Having completed the Rescue course about a year ago, I think the idea is really to bring to the surface (pardon the pun) thought processes that make you a good diver and a good buddy, as well as lay the ground work for becoming an instructor. If you’re comfortable in and under the water, and passed your 1st Aid/CPR/AED class without trouble, adding the skills of the course isn’t going to be a big deal. So Divingbear, I think’s a tribute to your previous training and experience that you DIDN’T find the Rescue course very difficult.
That being said, what everyone is pointing out as being a challenge was the physical aspects, which includes what the individual instructors require during the practicals. My ’final’ was at a reservoir - no surf, but 0’ viz: easy to get our victims out of the water, but searching for our missing diver was virtually impossible.