EFR first aid (Primary & Secondary Care)
First we complete Emergency First Response — primary and secondary care. We have first-aid equipment on site to teach and practise properly (including oxygen when relevant for diving emergencies).
PADI Rescue Diver in Cidade Velha
Ask almost any diver what their favourite course was and many will say the same: Rescue. It is the most fun course in a diving career — whether you stay recreational or go pro — and, above all, the one that leaves you diving more safely: one of the most useful things you can learn in the water and on land.
€350Course price · also 39.000 CVE
BeachUsually Cidade Velha beach
Fun + skillsFirst aid + in-water rescue
The most fun course of your diving career
Rescue is serious training — and somehow it is also the course where people laugh the most. You practise real scenarios with your classmates, learn to stay calm, and leave feeling more confident than ever.
In Cape Verde we usually run the water skills on Cidade Velha beach: soft sand, shallow areas to practise, and that special vibe of learning in a UNESCO fishing village. We have run several Rescue courses here and they are always a highlight for the group.
What is the PADI Rescue Diver course?
Rescue Diver trains you to prevent problems and to manage diving emergencies — for yourself and for others. You learn to recognise stress, respond to tired or panicked divers, search for a missing diver, bring an unresponsive diver to the surface, manage care at the surface, and organise a response until help arrives.
It is the natural next step after Advanced, and the gateway to the professional path if you later want to continue toward the professional world as a Divemaster.
How we structure the course
We start with emergency first aid, then move into rescue skills in and out of the water.
Knowledge development
You complete five knowledge segments (eLearning or manual) and the Rescue exam: recognising problems, self-rescue, rescue techniques, diving accident management and more.
Rescue skills in the water
On Cidade Velha beach we practise approaches, assisting tired or panicked divers, entries from shore, underwater problem responses, missing-diver searches, bringing an unresponsive diver up, surface care, exits and administering emergency oxygen for possible decompression / dysbaric injuries.
Open-water rescue scenarios
Then come the rescue scenarios: unresponsive diver underwater and at the surface, and more — as realistic as logistics and safety allow, so you leave ready, not just certified.
Skills you will practise
- Self-rescue review (cramp, buoyancy, airway, alternate air, vertigo)
- Tired diver & panicked diver at the surface
- Response from shore / boat (reaches, throws, entries, tows, exits)
- Diver in trouble underwater (exhaustion, uncontrolled ascent, out-of-air)
- Missing diver search patterns
- Unresponsive diver to the surface & surface care / rescue breathing
- Towing an unresponsive diver in the water
- First aid for dysbaric injuries & oxygen therapy
- Full open-water rescue scenarios
Why it matters beyond diving
Rescue prepares you for situations it is simply good to know how to handle — in daily life and underwater. You dive more safely, you become a better buddy, and you gain confidence that stays with you long after the course.
Prerequisites (PADI standards): Advanced Open Water Diver, age 12+, and EFR Primary & Secondary Care within 24 months (we can include EFR with the course).
Rescue moments in Cidade Velha
First aid with the manikin, then real rescue drills in the water off Cidade Velha beach.
What our Rescue divers say
Real Google reviews from divers who completed Rescue with us in Cidade Velha.
★★★★★
“Realicé el curso RESCUE dirigido por el gran instructor Toni, un gran centro de buceo, muy familiar, nos sentimos en casa, the Boss (Leslie y Toni), el divertido y alegre Nelson y la mascota Deco son increíblemente muy grandes, lo recomiendo, sin duda volveremos. Posdata: HEMOS VUELTO A IR POR SEGUNDA VEZ, Y NO SERÁ LA ÚLTIMA.”
★★★★★
“Hice el curso de RESCUE y fue maravilloso, divertido y expectacular la enseñanza del instructor TONI, después de este curso mi técnica y seguridad han aumentado notablemente, recomiendo a todos realizar este curso en este centro, vivirás una gran experiencia con Leslie, Toni y el alegre Nelson”
★★★★★
“El curso de rescue es útil y divertido… hay un antes y un después de ser rescue diver… el mejor aprendizaje de todo lo que he hecho y… gracias 😘”
★★★★★
“... El curso de Rescue, junto con el de Primeros Auxilios, es un curso súper interesante, pero se podría hacer "pesado". Si conoces a Tony, te puedes olvidar de eso, tienes garantizado un aprendizaje muy profesional, pero no vas a parar de divertirte. Después de jornadas en el agua donde cualquier cosa puede pasar, siempre hay un ratito de risas (o carcajadas). Sin duda, el curso más divertido que he hecho, y eso gracias a Tony y Leslie. La guinda la pone el miembro más importante del equipo: Deco. Ten cuidado que es un perro peligroso… Te puede matar a lametazos!!! Y cuidadín con Tony, nunca deja de sorprenderte… le puede pasar absolutamente de todo en el agua para ponerte a prueba y que tengas ganas de ahogarle (desde el cariño)”
Ready for the most fun course of your diving life?
Message us on WhatsApp to check dates, or see the full price list. We’ll help you plan Rescue (and EFR if you still need it) in Cidade Velha.