Although diving can provide infinite adventures, even the most enthusiastic among us can get stuck in a rut if we lack the skills and confidence we need to tackle new experiences. That’s a good reason to take PADI continuing education courses: They dare us to take on new adventures and renew our love affair with the sport. The PADI Rescue Diver course goes even further by fortifying us with a whole new level of confidence and making every dive subsequent to completing the course more fun.

A New Perspective

From our first Discover Scuba experience through the beginning phases of our PADI Open Water Diver course, we focus on ourselves as we master the requisite dive knowledge, learn to manage our dive gear and experience our first breath underwater. Then, on our very first open-water dive during our Open Water Diver course, our focus expands to include a dive buddy. After that, if we’re lucky, we dive often and for the sheer joy of it, and along the way, we find a few special dive buddies to share our adventures. Gradually, the buddy system becomes second nature to us, and as we progress to get the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification, we remain focused on our dive buddy and ourselves.

The PADI Rescue Diver Course brings a sea change to this perspective as we expand our focus to include all of the divers around us. The course teaches us the common causes of dive emergencies so we can avoid them ourselves and also help others avoid them. We learn to recognize and manage stress in other divers, deal with common equipment problems and learn the procedures for finding a missing diver. We prepare ourselves to manage dive accidents and learn how to rescue other divers both in and out of the water. But more than anything else, we get hands-on practice. We work through multiple rescue scenarios and practice our rescue skills until they become automatic. That way, if an emergency arises, we know exactly what to do. Along the way, as we gain confidence, we gain the ability to remain calm and focused under pressure.

More Confidence Equals More Fun

“The most frequent comment PADI gets from people at the end of the Rescue Diver course is that it is one of the most demanding — yet fulfilling — PADI courses they’ve ever taken,” says James Morgan, vice president of training and customer service for PADI Americas and Canada. “However, my personal observation is that divers who complete this course get more than they bargained for: They get a huge increase in confidence, both in their diving skills and in themselves.”

This increased confidence comes from the skills we learn and the rescue scenarios we practice during the course, and it means we know we can handle just about anything that comes our way. This self-assurance reduces our stress in new situations, making every dive more enjoyable and spurring us on to the next new adventure.

Be a Better Buddy

Another habit we develop in the PADI Rescue Diver training is to watch for developing problems and immediately apply our problem-solving skills if they arise, which makes us far better dive buddies. So, if you want to be a better dive buddy, complete this course.

You Don’t Have to Wait for the Fun Part

If you’re a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver and you have also completed the Underwater Navigation Adventure Dive, you can get started today by contacting your local PADI Dive Center or Resort or by enrolling in Rescue Diver Online ​
at padi.com.

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