Instructors & DM's swimming capabilities?

[dazle]

DiveMasters on boats. Now these guys do have to act like life guards and should be very strong swimmers.

I'm a bit on the fence on this, yes I agree that DM's should be good swimmers, very strong, hmmm, the thing is there's a lot of other things that you could become good at to improve you, languages, specialities etc. Making someone who smokes (inc the good stuff) and drinks, turn into David Hasslehoff is asking a bit too much. Maybe you could stop drinking and smoking and exercise regularly, but if that was a requirement I know a lot of DM's that would be up **** creek.

I think the swim tests for DM are good if you base them on the score (5 max) rather than doing them. Don't know about IDC but DM is:

400m in your swimsuit, freestyle, open water, timed. Goggles allowed (WOO HOO I can say goggles without having to go to the bar)
800m Snorkel, Mask n Fins, no use of arms unless to scratch arse
15 min treading water in swimsuit. Last 2 mins holding 2kg's above water.

If you get 4's, 5's on them then I reckon that you're in fair nick to rescue

 

[Phish-phood]

I am not sure that there is much benefit to being a very strong swimmer when you dive. At the moment I am busy trying to get my swims within range for my DM which I intend to start training for next summer.
I consider myself to be quite fit, I play badminton twice and week, hockey twice a week, have fitness training once a week and squeeze in a swim every week at the pool.
I have been swimming since I was about five y/o but I am small, with short legs and very small feet and so lack the power to be a strong fast swimmer. That said I can comfortably tread water for twenty minutes and I could swim a mile if I had to just at my own pace, in my own time. So does this make me any worse a diver than someone who can swim twice as fast as me?

 

[annie]

Well the original question was in regards to professionals, and as CincyBengalsFan says, it's certainly true that some DMs supervise from boats. I trained on a boat like this and the DM regularly had to do surface saves. I guess if a DM is doing a job like that, it's their choice whether they want to be able to actually do it or not - simple choice. If you're not a strong swimmer you better hope no one needs rescuing!
Otherwise I suppose it's not that relevant apart from general fitness and water comfort etc.

 

[Lead_carrier]

annie once bubbled...
Well the original question was in regards to professionals, and as CincyBengalsFan says, it's certainly true that some DMs supervise from boats. I trained on a boat like this and the DM regularly had to do surface saves. I guess if a DM is doing a job like that, it's their choice whether they want to be able to actually do it or not - simple choice. If you're not a strong swimmer you better hope no one needs rescuing!

When the dm's did rescues, did they use mask, snorkle, fins, extra float or did they just jump in and swim for all they were worth. The rescues/assist that I have seen and been involved with all involved the dm using mask,snorkle, fin, etc. Does a pro need to know how to swim, absolutely. Personally, I would have rather had more time dedicated to actual working scenerios, assisting with class, etc.

 

[CincyBengalsFan]

Lead_carrier once bubbled...


When the dm's did rescues, did they use mask, snorkle, fins, extra float or did they just jump in and swim for all they were worth. The rescues/assist that I have seen and been involved with all involved the dm using mask,snorkle, fin, etc. Does a pro need to know how to swim, absolutely. Personally, I would have rather had more time dedicated to actual working scenerios, assisting with class, etc.

Okay now, someone is drowning right? Is the divemaster supposed to lolly-gag and find his mask,fin,snorkel or what????? Not to mention your head is out of the water anyway when your swimming towards a near-drowning victim during a rescue on the surface. So what good will the mask do you? If the fins are fastly available, then sure, but it had better be fast because someone is about to drown.

 

[Big-t-2538]

Lead_carrier once bubbled...


When the dm's did rescues, did they use mask, snorkle, fins, extra float or did they just jump in and swim for all they were worth. The rescues/assist that I have seen and been involved with all involved the dm using mask,snorkle, fin, etc. Does a pro need to know how to swim, absolutely. Personally, I would have rather had more time dedicated to actual working scenerios, assisting with class, etc.

Frankly...if I'm on the boat and someone's drowning...I'm going to be out to the victim faster than anyone who finds fins or whatever they think they need to find before they swim out there...so...I'm diving in and breaking for it.

Now if dude is like 500 yards off the boat...the boat will get there faster than I will.

 

[annie]

The DM had mask and fins ready but in a couple of situations where there wasn't time, he just jumped in, swam for it, and was quick enough. The point is he was able to do that if appropriate.
It's all damn hard work, rescuing people and towing them etc! Isn't it obvious that you need to be fit. I don't know why it's even an argument! Why would anyone unfit or not a fairly good swimmer even be a candidate for a job like that. Why would they want to be, how could they feel fully confident? Note I say fairly good swimmer - boat DMS are not all competition standard but, as in any diving situation, should do their best to prepare for situations that might occur.

>>Personally, I would have rather had more time dedicated to actual working scenerios, assisting with class, etc.<<

It's your choice how fit you want to be if you're going to be a DM, no one's forcing you. The above points you mention are important too.

 

[CincyBengalsFan]

Big-t-2538 once bubbled...
Frankly...if I'm on the boat and someone's drowning...I'm going to be out to the victim faster than anyone who finds fins or whatever they think they need to find before they swim out there...so...I'm diving in and breaking for it.

Now if dude is like 500 yards off the boat...the boat will get there faster than I will.

Actually, with my experience working on a liveaboard. You can't start the engine and have that screw (prop) turning in the water with the possibility of divers being below you. You would need to do a head count first but that would take tooooooooo long. Night time rescues are different and scary as I've been a part of one, one night.

If he is truely 500 yards out. Have someone keep a constant eye on the diver and then only then find the first set of fins you can get a hold of and go. I don't give a crap who's fins they are.

Short Story, When I was the newbie with Blackbeards the dingy broke lose one afternoon. The same site and afternoon as the shark dive we just did. we attracted the sharks by chumming. They made me swim out to the dingy to get it as I was the newbie. I was so pissed off I dove in without my fins on too. The dingy was several hundred yards out. I just new I was going to become a shark snack..But I made it. I also jumped in that dingy in freaking record time! It's not uncommon for a blackbeards instructor to get bit every year or two.

 

[Big-t-2538]

CincyBengalsFan once bubbled...


Actually, with my experience working on a liveaboard. You can't start the engine and have that screw (prop) turning in the water with the possibility of divers being below you.

I wish I had the problem of having to rescue someone off a dive boat....it would mean I was on one in a place that is warmer than OH.

 

[CincyBengalsFan]

Big-t-2538 once bubbled...
I wish I had the problem of having to rescue someone off a dive boat....it would mean I was on one in a place that is warmer than OH.

Diving in during the daytime was never a problem. But that nighttime rescue was a major problem and very scary. I'll tell you about it one day.