Dive with Larry McLean - NAUI Advanced Rescue Diver Course - Day 1 (Dive 48)








Charles Richey Sr Viewpoint, Alki Pipeline, Seattle, WA. Larry McLean suggested that I come out Sunday and Monday over Labor Day weekend to help out with his NAUI Advanced Rescue Diver Course. He said it would be a good opportunity to learn a few things and strengthen my diving skills. To say he was right would be an understatement.

Early Sunday morning we met up at Underwater Sports in Seattle, WA. After the initial setup and preparing the pool for class we began going over various rescue scenarios. For the most part I played the role as a victim with Jan Shaw and put up a good fight towards the rescue diver candidates as a stressed / freaked out diver would.

I was surprised how the correct way of approaching such problems wasn't as obvious as I thought it would be. The biggest thing I learned was that you must take extreme care not to become a victim yourself. With a panicked diver, while they don't mean to, will do things that could possibly jeopardize your safety as well. I learned various techniques that would help calm or subdue such a diver.

We then headed out to Alki Beach in Seattle, WA to go over the same skills in the open water. Rescuing a diver in a controlled environment such as a pool is a difficult task. When you add factors such as longer swimming distances, colder temperatures, weight of cold water gear, and current, those tasks become much more complicated. I had a blast watching, helping out, and learning a ton. This is a course I'll definitely be taking in the near future. Photos taken by Adrian Collier w/ Larry McLean's camera.

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