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When I got my scuba diving Open Water certification in 2014, I quickly followed it with the Advanced Open Water course, assuming that’d be the end of my official training (aside from a specialty course picked up here or there). The Rescue Diver course, I thought, was for people going pro or those who regularly dived in challenging conditions. A warm water lover based in Fiji, being an Advanced diver felt enough for me.
But over the years, my dive buddies bragged that the Rescue Diver Course was the funnest one out of them all.
Over a decade after completing my Open Water, I decided to listen. I’d just become a mom of twins and wanted to challenge the myth that life stops when you have toddlers.
How could a Rescue Diver course be fun? I wondered when hearing of friends who raved about their course. Learning how to navigate medical emergencies sounded like it’d be bogged in practicalities and even a little scary.
I completed my PADI Rescue Diver course at Beqa Adventure Divers in Fiji, one of the few places in the world where divers come eye to eye with tens of bull sharks without a cage. My instructor surely had to have cool, calm, and collected mind when dealing with the ocean’s top toothiest predators.
The verdict? The Rescue Diver course is well worth taking even if you never plan on becoming a PADI pro.
Here are seven reasons why it might be time for you to take the plunge.
Table of Contents
1. It really is one of the funnest courses
This might come as a surprise (it certainly was for me), given that the PADI Rescue Diver course is all about handling emergencies, but the Rescue Diver course is genuinely fun. My instructor, Sydney, taught it with a mix of humor and real-life scenarios (a large teddy bear was our demo mannequin), making the material easy to absorb. A large part of the practical information is done beforehand through an e-learning course, where you can study at the pace you like before diving into the hands-on elements. The course feels more like immersive role-play than a classroom (former theater kids, this is your time to shine).
2. It’ll boost your dive confidence (big time)
Three months after completing my PADI Rescue Diver certification, I was diving in Loreto, Mexico when our group got split by a strong current. Normally, that kind of situation might’ve sent my heart racing. But with the Rescue Diver course in my pocket, my dive buddy and I made a plan to stay calm and surface without panic. We spotted the rest of our group at the surface about 100m away! A large element of the Rescue Diver course is staying calm even when things don’t go to plan.
Even though you might have tens (or hundreds) of dives in your logbook after your PADI Open Water, there’s no real replacement for learning than an official course. First aid and emergency rescue service advice changes regularly–when you take the PADI Rescue Course, you’re brought up to speed with the latest first aid strategies.
3. You’ll be the in-demand dive buddy
The PADI Rescue Course is usually taught to a small group, and you’ll spend hours with fellow divers. You’ll learn from their questions and mistakes, and they’ll learn from yours. A sense of camaraderie builds as the course goes on and you’ll leave with dive buddies you know will be a great match on your next trip.
And if you’re traveling with friends who might be inexperienced or nervous divers, having your skill set around will likely put them at ease. When I was a new diver, knowing that there were experienced and well-trained divers around me often made me feel more confident and relaxed during our dives.
4. It might spark a new career
Becoming a PADI Divemaster is a serious commitment, but the Rescue Diver course can be knocked out in just a few days. It’s a great way to dip your toes into more advanced training without fully committing to going pro. It’s packed with real-life scenarios, giving divers the chance to whittle their leadership skills and allowing natural leaders the perfect chance to step up and shine.
5. You’ll sharpen your core dive skills
If you’re used to diving with a guide, chances are you haven’t flexed your navigation or problem-solving muscles in a while. How many times have you simply followed along, following your dive computer and guide without any thought? The Rescue Diver course brings core skills you might’ve touched on in your Advanced Open Water back into focus. But this time, you’re likely to have more dives logged under your belt. You’ll practice better buoyancy, learn to manage minor equipment issues, and get more familiar with what to do when things go wrong. It’s perfect for vacation divers who want to level up without doing a basic refresher.
6. It unlocks dive sites around the globe
Some of the world’s best dive sites are best reserved for experienced divers. The strong currents of Komodo, the blue-water diving of the Galápagos, and low-visibility spots found everywhere… having your Rescue Diver certification gives you the mental state and practical skills to handle more complex conditions than you would otherwise.
7. The skills carry over into everyday life
One of the best lessons I learned during my Rescue Diver course had nothing to do with scuba diving at all. Imperfect care is better than care withheld. Many everyday people don’t act during emergency situations because they’re afraid of doing it wrong–which can be detrimental to the person in need. A sunbather at the dive resort suddenly starts vomiting and is confused, a person at the breakast buffet falls unconscious and is without a pulse, a diver starts hyperventilating before we’ve even descended… all these scenarios require immediate care from a calm first-aid responder.
Instead of hammering on the proper way to do things, my Rescue Diver instructor made it easy for me to remember the essentials, and encouraged creative thinking for scenarios that aren’t so black-and-white. An inflated BCD or boogie board close by could be better flotation options than the dedicated life ring a two-minute walk away. CPR done on an unstable, moving boat is better than waiting for a perfectly flat and stable surface. Taking away the perfection paralysis comes in handy above water, too.
While I currently have no plans to become a PADI pro, my Rescue Diver course was definitely one of the most interesting and practical things I’ve done since graduating university.