Course overview

The PADI Rescue Diver course transforms you into a more confident, self-reliant buddy, ready to prevent and manage dive emergencies. Zanzibar's calm, accessible reefs off Stone Town and Mnemba Atoll give an ideal setting to rehearse tired-diver tows, surface rescues and missing-diver searches in warm 25-29C water.

What you’ll learn

• Recognise and manage diver stress before it becomes an emergency
• Perform self-rescue and tired-diver assists
• Conduct surface and underwater search patterns for a missing diver
• Bring an unresponsive diver to the surface and give in-water rescue breaths
• Run an emergency management plan and assist on land
• Coordinate a multi-diver rescue scenario

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 12 (Junior Rescue Diver)
• PADI Adventure Diver / Advanced Open Water or equivalent
• EFR (primary and secondary care) training within the last 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
   Knowledge & self-rescue

   Complete the theory and exam, then practise self-rescue and stress recognition in sheltered water.
2. Day2
   Rescue skills

   Work through the ten rescue exercises, including tows, surfacing an unresponsive diver and rescue breaths.
3. Day3
   Scenarios & certification

   Apply everything in two realistic open-water rescue scenarios off Stone Town or Mnemba to 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 Zanzibar.

Frequently asked questions