With an open schedule and in need of some routine I took it upon myself to enroll in a Rescue Diver Certification Course. With still being in Thailand and continuing to dive while learning every mistake not to make it only made sense to become more proficient if not for myself, then for the fellow divers around me.
There are several requirements prior to beginning the rescue diver course. One is having an advanced scuba certification which allows you to dive to a depth of 30 meters and further educates you on proper buoyancy while underwater. Having just taken this a month prior helped me as the fundamentals were still fresh in my head. The second was to obtain an updated First Responder course. This part of the class was half a day and entailed covering CPR, proper bandage application, and procedures on how to help others in numerous types of emergency situations from car accidents to everyday incidents you may come across anywhere on land. Once that was completed and I passed the online course, the real challenge began. Scuba rescue operations while at sea include incidents well below the water’s surface.
The water rescue portion was what I was really itching to learn. It was a challenging experience both mentally and physically. Many of the scenarios involved how to identify and treat divers who are exhausted, panicked, or unconscious. Another major prop I will give Scuba Shack is the actors in these scenarios did a fabulous job (I think I may still have a lump on my head from rescuing the panicked diver). The most work was in having to rescue an unconscious diver underwater. This included how to bring them safely to the surface, how to bring them to the boat while they are yelling for help, and providing rescue breaths every 5 seconds (including doing wo while taking both your gear and their gear off). It was humbling how much work and focus it took to perform these tasks with precision. My partner, Naz and I managed to successfully perform these tasks both solo and as a team.
Upon completing our final skills test (which was an underwater navigation search and rescue), we both relaxed on the boat celebrating with some coffee and fresh fruit when we heard several people screaming for help in the water. It was the final exam. Naz and I had to rescue three divers needing help. We had to prioritize each one and work as a team to safely rescue them all in order of priority. We performed this successfully.
We both passed our course, and our confidence and diving abilities greatly increased from attending this class. Naz is currently in the Dive Master Program with Scuba Shack on Koh Tao. She will be an excellent dive master. My travels are continuing; I’m currently examining a map and selecting the next country I’ll visit.
I want to thank all the wonderful people at Scuba Shack and our instructor Sita on the great experiences during this class and on our fun dives we performed several times each week.
Never miss an ExNotes blog:
Join our Facebook ExNotes page!
Check out these offerings from Viking Bags!
Motorcycle Saddlebags
Harley Davidson Saddlebags
Motorcycle Luggage Bags
Motorcycle Sissy Bar Bags
Motorcycle Sissy Bars
Motorcycle Backpacks
By Joe Berk I felt a mix comforting mix of “been there, done that” and…
By Joe Berk Mike Venturino was one of the greatest gun writers who ever lived. …
By Joe Berk The Harley WLA at the National Infantry Museum was a lot prettier…
By Joe Berk Here's a quick look at what I've found to be three Mosin-Nagant…
By Joe Berk Boy oh boy oh boy! Talk about an interesting barn find! We…
By Joe Berk Good news! Good buddy Andrew Capone, Isle Of Man empresario and British…