Northwest Dive Club

Hey Maverick how did your rescue class go tonight?

Actually it was just EFR and Cuppie and I both took it, with Jim1 also. it was fun and boring at the same time, to much BS. Like fake phone cals to 911 and talking to the dummie, but i cant wait to take the actual recue part. Cuppie and Heard it was real intense, how is it really? I am not really in the best cardio shape right now. but i cant wait

Be prepared to be totally exhausted at the end, but totally jazzed as well. I found it to be very empowering, and even tho I was whipped, it was a great feeling.

Good for you!

-Valerie

Zen Diver wrote:Be prepared to be totally exhausted at the end, but totally jazzed as well. I found it to be very empowering, and even tho I was whipped, it was a great feeling.

Good for you!

-Valerie

Yeah.....what Valerie said!

One other thing about rescue training - after the class is over don't just simply think that you have the skills "forever" like some divers do. Like anything else skills never practiced will be forgotten. Practice them occasionally with good buddies to make sure that your skills stay fresh.

It's just as bad to have forgotten what or how to do something than to never have known how at all.

Also, many on this board talk about diving doubles with backplate and wings. Remember that rescuing someone with that type of gear configuration can be a different kind of challenge entirely. For example, the time to "discover" that your buddy has a crotch strap OVER his weight belt is NOT immediately after you have tried to ditch his weights!

- John

John brings up a good point ... the technique for bringing up an unconscious diver in doubles is different than that for the singles diver. Furthermore, divers in doubles often don't have any ditchable weight.

If you or your dive buddy are going to be diving doubles ... or in a singles rig with a continuous-webbing harness ... you should be taking a class where these configurations are covered. The techniques are just too different from those used for standard BCD configurations to be figuring out when you need them.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

John, Bob (GD)... where do I sign up?!

What class(es) do you guys recommend for someone getting into diving more complicated gear? What types of things should I take into consideration? I guess I have become too complacent with the PADI style of holding your hand and telling you what class to take next.

I think that training is always important. I also take the attitude that your always learning. For example what John and GD just brought up. Now I never learned about doubles in my rescue class. But I did learn to take some time to study your dive buddys gear. I usually try to familiarise my self with others gear. Though I dont regularly dive with buddys that have doubles. Bob do you teach a class for that type of gear. I dont need to take a rescue class again but I would like to familiarise myself for that type of gear..

Our area has some great instruction available ...

The GUE instruction at 5th D is excellent ... if that style of diving suits your goals. Besides the regular GUE classes, they also conduct some kick-ass workshops on things like doubles diving, wreck diving, scooter diving, etc.

You can take NAUI Tech classes at Northwest Sports Divers.

You can also take NAUI Tech classes through Randy Williams at Starfish Enterprises. He no longer has a dive shop, but he still teaches classes. I plan to take my Advanced Nitrox class with him sometime this summer.

John's friend Jerome Ryan teaches IANTD classes. I took Recreational Trimix with him, and it was a great class.

Geoff Sutton was teaching TDI tech classes at TLSea until recently. I have lost track of where he's at these days, but I took some DAN instructor classes with him, and he's a very good instructor.

Mel Clarke is an independent NAUI instructor ... someone told me recently that she's focusing on rebreather classes lately.

I know this is getting off-topic a little ... but if you're going to dive doubles, you should AT A MINIMUM know something of the protocols of gas management, deco procedures, and valve shutdowns. Otherwise, it's too easy to get yourself in trouble through sheer ignorance and not know how to safely get yourself out of it.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Good info. I'm totally new, but I would like to work towards tech diving. I want to get my basic skills down before I move on to more classes, though, instead of charging out and getting as many certs in the first year as I can.

This is a good start. I still have many questions and I don't want to totally threadjack this post about rescue class, so I started a new thread, about diving doubles and technical instruction.

Nailer99 wrote:Good info. I'm totally new, but I would like to work towards tech diving. I want to get my basic skills down before I move on to more classes, though, instead of charging out and getting as many certs in the first year as I can.

Excellent plan ... I always encourage my students to get comfortable with what they learn in the current class before moving on to the next class. You get more out of the classes that way ... and get to have a bit of relaxing fun in the process.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Bob,

I saw Geoff on Saturday. He is no longer teaching thru TLSea. I'll let you know if I get any further update.

He was at cove 1 doing his Draeger class.

Jeanna