I failed the pool test!

[TwistedGray]

Sorry for the late update.

I still have not had the chance to re-do my certification process. I have been "stuck" in Miami for the last week and a half doing customer support. My coworker finished his and said it is very very cold out there in Monterey, lol.

Anywhoot, I'll keep you guys updated

 

[Air On]

Started reading through the first 7 pages then had to quit and skipped to the end.

Your in Florida for a while?... Go take the class while your there if you can.
Just take it all over again though, you can not have too much time in for your initial training.

Find a place with a reasonbly heated pool... Go to the pool and practice your swimming as much as you can. One of the reasonable expecations should be for you to at least be able to swim the mimimum distance. What happens if on a dive your taken by the tide? You'll then be wishing you'd been a little more practiced and in shape for swimming. Granted swimming in cold water is a differnt issue all together. You can do it if your used to it... Not just jumping in without doing it before though.

My frist day in class we had a half day books & videos, then a half day pool. The place recomended near by to eat at noon, was a gut bomb chease steak and grinders shop... Big mistake, 2 laps in I start to run out of energy and can hardly swim... I'm thinking dear God what crappy shape i was in. The temperature of their pool was too hot for me and I felt like I couldn't sweat the heat out of me. It was easily in the high 80s in the pool... Over heating, can't swim, sucking in water... Not having fun here...

We did the survival float... Problem, i don't float! I have to tread water even with a full lung of air. I puff up and I'll hover at a few feet below the surface... Evidently I'm wat the shop called a sinker.

It was a running joke in my old swim and dive team days as a kid because i could just walk across the bottom of the pool. When I did swim tests as a kid I had shorts with liners that held air when wet, so i could pop the waist band as couple times to inflate them basically... otherwise I could not float at all for the dead man float testing.

Now years later as an adult I'm stressed that I'm not going to be able to do this... Oh crap I'm reading the boards about hard core NAUI swims tests!!! *** am i going to do! I talked to the shop owners and was allowed to use the pool to just swim laps, tread water and practice snorkle skills (NAUI requirment anyhow) outside of class hours. The shop lets me do it for free even.

After a few days of this I was very happy and pleased to say I should have just skipped lunch that first day it would have been different and a little bit of practice made a big diffence in my pool experience.

Our open water swim test was on the ocean. They set a bouy out at the required distance and had us swim out to it. Granted the Sea of Cortez in June is like a nice warm bath! I was glad I put in time to confirm my ability to swim was solid. No place to grab the side of the pool if you crap out. It was certainly cooler then the pool at the dive shop thank goodness.

Now the one thing I do have to say is I was counting on that salt water to help be float a bit better... I was seriously thinking i might need to sneak zip lock baggy of air in my shorts to help me stay afloat. I'm glad to say it went very well without resorting to cheating.

Just relax, if the instructor is worth taking the class from they will help make sure you can do the skills required, they should keep your mind at ease so your not stressing out over the test, etc. If not, I'd say ask for the money back and try another instructor... Go talk to them first and see if they are someone who you can learn from and trust.

 

[DivingPrincessE]

Sorry for the late update.

I still have not had the chance to re-do my certification process. I have been "stuck" in Miami for the last week and a half doing customer support. My coworker finished his and said it is very very cold out there in Monterey, lol.

Anywhoot, I'll keep you guys updated

Get certified in Miami! It will be so much better

 

[don Francisco]

I agree with the others & would (perhaps unfairly) blame the instructor. Diving cert. tests aren't like college entrance exams. It's the instructors job to teach the skills necessary to pass, & do whatever is necessary towards making you a skilled? & safe diver.

As an example, when my wife finally decided to give scuba a try, she enrolled in a course locally, & quit twice, the 2nd time aparently for good. The instructor phoned me, & said that in 23 years of teaching, only one of his students didn't pass, & that was early in his career. He didn't want a 2nd washout on HIS record, so if my wife would give it another shot he'd do whatever it took to get her through. What it took was assigning his most patient, reassuring aide to work with her one-on-one until she passed. 500+ dives later we both remember that Dave went the extra mile and then some for her.

I started by saying that blaming the instructor might be unfair, so give it & him a chance. Explain that you want to dive, but are unable to learn by the sink or swim method & could he please help you over the your trouble spots. Let him know that 500 dives from now you'll remember him & tell everyone how he went the extra mile for you. fb

 

[Belle67]

I will be doing my diving mostly here in Michigan where the summer water temps can be in the 40-50' range at depth. I don't know what agency you went through but according to the SSI book that I have, it is recomended that a dry suit be used for temps below 65'....although I know most around here use a good 7mm and a hood for our lakes for temps in the 50's. If he is teaching you by the book, it seems as though he should have allowed, if not recommended, a wetsuit for the dive... or called it off until the water temp was more appropriate...

Just my thoughts.