PADI Rescue Diver Course in Roatan
Ten skill exercises and two staged scenarios in West End, Roatan.
$400 · 2 to 3 days · 10 exercises · Age 12+
What is PADI Rescue Diver?
Ask any instructor which course made them a better diver. Most say Rescue. Not because of the emergency scenarios, though those matter. Because it changes how you think underwater. You start watching everything: your buddy, your air, the group, the environment. Every dive after this one, you’re the most switched-on person on the boat.
How the Rescue Diver course works
PADI eLearning at home first, covering rescue theory before you arrive. On-site, two to three days of in-water scenarios across Roatan’s reef, building from self-rescue to full group emergency management. It’s the most challenging recreational course PADI offers. It’s also the one people talk about for years.
Requirements: PADI Advanced Open Water, current EFR Primary and Secondary Care within 24 months, minimum age 12.
01 PADI eLearning at Home
Rescue theory done online before you arrive, so your days on Roatan are spent in the water.
02 Skill Exercises
Surface and underwater rescues, practiced in calm, protected water just off West End.
03 Two Staged Scenarios
Your instructor sets up each emergency cold. You find the problem and run it end to end.
04 EFR Alongside
Current EFR Primary and Secondary Care is required. We can run it concurrently if yours has lapsed.
What skills will you learn?
Every rescue skill is practiced in calm, shallow water first, then you put them together in two open water scenarios.
01
Self-Rescue and Stressed Divers
Start with a self-rescue review, then learn to spot and help tired and panicked divers before things escalate.
02
Responsive Diver Rescues
Respond to a diver in trouble from shore or boat, and assist a distressed diver underwater.
03
Missing Diver Search
Search for a missing diver, then bring an unresponsive diver to the surface safely.
04
Unresponsive Diver Care
Manage an unresponsive diver at the surface, get them out of the water, and give first aid and oxygen for pressure-related injuries.
PADI Rescue Diver course FAQ
What are the prerequisites for Rescue Diver?
PADI Advanced Open Water and current EFR Primary and Secondary Care within 24 months. Minimum age is 12. We can run EFR concurrently if yours has lapsed.
Where do the skill exercises take place?
All drills and both staged scenarios take place in calm, protected water just off West End. No swell, no current.
Is Rescue Diver required for Divemaster?
Yes. It’s the last recreational certification you need before the Divemaster program starts.
What will I earn at the end of the course?
Take the challenge! The PADI Rescue Diver course will expand your knowledge and experience to another level, because you’ll learn to look beyond yourself and consider the safety and well-being of other divers. Although this course is serious in nature, it is an enjoyable way to build your confidence.
Book your Rescue Diver course
Send us your dates and your current certification and we’ll come back to you with availability, usually the same day.
What’s Rescue Diver training like in Roatan?
The exercises run in protected water just off West End. Calm water, close to shore, nothing extra to fight. Your PADI Instructor sets up each scenario cold, so you don’t know what’s gone wrong until you get there. That’s the point of it.
What comes next?
Rescue Diver is the last step before Divemaster. If that’s the direction you’re heading, come talk to us on the deck. If you’re here for the cert itself, the specialties and morning two-tank trips are open to you from here.
Emergency First Response
Required as part of the Rescue Diver course. Learn critical skills like CPR, first aid and more.
Roatan Divemaster Internship
Six weeks with the busiest dive shop in West End. Your first PADI pro card.
Explore PADI Specialties
Choose your underwater favorites and expand your diving knowledge and skills.
Why dive with Coconut Tree Divers?
Coconut Tree Divers is right in the heart of West End, with some of Roatan's best dive sites right on our doorstep.
24+ Years Open in West End
Our PADI 5 Star IDC Center is one of Roatan's oldest and top-rated dive shops.
9,038 PADI Certifications
Completed, official PADI course certification records, May 2026.
4+ Daily Certified Dive Tours
Four daily fun dives and Tues & Thurs night dives make five.
Roatan’s Only TEC Center
TDI courses and guided deep diving from Advanced Nitrox to Trimix to Helitrox.
Diver Experiences
“I spent 5 weeks at Coconut Tree Divers getting both my rescue diver, dive masters and side mount. The dive centre is incredibly professional through top-of-the-line customer service and exceptional diving within a 10–20-minute boat drive. I could not have been happier!”
Cassidy