PADI Rescue Diver Course in Gran Canaria

You need to be a certified PADI Advanced Open Water Diver (or equivalent from another recognised agency) and hold a current Emergency First Response certification, or any First Aid plus CPR qualification completed within the last 24 months. We accept equivalents from SSI, BSAC, CMAS, NAUI, FEDAS and most other major training agencies. If your EFR is expired or you’ve never done it, add the EFR Day to your course for €100 and you’ll certify both qualifications on the same trip.

It’s harder than Open Water and Advanced, both mentally and physically. You’ll manage simulated emergencies in real time, and practise on responding when things don’t go to plan. The first attempt at the unconscious diver at the surface scenario fails about 70% of the time. By the forth attempt, you’ll have it. We’ve certified Rescue Divers from age 14 to 65, so you don’t need to be an athlete, but you should be comfortable swimming 400 metres in a wetsuit and treading water for 10 minutes. Most students rate the Rescue Course their favourite PADI course.

Two days for the Rescue  + EFR combo. Day 1 covers self-rescue, tired diver and panicked diver scenarios. Day 2 covers unresponsive diver, in-water rescue breathing, casualty exits and underwater search patterns. Emergency First Response certification covering CPR, AED operation, choking response, bleeding management and injury assessment is completed during the 2 days. All theory is completed online before you arrive so all course time in Gran Canaria is spent in the water or running practical scenarios.

On Day 1 you’ll work through cramp removal, regulator recovery, mask flood and clear under stress, tired diver tow, and panicked diver management above and below the surface. On Day 2 unresponsive diver, in-water rescue breaths during the surface tow, casualty exit up a sandy slope, simulated emergency call with site coordinates and casualty status, and underwater search patterns (expanding square and U-pattern) with a buddy. We finish with a missing-diver scenario you plan and execute yourself.

Rescue Diver is the highest recreational PADI certification. It teaches you to manage emergencies for yourself, your buddy and your immediate group — a skill set every confident recreational diver should have. It’s a 2-day course at €299. PADI Divemaster is the first professional level. It qualifies you to lead certified divers on guided dives, assist instructors on student courses, and work commercially at dive centres worldwide. Divemaster training takes 4 weeks minimum and requires 60 logged dives. Rescue is a prerequisite for Divemaster — you cannot start Divemaster training without first holding Rescue. See our Divemaster Internship page for details.

Three options at Puerto Rico Diving. PADI Rescue Course at €299 (2 days, for divers with current EFR), Emergency First Response at €145 (1 day, no diving prerequisites), or the EFR + Rescue Combo at €399 (2 days, saves €45 versus booking separately). All prices include full equipment hire (BCD, regulator, wetsuit, mask, fins, tanks), DAN diving insurance, PADI eLearning theory, certification fees and free hotel pickup from across south Gran Canaria. €100 deposit secures your booking. Free cancellation up to 48 hours before your start date. Bring swimwear, a towel, sunscreen and water — everything else is covered.

Yes and we strongly recommend it. The PADI Rescue Diver eLearning is available through your PADI account on phone, tablet or laptop. Once you pay your €100 deposit, we send you the eLearning access code immediately. The theory takes most students 4-6 hours and includes five knowledge review sections plus a final quiz. If you’ve already started the Rescue eLearning at another PADI centre, your progress transfers automatically. Bring your PADI account login and we pick up exactly where you left off. The same applies to EFR theory if you book the combo.

Please review the PADI medical questionnaire before booking. If you tick ‘yes’ to any question, you’ll need a fit-to-dive examination signed by a doctor before we can certify you. The most common conditions that trigger this are asthma, controlled epilepsy, diabetes, recent surgery, current medication for blood pressure or anxiety, and pregnancy (which precludes diving entirely). If you need a dive medical in Gran Canaria, we work with a local doctor, appointments take 30 minutes, cost approximately €40, and the certificate is issued the same day. Contact us before travelling and we’ll arrange the appointment.

We extend at no extra cost. PADI standards permit Rescue Course extensions across multiple days, and we’d much rather train you over an extra day than certify someone who isn’t ready. In nearly a decade of running this course we’ve never failed a student, but we’ve trained some over 3 days instead of 2. The most common reason for an extension is the unresponsive-diver scenario taking longer to nail than expected, which is completely normal. Your certification is issued when both you and your instructor agree you’re ready, not before.