1. Must be a qualified Advanced Open Water Diver or must provide proof of a minimum of 10 logged dives.
2. Must be qualified in Diving First Aid.
3. Must be qualified in Oxygen Provider.
4. Must be a minimum of 18 years of age.

1. IANTD Student Rescue Manual and Workbook, or equivalent text(s) approved in writing by the Board of Directors (written approval will be issued by IAND, Inc./IANTD World Headquarters).

1. Include all material in the approved textbook and meet all minimum performance skills.
2. Develop proficiency in all skills listed below to the satisfaction of the instructor within 4 dives.

1. Equipment used during this Program must be appropriate for the environment and in good working order.

1. There may be no more than 4 students per Instructor. This ratio may be increased by 2 students for each assisting IANTD Divemaster, up to a maximum of 8 students with 2 IANTD Divemasters per class session.
2. No dives may be conducted to depths greater than 60 fsw (18 msw).
3. No ESA may be conducted from depths greater than 33 fsw (10 msw).
4. All rescue skills must be under the direct supervision of the instructor. However, Divemasters may direct the skills, provided the instructor is in a position to intervene in a reasonable time fashion if needed.
5. When performing rescue skills, there may be no more than one team per Divemaster may be active at the same time, and all participants must be within a distance that the instructor may maintain supervision ability.
6. On search patterns and other group proficiency skills, the entire group may participate to increase the learning ability.

Waterskills Development 

A confined water session must be completed before conducting any OW dives.

Missing Diver Skills (Required)

1. Determine last sighting of missing diver, then conduct a straight-line search to last know location, followed by search patterns (circle, grid, etc.).
2. Buddy Assist Skills (Required)
3. Emergency Options Drill:
4. Instructor allows divers to become separated by a short distance (e.g.: as divers are swimming, stop one diver without the other’s knowledge and allow the un-stopped diver to continue for about three kick cycles). Then have the stopped diver swim (without breathing, and slowly exhaling) to the un-stopped diver and communicate a need for gas, followed by gas sharing on alternate second stage or appropriate rebreather gas management drill for out-of-air diver.
5. Or a rebreather with adequate bailout Repeat the same drill, except this time have the buddies do a gas sharing ascent.
6. At a depth no greater than 20 fsw (6 msw), separate buddy pair from each other by a distance slightly greater than water depth, and inform one of the divers that he or she is out of gas. Allow this diver to choose the safer way to deal with the problem. If the diver decides that the surface is closer and more realistic, and performs an ESA, terminate the drill and get the divers together again.
7. Repeat the previous step at a depth greater than 20 fsw (6 msw), with the two divers separated by 20 feet (6 meters). Gas sharing or appropriate rebreather gas management drill for out-of-air diver should become a more appropriate option as the depth increases.

• Assist a exhausted diver underwater.
• Assist a disoriented diver.

1. Diver and Buddy Rescue skills (Required)
2. Use of extensions, surface floats, ring buoys, etc. from boat or dock.
3. In-water use of extensions and buoys.
4. Blocks and parries from panicky diver.
5. Cross equipment/chest carry and control carry.
6. Swimming rescue of struggling victim.
7. Rescue of an injured or unconscious diver from bottom.
8. Rescue breathing and "doesy do", and other carries enabling ease of mouth to mouth rescue breathing.
9. Equipment removal and transporting diver to a stable platform and/or beach (practice methods of ditching equipment, techniques for getting victim out of water).
10. Simulate CPR and EMS activation.

Required Skills Final Check

• Locate a missing diver who is unconscious and coordinate a complete rescue.

  Personal Rescue Skills (Recommended)

Personal Rescue Skills (Recommended)

1. Simulate having fell from a boat in shirt, pants and shoes. Once in water, remove shoes, then remove pants and inflate them as a surface float. Remain afloat for 10 minutes. Trap air bubble in back of shirt to give additional buoyancy.
2. Perform drown proofing for 3 minutes.
3. Perform hand signals to get rescue.
4. Surface dive to 20 fsw (6 msw) or swim laterally for 20 feet (6 meters) and recover a 10-pound weight.
5. Remain afloat for 10 minutes by any means.
6. Surface dive to 20 fsw (6 msw) or swim laterally for 20 feet (6 meters) and simulate an ESA. Be sure to exhale continuously as if on SCUBA, and to have a good body flare as the surface is approached.
7. With SCUBA gear, perform one ESA from 10 feet (3 meters), one ESA from 20 feet (6 meters) and one ESA from 30 feet (9 meters). Concentrate on slow ascents, controlled continuous exhalation and good body flare. Repeat several times.
8. Swim without a mask or with a flooded mask on SCUBA for 3 minutes.
9. Swim SCUBA with a flooding second stage (leaking exhaust valve) for 2 minutes.
10. Simulate a wide-open free flow and use regulator for 2 minutes.
11. Simulate a blown O-ring between the cylinder and regulator, and have student turn valve on as they inhale and off as they exhale for 2 minutes