Brushing up on my swimming skills?

[Spearsley]

Honestly, you only have to be an Ok-ish swimmer to pass the OW swim test. You have to swim 200 Meters without fins or snorkel OR 300 with fins and snorkel. (For PADI at least) I was able to pass it no problem, and I was a pretty sucky swimmer at the time. Although, I did enroll in an adults swimming class later, before getting Rescue. My reasoning being that I wasn't comfortable in the water without scuba gear, which was kinda ridiculous.

If you think it will make you more comfortable do it, otherwise you'll most likely be fine.

I would say this is the advice you need.

 

[Marie13]

Well, my first pool session is tonight and I've not been in a pool. The pools here all shut down for a week or two in mid or late August for annual maintenance. The pools closest to me have all been closed. So I'll be doing the swim without practice but I'm Ok with that. I'll be doing it with mask, snorkel, and fins. All leg work that way!

 

[Neilwood]

Well, my first pool session is tonight and I've not been in a pool. The pools here all shut down for a week or two in mid or late August for annual maintenance. The pools closest to me have all been closed. So I'll be doing the swim without practice but I'm Ok with that. I'll be doing it with mask, snorkel, and fins. All leg work that way!

Just take your time and remember it is not a race. So long as you complete the distance without stopping, you get a pass. Better to start slow and know you can finish than to go out too quick and cramp halfway through.

 

[Marie13]

Thanks!

 

[Marie13]

See my open class water experiences thread to hear how tonight went.

 

[Neilwood]

I did!

 

[Chip Elliott]

Thank you so much for this thread!! I am going to have my first class on the 13th (I hope) and the only thing I have been worried about is the swim. I have been snorkeling since I was 10 (so that makes 53 years, sheesh) and I still snorkel every summer up in Canada for 6 weeks (not all at once, I do fish and do other activities as well), as well as swim and float. But the last time I swam, as in swimming not snorkeling, over 100m was probably in the 1960's as a member of my school swim team. Well, maybe not that long ago.

I do go to the gym three times a week and take "Group Power" classes. They are great. I have gone into the pool and have been able to do two to three laps with no incidences, but I am much more comfortable with fins/mask/snorkel than just doing the crawl/breast stroke/sidestroke/backstroke/flailing stroke/whatever. I don't know why I am perseverating on this so much!! After reading this I am somewhat reassured.

 

[scubadada]

Even if it was a while ago, a former swim team member should have no trouble with OW swim test

 

[TMHeimer]

Snorkeling is a great idea, as I too did this my whole life. Not proper swimming of course, but it makes all the breathing/mask OW stuff a breeze. Distance to pools is a big factor in keeping swimming stroke/breathing techniques up to par. I too was on the HS swim team (40+ years ago) and had no trouble with the OW swim test (though we did the m/f/snorkel one). But the 400 meter DM swim test was another story indeed. 100 mile round trips to a pool is hard on the gas money.