Course overview

Develop the skills to prevent and manage dive emergencies with the PADI Rescue Diver course on Grand Cayman, widely rated the most rewarding course in the PADI system. Practising self-rescue and diver-rescue scenarios in the calm, clear water off Seven Mile Beach and the West Wall, you learn to spot stress early, manage problems and run a realistic missing-diver search. You leave a safer, more confident diver and prerequisite-ready for Divemaster.

What you’ll learn

• Recognise and manage diver stress and panic
• Perform self-rescue and tired-diver techniques
• Respond to panicked and unresponsive divers at the surface and underwater
• Manage emergency oxygen and exit an unresponsive diver from the water
• Plan and conduct a missing-diver search
• Coordinate a dive-accident response

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 12 (Junior Rescue Diver)
• PADI Adventure Diver or Advanced Open Water Diver certification
• Underwater Navigation Adventure Dive completed
• Emergency First Response (primary and secondary care) within the past 24 months
• Diver medical clearance signed by a physician

What's included · What's not

Probability of sightings · month-by-month

What you're likely to see each month, based on historic operator logs.

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Day1
   Theory and self-rescue

   Complete the knowledge development and exam, then practise self-rescue and stress recognition in shallow water.
2. Day2
   Rescue exercises

   Work through the ten rescue exercises, from tired-diver tows to surfacing an unresponsive diver, off Seven Mile Beach.
3. Day3
   Scenarios and certification

   Run the two full rescue scenarios and missing-diver search on the West Wall reefs, then certify.

Verified through iDive

Every partner school in the iDive network is vetted on safety, instructor credentials, equipment standards and student feedback. Talk to a iDive dive pro on WhatsApp for current availability and reviews specific to Grand Cayman.

Frequently asked questions