Rescue Diver students and Divemaster/Instructor candidates must have current (within the past 24 months) EFR Primary and Secondary Care training. 

If you’ve completed CPR and first aid training elsewhere within the past 24 months, contact your PADI Instructor to confirm whether the training you receive meets the prerequisite. Please provide the name of the certifying organization, the course name(s) and any supporting documentation. Please note: online-only courses without hands-on training do not meet the prerequisite for any PADI courses.

What if I’m a healthcare professional? We recognize nurses, physicians and other healthcare professionals receive comprehensive medical training during their initial schooling. However, in the years that follow, some medical professionals do not use CPR and first aid skills frequently. 

Our goal is to have PADI Rescue Divers, Divemasters and Instructors who are recently trained in CPR and first aid. With that in mind:

• If you work in a triage environment such as an emergency room and use your CPR and first aid skills regularly, simply provide your instructor with written confirmation from the facility where you work indicating this is your routine practice area.
• If your initial medical training took place within the past two years, provide your instructor with written confirmation from your educational facility that clearly indicates you received both first aid and CPR training and the course completion date.
• If you completed your medical training more than two years ago but you’ve participated in CPR and first aid refresher training, provide your instructor with information about the certifying organization and the course name(s). Your instructor will verify if the training you received covers the same topics and adheres to the same standards as EFR Primary and Secondary Care.

No. EFR Instructors use mannequins specifically designed for CPR training. EFR students also learn to use barriers (pocket masks) to practice safe and effective delivery of rescue breaths.

In the real world, you’re more likely to perform CPR on someone you know versus a stranger. Approximately 80 percent of cardiac arrests occur in the home.

Furthermore, studies have found chest compressions alone can be just as effective as chest compressions with rescue breaths provided the chest compressions are done correctly. This is why it’s essential to get hands-on, in-person training with an experienced instructor. 

EFR courses follow the protocols and procedures developed by ILCOR (the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation). ILCOR members include: the American Heart Association (AHA), European Resuscitation Council (ERC), Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC), New Zealand Resuscitation Council (NZRC), Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC), Resuscitation Council of Southern Africa (RCSA), Inter American Heart Foundation (IAHF), Resuscitation Council of Asia.  

Emergency First Response courses have widespread international acceptance including:

• The American Council on Exercise (ACE) 
• National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
• The Health and Safety Executive (Great Britain) and (Northern Ireland) for the purposes of first aid in the workplace
• International scouting organizations (Girl Scouts USA, Scouts UK, etc.)
• International Yacht Training
• The United States Coast Guard (USCG) for a merchant mariner license
• Australia Council for Teaching Swimming and Water Safety (AUSTSWIM)
• ...and many others.

View a complete list of accrediting organizations.

All PADI Dive Shops teach EFR Primary and Secondary Care courses. You can also start this course online with our Primary and Secondary Care eLearning. Some provide additional training up to and including EFR Instructor courses. You can also find a local EFR Instructor using the EFR course finder.