Rescue Diver + EFR

The PADI Rescue Diver combined with Emergency First Response training at Big Fish runs over four days and includes five dives. Minimum age is 16 years, and candidates need an existing Advanced Open Water certification. The 450€ fee covers the full course including EFR certification, all five dives, equipment, van transfers, and study materials in English, German, Spanish, or Polish.

The EFR component covers CPR and first aid on land before moving to in-water rescue scenarios. The four-day structure alternates surface sessions with dives in the ocean around Los Cristianos, using the centre's site rotation to set up realistic problem scenarios in open water rather than a pool. Five dives over four days with active rescue work makes this a more physically and mentally demanding stretch than the AOWD course.

At Big Fish, small group sizes mean candidates get detailed feedback on rescue techniques after each scenario rather than spending sessions waiting their turn. The instructors running Rescue courses — Greg, whose ex-military background shapes how he approaches safety and procedure, and others on the team — bring different styles of rigour to the training. Candidates who are methodical about skills progression find the four-day format works well here.

Rescue Diver is a prerequisite for Divemaster at PADI, so candidates at Big Fish who have the professional track in mind often move directly from this course into the two-month Divemaster programme. The practical, scenario-driven structure of the four days makes it the course that most changes how divers perceive what's happening around them underwater — awareness of other divers shifts permanently after working through the rescue scenarios.