Home

Contact Us

Classes

Calendar

Pacific NW
Critter Watchers

Photo Gallery

Dive Site
Reviews and
Trip Reports

Tides and
Currents

Dive Shop
Locations

Directions to
Dive Sites and
Dive Site Maps

Links

About Janna

About Nicolle

All text and photos
© 2002 - 2007

Site designed by
Sparklepages

AED for Divers
[or Jump Start my Heart!]
(taught by Janna)

AED stands for Automated External Defibrillator. You know, similar to the paddle things the paramedics use on a heart patient, where they yell, "CLEAR!"

Well now there are AED units designed for regular people like us to use! They are becoming more common at airports, malls, and on dive boats.

Side note: Since this course is a DAN course, Nicolle thinks they should add a D, and switch the E and the A, and make the acronym like this:
D - DAN's
E - External
A - Automated
D - Defibrillator

On second thought...er...maybe not!

• One 3 hr. classroom session
• Knowledge development and hands-on skills development
• Student may also opt to receive PADI Specialty Certification (add'l fee)

Seriously though, heart disease is a common problem. To ignore that it affects divers as much as it affects the general population does divers a disservice. When you consider that diving is often done from remote locations - on beaches or off of dive boats - that are far removed from emergency medical help, it is important to prepare for every emergency.

• The mean age of divers who die each year in dive fatalities tracked by DAN is gradually increasing. It is now approximately 42 years of age. Divers are getting older, and older people are getting involved in diving.
• Of the 78 dive fatalities in the DAN 2001 Report on Decompression Illness, Diving Fatalities and Project Dive Exploration, based on 1999 fatalities, 7.7 percent of them were caused directly by heart disease. At the same time, heart disease was the direct cause of death for 26 percent of the fatalities involving divers over the age of 35.
• On top of that, 25 percent of divers involved in diving fatalities were also reported to be taking heart medications.
  

This course represents entry-level training designed to educate the general diving (and qualified non-diving) public to better recognize the warning signs of Sudden Cardiac Arrest and administer first aid using Basic Life Support techniques and Automated External Defibrillators while activating the local emergency medical services, (EMS) and / or arranging for evacuation to the nearest appropriate medical facility.

You can also take this class as a PADI specialty class for an additional fee.

• Class fees only - $65
• PADI Specialty Certification - $20

Contact Janna if you'd like to schedule this course