Rescue SCUBA Diver

---

The Rescue SCUBA Diver course (RSDC) is a continuing education certification course that trains divers in the knowledge and skills needed to manage risks and effectively handle limited in-water problems and diving emergencies.

The RSDC prepares divers to effectively recognize and prevent foreseeable emergencies, to manage basic emergency events when they do occur, to effectively provide search and rescue/recovery capabilities within limitations, to provide aid to victims of in-water emergencies, to perform diving first aid treatment, to perform CPR, and teaches them accident scene management.

This course is a 40 hour block of instruction program.

The minimum age for this course is:

• 15 years old with parental consent, a signed waiver, and an interview by staff, or
• 18 years or older.

The minimum prerequisites for this course are:

• AOWSD certified.
• BLS (CPR/AED/First Aid) certified by a recognized agency within the previous 12 calendar months.
• O2 Provider certified by a recognized agency within the previous 12 calendar months.
• It is STRONGLY recommended that students have at least 50 logged dives, and have spent time practicing basic and advanced level skills on each dive, before considering enrolling in this course. Including: neutral buoyancy, breathing, finning, navigation, dive planning, gas management, understanding dive science, use of equipment, etc.

Students must supply their own equipment, and all equipment must meet safety requirements.

The RSDC is a physically demanding course, and requires both surface rescue swimmer as well as complete SCUBA competency as a part of the course. For acceptance into the program, all candidates must individually complete:

• An open water distance swim without fins or snorkel for a minimum of 200m,
• A timed survival swim,
• An open water swim with mask, snorkel, and fins for a minimum of 400m,
• A tow of another diver (both with and without equipment) for a minimum of 400m,
• A recovery of a minimum of 5kg weight from a designated depth,
• A free-dive to a minimum of 10m depth,
• Must be able to demonstrate proficiency of all basic dive skills, navigation and basic search techniques in limited visibility, placement and recovery of a surface marker at a designated depth, proper techniques for entries, exists, pushes, and tows, and all basic rescue skills, including managing panicking survivors at the surface and underwater, and recoveries of unconscious divers both on the surface and underwater,
• Must be able to carry and transport a full-grow adult out of water and on to dry land.

The RSD Course includes training on diver assists, pushes, tows, and transport of unconscious divers, surface swimmer rescues and rescues from depth involving both boat- and shore-based skin and scuba dives, search and recovery, panic recognition and prevention, stress, and the psychology of panic, in-water and out-of-water first aid, rescue breathing, AED use, CPR, and much more, and both confined-water training, as well as a minimum of 3 open-water dives.

Note: Adult CPR training (approximately four hours), which includes AED use, meets the required BLS prerequisite for enrollment in the Rescue SCUBA Diver Course. However additional CPR training that includes two-person CPR and the use of rescue breathing barrier devices, e.g., pocket mask, face shield, is required to meet the requirements for NAUI leadership certification.

This course meets the prerequisite rescue training for NAUI Skin Diving Instructor, NAUI Assistant Instructor, NAUI Divemaster, and NAUI Instructor certifications.

Course graduates will receive a lifetime internationally recognized Rescue SCUBA Diver certification from the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI), and will be considered competent to perform assists and rescues in open water provided the diving site and diving situations approximate those of the course.