HIGHMOUNTAINSEA
UPCOMING COURSES
PADI Rescue Diver
July Session: Classroom: July 4 | Pool: July 6 | Lake: July 7, 2024
The PADI Rescue Diver course is a big step in increasing your confidence as a diver. You will begin developing skills to increase your situational awareness, identify if an emergency may be about to happen, and respond appropriately should the proverbial poop hit the fan. A huge part of this class is the prevention of incidents - if you can stop it further up the pipe, then it becomes a minor blip in the day. You will work as an individual and a Team: a collaborative Team mentality is imperative.
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Read More - The Dive Shop Website
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Because I am committed to giving my students as many tools as I can to manage risk, I provide the option to complete the Human Factors Essentials Course ahead of the Rescue course, at no additional cost to you.
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Topics covered include:
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Self Rescue
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Recognizing and managing stress in other divers
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Emergency management and equipment
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Responding to panicked divers
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Responding to unresponsive divers
Mandatory Pre-Requisites:
-Minimum 12 years old
-PADI Adventure Diver or Equivalent; PADI Advanced Open Water highly recommended
-Current Standard First Aid and CPR/AED Certification
-Completed PADI Medical Form and Continuing Education form
Additional Recommended Pre-Requisites:
-Have a reasonable number of dives beyond entry level training
-Have been diving recently, proficient with basic skills
-Comfortable diving in local conditions (cold water, low visibility)
-Drysuit certified, comfortable with cold water gear configuration
Schedule:
Thursday: Classroom Session
6:00pm - 9:00pm - The Dive Shop
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Saturday: Pool Session
2:00 pm - 7:00pm - The Dive Shop
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Sunday: Open Water Scenarios
8am - 3pm - Two-Jack Lake, Banff National Park
Mandatory Gear:
-Recreational dive gear (own or rent):
-Regulators with standard length hoses (no long hoses*)
-BCD with standard inflator, shoulder and waist buckles - no continuous webbing systems*
-Alternate second stage (octo) must not be integrated into the inflator
-Mask, snorkel, appropriate fins
-Appropriate exposure protection
-Rescue Diver Crewpack (included in course fees)
-CPR Pocket Mask (included in Crewpack)
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*When learning rescue skills, gear is standardized to what you will most commonly find out in the wild. If you typically dive a backplate/wing/continous webbing system with a long hose, I'm happy to practice scenarios in those setups with you after the course. Note that continuous webbing systems will require you to cut the straps in the event removal is required in an emergency - buckles are recommended for the course to avoid this; however, harness webbing is cheap, and it's good to try this out if this is the configuration you and your buddy regularly dive.
September Session: Classroom: July 4 | Pool: July 6 | Lake: July 7, 2024
TEACHING STYLE:
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
EVERY INSTRUCTOR IS DIFFERENT
This is a good thing. Just as everyone learns a little differently, having instructors who teach differently mean you can match up your learning style to an instructor you mesh with.
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Before taking a course, I encourage you to find out who the instructor is, and have a quick chat with them. Ask them anything that might be on your mind about the course you want to take, and if you have goals that reach further - ask how to take that extra step. They may have insight you didn't consider. If they don't want to answer your questions? Well, I'd find a different instuctor.
CONSIDER YOUR GOALS AS A DIVER
If you know what you want to do with your diving, seek out an instructor with that experience. There are instructors out there who do some incredible things, and are veritable explorers in their own right. If you can't find one yourself - feel free to ask! A local instructor may know of someone who has the experience you're looking for, and may be able to put you in touch with someone who might just become a mentor.
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Don't be afraid to learn from multiple instructors either. Sometimes it takes a bit to find the right fit, or you may prefer different instructional styles for different types of diving. Your instructor also has the potential to become your mentor, and you should always pick your mentors carefully - just as mentors should be selective of who they choose as mentees.
FIGURING OUT YOUR "WHY"
We all have diferent reasons for getting into diving. Exploring the ocean, seeing a specific critter, wrecks, travel, because it makes you look cool (no judgement) - your reasons for diving are important. As you continue your dive training, it's important to keep in mind why you got into diving, and work to align your training to achieve that. You'll want to consider not only the courses you would need to get to where you want to be, but where you take those courses - and the instructor you choose. I love figuring out what excites my students about diving, what would be their absolute dream to experience - their "Why" for diving - and then help them develop the skills to get there.
One of my big "Why's" - Underwater Archaeology. Piloting an Underwater archaeology course with Thermocline Diving. Photo Credit: Andrea Petersen