10 Minute Water Tread

[D_B]

You know, I may be mistaken about wearing a wetsuit (... brain cell lemmings ... one goes and the rest all follow ) and it makes sense now that I think about it, that I did not have one one on because what would be the worry there?
.. Thank you

 

[Steve50]

Fill your lungs and then keep them full with shallow breathing.

 

[beach89]

I sink like a rock with or without full lungs. I just tread water the entire time. It wasn't too bad. My dad told me that when he was first certified in the 70s, you had to tread water for 10(or 15?) minutes while holding your arms all the way out of the water. Now that would have been hard.

 

[1_T_Submariner]

As others have said try to keep your lungs as full as possible. Your ears and back of your head don't have to be above water just your face. I let the instructor ramble away and until he waved to get my attention I couldn't hear him because my ears where under water. My son (Really skinny) got tired but made it, he was trying to listen to the instructor. Just my $.02...

 

[Compressor]

Ok I see. Just relax and float. If you have basic swimming skills you should be ok.

 

[Compressor]

.. really?? (I'm serious)
I'm not going in the water without a wetsuit and I would guess that In trouble, you are going to ditch your weights, but I think you would be keeping your wetsuit on

Different agencies may have different standards.
The point I want to make is that if you wear a suit, you will float. You will really have to exert minimal effort to stay floating.

If you wear a suit, they may put weights on you to make you neurtally buoyant.

Do not worry at all. Your instructor is just evaluating your skills. Even if you can't float the first session, you can try later. Not being in shape and getting tired does not mean one is not a good swimmer or one is afraid of the water.

I would seriously doubt that you will have problem. Only the most out of shape people cannot float for 10 minutes. But if you get too tired, let your instructor know.
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[rockjock3]

I would seriously doubt that you will have problem. Only the most out of shape people cannot float for 10 minutes. But if you get too tired, let your instructor know.
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No, only the most out of shape people cannot tread for 10 minutes. The most out of shape people actually shouldn't have a big problem floating. I am in very good shape and I sink like a rock with my lungs full of air. I go right to the bottom unless I am treading water (and I did my 10 minutes).

Treading water though doesn't have anything to do with swimming ability only a basic fitness level. Nobody has to be able to swim to tread/float for 10 minutes and even as a test of fitness it isn't all that great being as somebody who is overweight and might not have any fitness to speak of can simply float through the test. I don't really see where the test has much to do with anything.

 

[Divrdug]

If I remember correctly, in the late 70's, Padi's test also included a mile swim

 

[ReefHound]

I haven't done the DM test but I've treaded for 30 minutes plus playing with my little kids (barely swimmers) as they would jump in and I'd push them to the edge. The trick is to stay as low in the water as you can, the higher out of the water you try to be the more energy it takes. And slow gentle finning is more efficient that beating the water hard.

 

[SteveDiver]

Just relax and float on your back most importantly, keep your head back and your feet will stay afloat evenly. I floated on my back and actually fell a sleep..