How good of a swimmer do you need to complete open water course

[halocline]

Maybe learning to dive will help you to work on your fitness so that you can swim more than 100 meters. Regardless of the class requirements, you will probably enjoy diving more with greater in-water stamina, and you will definitely improve your air consumption. Diving is physically pretty easy, especially when you have developed buoyancy and trim skills, but you can always benefit from improved fitness in and out of the water. So enjoy it!

 

[Marie13]

You also have to be able to tread water for 10 minutes.

I don't know about PADI, but in my SDI pool session Thursday night, we were allowed to float as well as tread water. The other gal and I floated, the two guys treaded water.

 

[boulderjohn]

I don't know about PADI, but in my SDI pool session Thursday night, we were allowed to float as well as tread water. The other gal and I floated, the two guys treaded water.

Both PADI and SDI are members of the RSTC and follow their for swimming. There are two requirements. You have already seem the reference to 200 meters swimming unaided (any stroke(s), any length of time) or 300 meters while swimming with mask fins and snorkel.

In addition, the student must remain in water over their head unaided for 10 minutes. Some people refer to it as a "tread" or a "float," but there is no requirement for how you do it. I tell my students that the true requirement is "don't drown for 10 minutes." I tell them that any student who drowns during that exercise fails the class, with no refunds.

 

[rongoodman]

I just laid on my back and floated for mine.

 

[tursiops]

As others have said, the swim/tread test is not difficult.
It probably should be more difficult, IMHO.

 

[TMHeimer]

Short answer is you have to pass the OW swim test. No time limit, any stroke (but if it will take you half an hour I don't think the instructor would pass you since there is --at least with most shops-- a limit on pool time). If you do the 300 mask/fin/snorkel one that's a lot easier, and is not "swimming". It may or may not have to do with "comfortability" in water as they say. On the HS Swim Team 40+ years ago, I had to re-train to get my mechanics back up to snuff to pass the DM 400 metre (yd.) test, which was timed. There is "swimming to pass the test" and swimming with proper technique. Swimming is a "life skill", and a distant cousin to scuba. There are countless threads on this with varying opinions.

 

[Scubadeep1]

It is actually quite ease, just do the back stroke nice easy pace, if you get tired roll on side and swim on side for a while, roll on stomach do the breast stroke or swim stroke, your choice just keep forward movement, not a race. Just relax, it's not bad at all. Then you will have to float for 10 minutes, just arch your back a bit and fall asleep almost, if your buoyant at all. I just starred at the ceiling and tried not to think about floating, just keep a bit more air in your lungs to keep buoyant, don't flutter around and kick and all that, just wastes energy. Just relax and float motionless while laying on back. Go to a pool or hotel and practice once and you will find it is not hard, you just need to take it easy and have fun.

 

[USdiver1]

Being comfortable in the water is a big plus, but as divers, we practice "the buddy system" (for safety divers work/dive as a team of two) it is imperative that you are at least competent enough of a swimmer so you could 1) not pose a risk to your buddy due to inadequate swimming skills and 2) be in a position to help in providing assistance to your buddy if there were a need for them to be rescued.

If you feel that you would currently be a burden to others, then work on your swimming skills first and foremost. Improving those skills will make you both more competent and more comfortable in the water, and once at ease while swimming in a lake or swimming in the ocean, you should be ready to take your first SCUBA lessons.

 

[PatW]

Swimming ability is almost irrelevant in diving. I am a very good swimmer. I can swim distance. I can swim in heavy surf. I can swim in strong currents. But as far as diving goes, I had to curb my swimming impulses. Swimming is moving and expending energy. Diving is more about neutral buoyancy, relaxing and poking along. My wife, who is an adequate swimmer is a much better diver than I am. She is so relaxed that she rarely consumes half a tank in an hour's dive.

What is important is avoiding panic. Panic kills swimmers and divers quicker than almost anything else.

 

[TMHeimer]

Swimming ability is almost irrelevant in diving. I am a very good swimmer. I can swim distance. I can swim in heavy surf. I can swim in strong currents. But as far as diving goes, I had to curb my swimming impulses. Swimming is moving and expending energy. Diving is more about neutral buoyancy, relaxing and poking along. My wife, who is an adequate swimmer is a much better diver than I am. She is so relaxed that she rarely consumes half a tank in an hour's dive.

What is important is avoiding panic. Panic kills swimmers and divers quicker than almost anything else.

I like this one best--and coming from a good swimmer.

On the float/tread--I always add not to forget drownproofing (for the negatively buoyant), though I did once assist a PADI instructor who said she didn't allow it...hmmm...