The SDI Rescue Diver course is for divers who want to take their skills to the next level by learning how to recognize, prevent, and respond to diving emergencies. This challenging and rewarding course builds confidence and teaches you how to take control in stressful situations—both for yourself and for others.

The course can be done in first in pool like conditions and then ocean dive sites around Playa del Carmen, offering calm, clear conditions that are ideal for realistic rescue scenarios and training exercises.

Course Topics Include:

• Self-rescue and stress recognition

• Rescue techniques for tired, panicked, and unresponsive divers

• Proper approach, surfacing, and exiting techniques

• Missing diver procedures and underwater search patterns

• In-water rescue breathing and towing

• First aid and oxygen administration for dive-related injuries

• Emergency management and scenario planning

Course Structure:

• Academic Sessions: Covering diver stress, emergency planning, rescue techniques, and accident management

• Confined & Open Water Training: Skill development through realistic rescue exercises, scenario-based drills, and supervised practice sessions

Prerequisites:

• Minimum age: 15 years old

• Minimum certification: SDI Advanced Adventure Diver or equivalent

• Current CPR, First Aid, and Oxygen Administration certification (can be combined with the course)

Certification Outcome:
Upon successful completion, divers will earn the SDI Rescue Diver certification. This course is widely regarded as one of the most valuable and empowering experiences in a diver’s training journey. It also fulfills a key prerequisite for professional-level courses such as SDI Divemaster. Recommended follow-up courses include Master Diver Development and SDI Divemaster.