PADI Rescue Diver Course & EFR
@ Simple Life Divers | Koh Tao, Thailand

We run the combined EFR and PADI Rescue Diver training over four days (though can condense the training into an intensive three day schedule if needed).

Part 1: Emergency First Responder

We begin with the Emergency First Response (EFR) course. The EFR course is a CPR and first aid qualification, valid for 2 years. Conducted over a full day, you’ll learn how to assess emergency situations by checking for breathing, circulation, spinal injuries and serious bleeding before providing appropriate first aid and summoning the emergency services.

After the practical session, you’ll take a short exam to verify your understanding.

Part 2: PADI Rescue Diver Training

Next we move onto the PADI Rescue diver course which will be conducted over the following three days.

We’ll run several theory sessions which will be kept short, interactive and entertaining. This will be a combination of videos and presentations, followed by reviewing the content with your instructor.

Topics covered during the PADI Rescue Diver course include assessing divers for signs of stress, assisting tired and panicked divers, dealing with unconscious divers, self-rescue techniques, diving first aid, overall emergency management, missing diver procedures and techniques for exiting the water with a casualty.

Out in the water, our first few sessions will focus on practicing and mastering these new techniques.

Then once you are properly prepared, we will conclude your PADI Rescue Diver training with a series of final scenarios. You take responsibility for the dive boat, dealing with simulated problems as they occur. Missing divers, injured snorkelers, bad buoyancy or overexertion during dives; anything can happen, and you’ll be primed to respond. The course is demanding but a lot of fun, and you’ll qualify with a great sense of achievement and awareness.

If you have a valid, up-to-date CPR and First Aid certificate, issued within the past two years, and can bring it with you, we can skip the Emergency First Response course, saving you both time and money

Your qualification must be from a recognised training organisation and meet the CPR and First Aid requirements for the PADI Rescue Diver course.

Citation: ✅ PADI – Emergency First Response (EFR)
https://www.padi.com/education/emergency-first-response

Yes, the Rescue Diver course is physically challenging, but it is entirely manageable for anyone in normal physical health. The course focuses heavily on technique, leverage, and stamina rather than raw strength.

You will practice towing tired divers, lifting unresponsive divers out of the water, and managing simulated emergencies. Our instructors will teach you how to leverage crewmates and adapt these techniques safely to your body size and physical capabilities.

Citation: ✅ PADI – Rescue Diver Course
https://www.padi.com/courses/rescue-diver

No, you must hold a PADI Advanced Open Water certification (or an equivalent qualifying certification from another agency) to take the Rescue Diver course.

Citation: ✅ PADI – Rescue Diver Course
https://www.padi.com/courses/rescue-diver

Yes, you must have completed a recognized CPR and First Aid training program within the past 24 months before you can be certified as a Rescue Diver.

For most people we run the Emergency First Responder course in combination with PADI Rescue Diver. It takes just one day, requires no diving, and is seamlessly scheduled to finish the day before your in-water Rescue training begins.

Citation: ✅ PADI – Rescue Diver Course
https://www.padi.com/courses/rescue-diver

Citation: ✅ Emergency First Response (EFR)
https://www.padi.com/education/emergency-first-response

The final day concludes with unannounced, realistic emergency simulations where you must act as the team leader to locate, rescue, and provide first aid to “missing” or “unresponsive” divers.

These scenarios take place at one of Koh Tao’s shallow reefs from our dive boat. They bring together everything you’ve learned throughout the course, from underwater search patterns to managing a realistic rescue and emergency response.

Yes, the PADI Rescue Diver certification is a mandatory prerequisite before you can enroll in the PADI Divemaster course or start any professional dive training.

Even if you do not plan to work in diving, this course is highly recommended because it radically shifts your perspective from focusing solely on yourself to confidently monitoring the safety and well-being of your dive buddies.

Citation: ✅ PADI – Divemaster Course
https://www.padi.com/courses/divemaster