What a GREAT weekend! PADI Rescue and Emergency First Responder (EFR) courses. Those participating in the course ranged from the reasonably new diver to the former military diver starting work on his civilian certs.
Friday afternoon covered Primary and Secondary care (First Aid). Most everybody had some past training it made the flying gauze and bandages easy to work through.
Saturday morning we hit the pool. Worked on self rescue and tows. Learned something new about myself today. I found when acting as a victim needing rescue and you dive down and grab one of my ankles as your rescue option, you stand a better than even chance of being punched when you surface. Not much in water bothers me, the got right next to me, fast. Also learned Tige can move really quick in the water when he wants to. It's all good. We worked out other options. The students did excellent. One of the best Rescue pool classes I have done.
Saturday afternoon we work played with Resuscitation Annie and her unnamed friend practicing scene assessment and CPR. During the EFR course we discuss how it can be used in diving, the course is a ILCOR recognized First Aid and CPR class. This training could be put to use whenever the need arises.
Sunday was a great day. The weather was wonderful and it is late enough in the year Millbrook is about as warm as it is going to get. We went out over the sandy bottom near the row boat off of beach 1 and work on our skills, loosing, finding, and ascending with divers. Worked stripping gear off of "victims" as we swam them to shore. Hid the VA Scuba lost diver dummy. Tige and I waited a while for the student to find him. The student started in either the wrong direction or turned around and figured out where the dummy was lost at.
If you are an Advanced Open Water Diver looking for a new fun and rewarding diving challenge consider both the EFR and Rescue course, contact me and we can add it to the schedule. Or if would like to become trained as a Emergency First Responder (EFR) or need to renew your certification, it only last for two years, let me know this is a stand alone course.