2023 Summer/Fall  Schedule

   Classroom and Pool           Catalina Weekend

    January 6-7                        January 12-14

    February 17-18                  February 23-25

    March 16-17                      March 22-24

    April 27-28                          May 3-5

Demonstrating mastery of the skills taught in the Rescue Diver course is not easy, and not everyone who takes the class through PCH graduates. However, the challenge is absolutely worth the reward, and the knowledge gained through the training becomes applicable in many aspects of a students life outside of scuba. You will start with learning how to identify signs of panic in other divers and go all the way to managing a full diver rescue scenario using the full on-site staff of PCH Scuba. Being a solid rescue diver earns you the respect of recreational and professional divers alike.

Rescue Diver training is also a prerequiste for the Master Scuba Diver Program and is included in the price of that program. It is also a requirement for all of the Professional certifications we offer.

Who can participate…

Any diver that has successfully completed the Advanced Open Water class is qualified to begin the Rescue Diver class.

PCH Scuba also highly recommends the Search and Recovery Specialty as a prerequiste to beginning Rescue Diver training.

What is the class like…

The Rescue Diver class is a combination of academic work, pool training and open water demonstration. You will begin with a  classroom session to go over your knowledge reviews and answers your questions. We will also talk about different scenarios and what is expected from the course.  You will then move to the pool on Sunday and be ready to learn how to manage different rescue scenarios and rescue breathing. You'll cover how to respond to both surface and underwater emergencies, how to recognize active and passive panic and how to approach panicked divers. In-water rescue breathing will be practiced until you are able to remove the gear from a non-responsive diver, while towing them and administering rescue breaths all at the same time.

Once you have confidence in the academics and pool work, we take you to the ocean so we can work on the ways of getting an unconscious diver out of the water, and drill you again on the pool work you did in the unpredictable environment of open water. Finally, you bring it all together by managing a full "missing diver" rescue scenario from the initial contact with the lost diver's buddy to simulating CPR after getting the unconscious diver out of the water. PCH Scuba rescue scenarios are intense and you'll know you're ready for the real thing when you're done.

Where will you learn…

The academic portion of the class is taught at the shop. The pool work is performed at the San Fernando Regional Pool. Open water work is conducted at Casino Point Dive Park on Catalina.

You will need to be First Aid/CPR certified. Please contact us about this requirement! We offer the Emergency First Response Course to fulfill this requirement.