With distressed or overexerted diver under water	Where	*Completion date*
*approach, evaluate*: use hand signals to determine level of response	underwater
*contact, calm*: STOP victim, CONTACT victim, RESTABLISH breathing rythm, STABILIZE victim on safe, stable object if handy	underwater
*assist and transport*: Victim signals out of air, rescuer brings him/her to the surface on alternate air source	underwater
*post attendance*: discuss considerations	on boat or shore

Exercise 5 - Missing diver

Demonstrate how to quickly search for and locate a missing diver using UW search pattern

Procedures include

pinpointing where diver last seen
posting spotters to find bubbles
dispatch skin divers to initiate search and mark location if possible
dispatch scuba teams when ready (establish recall system, terminate search in 30 min)

Missing diver under water	Where	*Completion date*
*spotting*: determine where diver last seen and send skin divers to mark spot, with marker buoys if possible, post spotters to look for bubbles, if practical have someone determine if diver may have exited area (car in parking lot? on another boat?)	on shore or boat
*organizing search: considering experience, decompression and air available, form teams*, establish recall system when victim found. Avoid aggravating situation - if necessary, take a buddy and ONLY IF air and no-deco time ok, you conduct search	on shore or boat
*search for victim*: use appropriate search pattern. Terminate search if diver not found in 30 min.	underwater

Exercise 6 - Surfacing the unresponsive diver

Demonstrate use of controlled positive buoyancy to assist ascent and surface simulated unconscious diver using BC of either victim or rescuer

Procedure included:

use mechanical and oral inflation, vent excess air,
flare to slow ascent,
keep reg in victim's mouth (but don't put it there if it's out) and position head
if removing weights
- do so and establish slightly positive buoyancy constantly adjusted for depth
- OR leave weights on and discard at surface

Exercise 7 - Unresponsive diver at the surface

Make contact with and check for breathing on an unresponsive diver at the surface, demonstrating: •
- Calling for help while establishing buoyancy and turning the diver face up.
- Removing the diver’s mask and regulator, opening airway and checking for breathing.
Demonstrate inwater rescue breathing using the following methods:
- Mouth-to-pocket mask
- Mouth-to-mouth
- Mouth-to-nose (optional)
- Mouth-to-snorkel (optional)
While continuing effective rescue breathing, demonstrate equipment removal (victim and rescuer) while towing the diver toward an exit.

Exercise 8 - Egress with an unconscious diver

Remove a breathing, unresponsive diver from the water, both with and without assistance.
Remove a nonbreathing diver from the water, both with and without assistance.

Exercise 9 - First aid for pressure related injuries and oxygen administration

Demonstrate steps and procedures for administering oxygen to a breathing, unresponsive diver with suspected decompression illness.
Administer oxygen to a nonbreathing diver while using a pocket mask for rescue breathing.

Exercise 10 - Response from shore or boat to an unconscious/non-breathing victim

Respond to a diver emergency that requires

attending to a nonbreathing, unresponsive diver on the surface
demonstrating inwater rescue breathing
exiting the water and then providing CPR.

Scenario 1 - Unresponsive Diver Underwater

Search for and locate a missing diver during an accident simulation. Demonstrate:

Interviewing the victim’s buddy and drawing logical conclusions from the information presented. 2.
Organizing a quick and effective search (using surface and underwater search patterns). 3.
Searching for and locating a missing diver. 4.
Bringing a diver simulating unresponsiveness to the surface using controlled positive buoyancy.

Scenario 2 – Unresponsive Diver at the Surface

Demonstrate:

Effectively responding to an unresponsive, nonbreathing diver during an accident simulation.
Evaluation, tow, inwater rescue breathing, removing equipment, exiting and providing CPR.
Note: Either use a CPR mannequin or simulate compressions for CPR

More Details

Before the course begins:

Prior to beginning any PADI course: Each student must ...

fill out the PADI Medical Statement, with doctor's signature if required
1. Download this form from Oct 2012 here: EEnglish - Medical Statement V201 - 10063.pdf
2. http://prosites-vstevens.homestead.com/files/divelogs/PADI_Medic_form2006.pdf <-- an earlier version is here, in case of problems with the one above
fill out the Standard Safe Diving Practices Statement of Understanding
fill out the Liability Release and Express Assumption of Risk

Before and during any PADI training dive:

After any PADI training dive:

You must:

Debrief with the instructor
Clean your gear
Calculate your repetitive group using the tables or wheel
Log your dive, and have your logbook signed by the instructor.
If you need to, you can use these logbook pages which you can keep in a notebook.

On completion of the course, congratulations!

Once you've completed all dives and paperwork, you get a temporary Scuba diver certification card on the spot.
You send your PIC form in to PADI with your picture and get your permanent card a few weeks later.

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contact Vance Stevens, page author and webmaster.

Last updated: October 25, 2012 at 07:00 GMT

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