Brushing up on my swimming skills?

[TMHeimer]

Yep, that's the main problem with "swimming is great!" advice: sure it is. If your recsports membership fee includes access to all University's pools and 2 of them are 2 blocks away from your office. Otherwise: not quite so much...

Yeah, that was my problem training for the DM swim test. Swimming in the Atlantic right from our land only works with calm seas and maybe 2 months of the year. Pool entry not expensive at all in the city, but the 100 mile round trip and Canadian gas prices made that a poor choice. So I went only once weekly with my wife when she went grocery shopping. It got me up to snuff, but once weekly is not so great.

 

[ResortDiver850]

Signed up for an upcoming OW class, and just found out about the 200 yd swim test. Went to the pool tonight night to practice, and to be honest it kicked my butt. It was a reality check. Class is in a couple weeks hope I can improve by then.

Can you just float on your back for the treading water test?

 

[Kevrumbo]

I'm doing a Discover Scuba class in about two weeks. If I enjoy it, I'm planning on doing my OW in August/September, assembling my gear over the winter, and being ready to go next spring.

My question concerns my swimming skills. It's been a long time since I seriously swam on a regular basis. I was wondering if it would be a good idea to join the Y and get back into swimming on a regular basis to prepare for more regular diving next spring? I can swim fine, but I suspect I'll be a bit rusty.

Thanks!

Signed up for an upcoming OW class, and just found out about the 200 yd swim test. Went to the pool tonight night to practice, and to be honest it kicked my butt. It was a reality check. Class is in a couple weeks hope I can improve by then.

Can you just float on your back for the treading water test?

 

[Neilwood]

Signed up for an upcoming OW class, and just found out about the 200 yd swim test. Went to the pool tonight night to practice, and to be honest it kicked my butt. It was a reality check. Class is in a couple weeks hope I can improve by then.

Can you just float on your back for the treading water test?

Remember that, with the 200m swim test, there is no time limit - the only stipulation AFAIK is not stopping. Don't bust a gut when you start it, you don't get a medal for finishing it quickly. The main thing is to do it at a pace you can achieve. I reckon I went at about 1/2-3/4 of my best pace but made it quite easily despite not being a regular swimmer for about the previous 5 years (I only did a couple of practise sessions in the month leading up to the course).

The tread water can be done in any position AFAIK - be that back float, drownproofing, actively treading water etc. I used a mixture of them all as I was bored just looking at the ceiling with the back float

 

[TMHeimer]

Well, you can do any stroke you want, but if you take 45 minutes to finish (assuming a DM or somebody is ACTUALLY keeping track of all like, 9 students, which obviously is impossible to do unless you're Sheldon Cooper), the Instructor may have a problem with you. There is no time limit, but there IS somewhat of a time limit the shop has if renting the pool. Food for thought.

 

[dmaziuk]

Signed up for an upcoming OW class, and just found out about the 200 yd swim test. Went to the pool tonight night to practice, and to be honest it kicked my butt. It was a reality check. Class is in a couple weeks hope I can improve by then.

Can you just float on your back for the treading water test?

You can float on your back, but if you have low body fat it's not so easy, at least in fresh water. If there's more than a handful of students all trying to do that in a smaller pool, that doesn't help either. Floating vertical 'waterpolo' or 'drownproofing' or whatever-you-call-it style is usually a better option.

If you don't swim too well, go sidestroke or breastrstroke. Either lets you see where you're going, it's easier to lift your head above water to breathe, and they both utilize the much bigger leg muscles.

 

[TMHeimer]

You can float on your back, but if you have low body fat it's not so easy, at least in fresh water. If there's more than a handful of students all trying to do that in a smaller pool, that doesn't help either. Floating vertical 'waterpolo' or 'drownproofing' or whatever-you-call-it style is usually a better option.

If you don't swim too well, go sidestroke or breastrstroke. Either lets you see where you're going, it's easier to lift your head above water to breathe, and they both utilize the much bigger leg muscles.

Yes, what I've been saying for years. Ability to easily float has nothing at all to do with "comfortability" in water. Has to do with body makeup. Why is it even part of the OW tests? Rocky Balboa probably couldn't float (especially in fresh water--where I would guess only 90% of classes occur?). Swimming, floating--really distant cousins to SCUBA.

 

[Kevrumbo]

You can float on your back, but if you have low body fat it's not so easy, at least in fresh water. If there's more than a handful of students all trying to do that in a smaller pool, that doesn't help either. Floating vertical 'waterpolo' or 'drownproofing' or whatever-you-call-it style is usually a better option.

If you don't swim too well, go sidestroke or breastrstroke. Either lets you see where you're going, it's easier to lift your head above water to breathe, and they both utilize the much bigger leg muscles.

Yes, what I've been saying for years. Ability to easily float has nothing at all to do with "comfortability" in water. Has to do with body makeup. Why is it even part of the OW tests? Rocky Balboa probably couldn't float (especially in fresh water--where I would guess only 90% of classes occur?). Swimming, floating--really distant cousins to SCUBA.

"If you can float, but you’re still tense, notice your breathing pattern. Deep breathing is not only scientifically proven to help your body relax, but it will also bring more oxygen into your body, which should make you more buoyant. . . The key to floating is, ironically, a major challenge for beginners: You have to relax. . ."

https://www.swimoutlet.com/guides/how-to-float-for-swimming

Try it in the pool shallow end: take a deep breath and hold it and float on your back; and then it's all about breath control -exhale a bit (but not fully exhale else you will submerge immediately!) and take a breath & re-inflate your lungs, hold your breath. Repeat. You can find the proper breathing interval to help you keep your face above water only if you are relaxed & comfortable. (The principle is the similar at depth on open circuit scuba to hold fine control neutral buoyancy -relaxed controlled slow deep inhalation and exhalation. Conversely, to help sink on the initial descent from the surface, you have to exhale fully out along with deflating the BCD).

 

[dmaziuk]

Yes, what I've been saying for years. Ability to easily float has nothing at all to do with "comfortability" in water.

What Kev said. The key to floating is you have to fully relax. This has everything to do with being comfortable in the water.

Not many of us are Rocky Balboas with muay tai shins, steel leg joints and titanium skull plates on top; most people are roughly neutrally buoyant and will float just fine with chestful of air. It only takes a little skill to maintain that while breathing in and out and keeping in horizontal trim.

 

[jstrang]

Depending on your background, some strength work might be in order, especially for your legs. You're going to be carrying 40-50 pounds of gear, climbing boat ladders, possibly making entries and exits over rocky or otherwise rough terrain. Squats are our friends!

Actually squats may not be your friends! If your knees are starting to act up squats might actually be the worse thing for you to do. Swimming, walking in water or water running, and biking and yes even diving would be far better. Deep squats or stairs are evil for the knees. That's why there are elevators.

Enjoy,