SDI Rescue Diver Course

Rescue Diver is the course that changes how you think underwater, not just for emergencies, but for every dive. You start seeing situations develop before they become problems. You read your buddy differently. You plan with a different level of awareness. Divers who take this course consistently say it's the most valuable certification they've earned and it shows in the water.

The SDI Rescue Diver course covers accident prevention, stress recognition, self-rescue, buddy rescue, search patterns, and full accident management through a combination of classroom, pool, and open water sessions. When you finish, you're eligible to enroll in the SDI Divemaster course or the SDI Master Scuba Diver Development Program.

What You Need Before You Enroll

Rescue Diver has two prerequisites beyond your certification, and both need to be in place before your first session.

Current CPR, First Aid, and Oxygen Provider Certification

You must hold current certification in CPR, first aid, and oxygen (O2) provider before enrolling in the Rescue Diver course. These three are often combined into one course and can be completed quickly if you don't have them. If your certification has lapsed or you've never taken one, call us at (480) 881-4013 and we can point you toward options before you sign up for Rescue Diver. In some cases, a qualified instructor can combine the CPR/first aid/O2 course with the rescue program, ask us about availability when you call.

SDI Advanced Adventure Diver Certification or Equivalent

You need your SDI Advanced Adventure Diver certification, SDI Junior Advanced Adventure certification, or equivalent. Alternatively, an Open Water certification with 15 logged open water dives qualifies. Minimum age is 15 with parental consent, 18 without.

What the Course Covers

The Rescue Diver course works through four areas, and each one builds on the last.

Prevention and Accident Awareness

You start where rescues actually begin, before anything goes wrong. The course covers the psychological and physical factors that lead to diving accidents, how stress develops underwater, how to recognize it in yourself and in others, and how proper physical conditioning and equipment checks prevent most problems from happening. Surface drowning syndrome, its signs and causes, is also covered here.

Diving Lifesaving Skills

This is the hands-on core of the course. You'll learn and practice self-rescue techniques, diver assists for divers in distress, surface and underwater rescues, transport methods for conscious and unconscious divers, in-water artificial respiration, and boat and shore exit techniques. Diver first aid and oxygen administration are covered here as well.

Injures, Illnesses, and Management

You'll learn to identify emergencies, the kinds that can result from decompression illness and other pressure-related events and understand how to access emergency services along with what information needs to be collected and communicated in those situations.

Accident Management

The final section covers what happens after a rescue: managing the scene, accessing emergency transport, filing accident reports, and understanding the liability and legal considerations that go with being a trained rescuer. This section is what separates a diver who can perform a rescue from one who can manage the full situation.

In-Water Skills

The open water sessions are where everything comes together in real conditions. Skills practiced in open water include:

• Identifying and assisting a diver on the surface showing breathing difficulties, fatigue, leg cramps, or early panic symptoms
• Locating and bringing an unconscious diver to the surface from 20 feet (6 metres)
• Transporting an unconscious diver 150 feet (50 metres) to shore or boat while simulating in-water rescue breathing
• Removing a diver from the water with the assistance of one aide

These are not simulated scenarios done at arm's length. You perform them in the water, with real gear, and you do them until they're solid.

Where Rescue Diver Takes You

Completing the SDI Rescue Diver course opens two paths forward.

• SDI Master Scuba Diver Development Program - the highest non-professional rating in recreational diving
• SDI Divemaster Course - the first step into the professional ranks

Both require Rescue Diver as a prerequisite. If either is on your radar, this is the course that gets you there.

Gear and Equipment

Students are required to own their own mask, fins, boots, and snorkel for this course. Dive gear rental such as BCD, regulator, computer, tanks, weights, and wetsuit is included in the course. If you'd like to purchase any of your own equipment, we carry a full selection in the shop and all students enrolled in a course receive a discount on purchases during enrollment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the SDI Rescue Diver course cover?

The SDI Rescue Diver course covers accident prevention, stress recognition, self-rescue, buddy rescue, surface and underwater rescues, transport techniques, in-water rescue breathing, hyperbaric injury identification, and full accident management including reporting and legal considerations. Pool and open water sessions include hands-on rescue scenarios.

Do I need CPR certification before taking Rescue Diver?

Yes. Current CPR, first aid, and oxygen (O2) provider certification is required before enrolling. All three are often combined into one course that can be completed quickly. In some cases a qualified instructor can combine the CPR/first aid/O2 training with the Rescue Diver program. Call us at (480) 881-4013 to talk through your options.

What are the prerequisites for the SDI Rescue Diver course?

You need current CPR, first aid, and oxygen provider certification, plus your SDI Advanced Adventure Diver certification or equivalent. An SDI Open Water certification with 15 logged open water dives also qualifies. Minimum age is 15 with parental consent, 18 without.

How long is the Rescue Diver course?

The course typically runs over two days: a combined classroom and pool session followed by open water dives the next morning. Confirm the current schedule when you register, as session timing may vary.

What can I do after completing Rescue Diver?

Rescue Diver qualifies you to enroll in the SDI Master Scuba Diver Development Program, the highest non-professional recreational diving rating, and the SDI Divemaster course, which is the first step into the professional ranks.

Why do divers say Rescue Diver is their most valuable certification?

Because it changes how you dive, not just what you do in an emergency. You learn to read situations before they escalate, manage stress in yourself and your dive buddies, and plan every dive with a level of awareness that most recreational courses don't build. The skills apply on every dive, not only when something goes wrong.

Ready to Enroll?

Register for the SDI Rescue Diver course at divearizona.com or call us at (480) 881-4013 to confirm your CPR/first aid status and get on the schedule. We're open Monday through Saturday 11am to 6pm and Sunday 11am to 5pm, at 18618 S 186th Way, Queen Creek, inside The Shooting Range.

For more information and to see course standards, click here!