Skills and Rescue
What the exam tests
The Skills and Rescue domain tests the rescue sequence, emergency management, missing-diver procedures, search patterns, first aid/O2, and accident documentation. Questions often ask for the first action or the correct priority when a rescue scenario has several plausible steps.
Rescue priorities
- Rescuer safety first; use reach, throw, row, go. Enter the water only if trained and equipped for the situation.
- Recognise and assess; establish buoyancy; approach with a plan; surface the victim; give in-water rescue breaths only if trained and conditions allow.
- Remove weights and gear as needed for exit; get the victim to a stable platform; begin CPR/AED and 100% O2 if indicated; call EMS early.
- Document the incident after care is underway; incident reports support later review but never precede EMS.
Missing diver and search
- Gather facts: last seen, time, depth, gas, buddy, direction.
- Recall other divers, check the surface and downcurrent area, and notify authorities early.
- Search patterns include U pattern, expanding square, jackstay, circular/rope, and contour searches; choose based on area, visibility, and bottom.
Worked example
A diver is found unresponsive at the surface, not breathing. What is the sequence?
Reasoning: establish buoyancy and protect the airway; give rescue breaths if trained while moving to the boat/shore; call EMS or have someone call. On a stable platform, check responsiveness and breathing, start CPR and apply an AED, give 100% O2, and monitor. Do not delay EMS to complete paperwork, and do not re-immerse a diver suspected of DCI.
Traps that cost marks
- Becoming a second victim by entering unsafe water.
- Delaying EMS while searching for equipment or paperwork.
- Forgetting to remove weights/gear before exit.
- Giving O2 instead of CPR to a non-breathing diver.
- Not knowing the emergency action plan or equipment locations.
Dive Site Management and Ocean Conservation
What the exam tests
The Dive Site Management and Ocean Conservation domain tests site assessment, briefing, mooring/anchor use, environmental conditions, diver impact, and conservation programs. Questions often ask what belongs in a briefing or what a divemaster should do to protect the site.
Site assessment and briefing
- Check entry/exit, depth, bottom, currents, tides, waves, visibility, boat traffic, hazards, marine life, nearest O2, phone, and medical access before the dive.
- Brief site, conditions, hazards, limits, buddy procedures, signals, recall, and emergency plan; add conservation rules for the site.
Mooring, anchoring, and conditions
- Use mooring buoys where provided; if anchoring, anchor in sand or rubble, never on coral, and set scope for conditions.
- Read tide and current before entry; plan entry/exit and downcurrent drift; cancel if conditions exceed the group.
Conservation and diver impact
- No touching, feeding, or harassing marine life; control buoyancy and trim; secure equipment so it does not drag.
- Support Project AWARE programs such as Dive Against Debris and Coral Reef Conservation; know local marine protected area rules.
- Reduce impact: reef-safe sunscreen, no single-use plastic, responsible photography, and remove debris only when safe.
Worked example
You are briefing a coral reef with a mooring buoy, mild current, and 18 m maximum depth. What do you include?
Reasoning: use the mooring, not an anchor; brief the current direction and exit; set an 18 m limit and a turn pressure; require good buoyancy and no contact with the reef; brief recall and the emergency plan. If the current strengthens or visibility drops, shorten or cancel. Conservation is part of the briefing, not an optional add-on.
Traps that cost marks
- Anchoring on coral or assuming a mooring is safe without checking it.
- Ignoring tide/current and planning only by depth.
- Feeding fish or chasing wildlife for photos.
- Generic briefings that omit emergency access or local rules.
- Removing debris unsafely or without training.