About the Course

The PADI Difference

For over 50 years, PADI has undeniably been the Way the World Learns to Dive®, setting the standard for the highest quality dive training, underwater safety and conservation initiatives while evolving the sport of diving into a passionate lifestyle.

30,000,000+

(and counting) PADI certified divers to date!

6,600

PADI dive centers and resorts across the globe

128,000

PADI Professional members worldwide

More Info

 
Gifting and Sharing Courses

Want to share the experience or give the gift of endless adventure? You can now purchase PADI eLearning® and share it with a recipient of your choice! Whether you are purchasing the course as a gift or need to assign it to family members – it’s super easy.

  1. Purchase an eLearning course.
  2. Follow the link in your confirmation email or sign into your account to go to your Dashboard.
  3. From your Dashboard go to 'Manage Your Courses' section.
  4. Select the course you'd like to gift and enter the email of the gift recipient.
  5. The recipient will receive an email to start the eLearning course.
 
Medical Requirements

Scuba diving requires a minimum level of health and fitness. Chronic health conditions, certain medications and/or recent surgery may require you to get written approval from a physician before diving.

Avoid disappointment, download and review the Diver Medical form to ensure you won’t need a physician’s approval to dive before enrolling in a scuba course. Instructors, divemasters and dive shop staff are not physicians and should not be asked for medical advice; only medical professionals can give medical clearance to dive.

If you (or your physician) have questions about medical fitness to dive, contact the experts at Divers Alert Network (DAN).

 
Available Languages
English, Espanol, Nederlands, Français, Deutsch, Italiano, 日本語, 한국어, 中文简体, 中文繁体, Português, Русский язык, اللغة العربية, Polski, Dansk, Bahasa Indonesia, Ελληνική γλώσσα, Čeština, Suomi, עִבְרִית, Magyar nyelv, Svenska, Norsk, ไทย, Tagalog, Türkçe

More Courses

Divemaster
Learn how to lead dives, assist with classes and be the diver everyone looks up to. Your scuba career starts here.

Rescue Diver FAQs

 
What does a PADI rescue diver do?

Don’t let the name of this course deter you…PADI Rescue Diver is fun! PADI Rescue Diver is one of the most rewarding and challenging continuing education courses that will change the way you scuba dive. This scuba course will teach you how to recognize and respond to dive emergencies, how to use emergency oxygen, fix common scuba gear problems, and even improve your underwater navigation – all while putting your mental and physical strength to the test.

With this scuba certification, you will know how to recognize the signs of diver stress and always be prepared to help a fellow dive buddy in need on the surface or underwater.

 
Is PADI Rescue Diver hard?

Many divers ask, “Is PADI Rescue Diver hard?” At first glance, the course requirements may seem intimidating. However, after completing this popular scuba course, you will have the tools to become a more confident scuba diver and a better dive buddy. The PADI Rescue Diver course consists of three parts: knowledge development, rescue training exercises, and open water rescue scenarios.

During this course, you will learn to:

  • Use emergency oxygen
  • Troubleshoot and fix minor scuba gear issues
  • Develop underwater safety techniques
  • Improve your underwater navigation skills
  • Identify a diver in need at the surface or underwater
  • Rescue another diver or yourself

Most Rescue Diver training and rescue scenarios take place in open water as opposed to the pool.

 
How much do rescue divers get paid?

While Rescue Divers do not get paid for this dive certification, there are many ways to apply your dive skills and certification. Rescue Divers only need 50 logged dives and five PADI Specialties to earn the elite recreational PADI Master Scuba Diver rating, which fewer than 2 percent of divers possess!

If you are interested in dive jobs as a paid, PADI Pro, PADI Rescue Diver is a requirement for achieving your PADI Divemaster or PADI Instructor rating, and also for certifying as a Public Safety Diver.

Come Explore With Us!

 You'll receive messages showcasing incredible dive destinations, PADI courses, products, event invitations and amazing marine life.

Sign Up for 10%* off Your Next Dive eLearning Course!