During the time of a dive emergency, it would be very helpful if you know how and when to administer emergency oxygen. Taking the PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider course will help you in recognizing scuba diving injuries along with the illnesses that require emergency oxygen. If you are spending time in and around water (scuba divers, boat crew, lifeguards, freedivers, mermaids, etc.), then it is an excellent course for you. There are no age restrictions or water sessions required.
Taking the PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider course will help you in:
- Learning to administer emergency oxygen
- Gaining experience handling oxygen equipment
- Preparing to offer aid to divers and any recreational water user
You will learn how to:
- Help a scuba diver if decompression sickness is suspected
- Assemble an oxygen unit and administer emergency oxygen
- Identify when oxygen is needed for diving and water-related injuries and illnesses
Medical requirements
Keep the following things in mind regarding medical requirements for scuba diving:
- One should have a minimum level of health and fitness for scuba diving. In case of any chronic health conditions, certain medications and/or recent surgery, one may have to get written approval from a physician before the dive.
- In order to avoid any hassle, you can download and review the Diver Medical form. With this, you can know before enrolling in a scuba course that you will not need a physician’s approval for diving.
- You should not ask for any medical advice from instructors, divemasters, and dive shop staff as they are not physicians. Only medical professionals can give medical clearance to scuba dive.
- In case of any confusion regarding medical fitness, you can contact the experts at Divers Alert Network (DAN).
Prerequisites and minimum age
- Prerequisites: none; interest in helping others
- Minimum age: none; ability to handle course content
Starting the PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider training
You can complete the Emergency Oxygen Provider via eLearning first and then meet your instructor for practical application and skill development. You will be taught about dive injuries, different types of emergency oxygen equipment, and safety considerations when using oxygen.
Independent study- PADI eLearning
Even if you have a busy schedule, you can still learn properly via PADI eLearning. Use a computer or a mobile device to study offline or online, as per your convenience. Talk to your instructor if you have any doubts.
eLearning time commitment: 2-4 hours
At the dive shop- With your instructor
You will be practising assembling as well as disassembling oxygen equipment for a quick response in an emergency. You will be taught how to deploy a non-rebreather mask and a demand inhalator valve on a breathing diver. Attaching a rescue breathing mask to an oxygen unit to resuscitate a non-breathing diver will also be taught to you.
- Prerequisites: none; interest in helping others
- Total time commitment: 1 day
- Minimum age: none; ability to handle course content
Other costs & equipment
The PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider course requires knowledge development and instructor training for certification. Purchasing a PADI eLearning course from its website covers the knowledge development part only. Practical application training with a PADI Instructor requires an additional cost, which varies by location and class size.
Time commitment
- Self-study: 2-4 hours
- Entire course: 1 day
System Requirements
The online courses of PADI work on the browsers listed below: Ensure that your browser is updated to have the best experience.
- Chrome
- Safari
- Edge
- Firefox
You can also study at a location that has no internet access. Just use the PADI Training app to download course content and study offline. You can download the content in small sections with a total file size of around 1.10 GB. You can upload your progress when you get back online. This will help you in resuming your training right where you left off. The app is available for Android as well as Apple iOS devices. Devices should not be more than three models old and updated with the latest Operating System (OS).
After PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider
The skills that you learn during this course integrate well with other PADI courses designed for helping divers in need. These include:
- PADI Divemaster
- PADI Rescue Diver
- Emergency First Response Primary and Secondary Care
Why do a PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider Specialty Course?
A number of PADI speciality courses are available for scuba divers. Some of them are for fun and excitement like the DPV (Diver Propulsion Vehicle) speciality, the Cavern Diving speciality courses, etc. These courses teach the divers new enthralling skills. On the other hand, some of the courses may not seem like a fun skill to learn at first. For instance, the Emergency Oxygen Provider speciality course. However, this is a skill that will make you feel more relaxed and at ease, as you will have the knowledge of reacting and responding to a situation that requires you to administer oxygen.
This PADI speciality course will teach you to recognise diving illnesses requiring to be treated by emergency oxygen. You will also be able to set up and assemble the oxygen kit and properly administer oxygen to the victim. One doesn’t need to be a certified scuba diver in order to enrol in this course. Anyone involved in water sports or water-based activities like surfing, boating, etc. can take up this speciality course as there may be a need to administer oxygen.
A natural complement to the PADI Emergency First Response certification, CPR and first aid are covered under this course. It also pairs perfectly with the Emergency Oxygen Provider course.
What does the PADI Oxygen Provider course cover?
By taking this course, divers and non-divers will learn the importance of emergency oxygen in the treatment of many injuries and the primary first aid given to someone suffering from a near drowning or decompression illness (lung overexpansion injuries and decompression sickness). You will learn how to provide oxygen in an emergency situation.
One learns how to:
- Properly setting up equipment
- Administering emergency oxygen
- Safety considerations when using oxygen
- Maintaining emergency oxygen equipment
- Recognizing diving illnesses treatable by emergency oxygen
This will be a classroom session in which you will be taught how to be ready to help your fellow diver in case a need arises. To be the best diving buddy, you have to be prepared at all times, especially when there is an emergency. You will learn to:
- Recognize diving illnesses treatable by emergency oxygen
- Properly set up equipment
- Administer emergency oxygen
Though this course is suited for divers, there are no prerequisites and doesn’t include dives. Thus, those who are around divers such as boat crew, non-diving buddies, lifeguards, and shore staff can also take this course.
Top scuba diving locations in the Andaman Islands
Some of the best locations for scuba diving are as follows:
- Red Pillar- A shallow reef that is part of the continuous fringing reef running along the north-eastern coast of Havelock Island
- Lighthouse- If you want to witness the perfect balance of vibrant fish and soft & hard corals, then this is your one-stop destination.
- Tribe Gate- A small submerged hill surrounded by a bed of sand on all sides
- Nemo Reef- A shore entry site having shallow water that opens into a swimming pool-like setup. It has white sand and a baby reef.
If you are still not there yet and are unsure whether you would want to pursue diving education, then we have fun dives for you, and that too at the best spots across Havelock Island (now known as Swaraj Dweep officially).