Waterman Skill Test- help!

[DiverDusty]

Hi;
I'm a weak swimmer, because I rarely swim without scuba. Capable of jumping in to rescue someone as long as I don't have to go too far. Also, I am no Spring Chicken (61) in good shape for my age. But, I am facing waterman tests 400 yard swim. Any suggestions on how to train for this?

 

[ahava]

What agency?

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Swimming is the best way to train for it. Finding someone who can spend a little time with you to show you proper technique will pay off as well.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[DiverDusty]

NAUI Instructor training. I'm an SSI DiveCon.

 

[Hank49]

Breast stroke.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

NAUI Instructor training. I'm an SSI DiveCon.

Breast stroke.

Breast stroke is too slow for a weak swimmer to meet the time requirement. You need to be able to crawl and do it relatively efficiently. It's 400m in under 10 minutes right? I spent weeks getting my crawl more efficient, my instructor was a swimmer and she worked with me on getting the hand motion correct as well as limiting my head movement when taking a breath. Your mouth does not need to be all the way out of the water when you breathe, that took a little getting used to. Swimming with hand paddles to learn how the stroke should feel helped me a lot too. It's not a straight stroke, you almost make an "S" as your hand goes down and back. I'm just relaying what I was taught to get me through the test in the allotted time, I'm by no means any sort of swimmer.

After weeks of work I managed to get 400m in under 10 minutes. We had a former swimmer in my class, it took him 4 minutes to do the 400m and he was 100 pounds heavier than he had been when swimming competitively. Speed is in the efficiency of your stroke.

Good luck!
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Hank49]

Breast stroke is a little slower but not a lot. Also, it depends on where you are swimming the 400. If you have goggles and lines in the bottom of a pool to follow, free style can work. If you don't, you could end up swimming in circles if you don't look forward and keep your bearings as to where you're headed. I did mine in open water off a beach. One young buck could do freestyle but he kept his head out of the water the whole time looking ahead. That would take a lot of conditioning for your average person over 40.

 

[Walter]

Read and practice the techniques in Total Immersion: The Revolutionary Way To Swim by Terry Laughlin.

 

[perdidochas]

Hi;
I'm a weak swimmer, because I rarely swim without scuba. Capable of jumping in to rescue someone as long as I don't have to go too far. Also, I am no Spring Chicken (61) in good shape for my age. But, I am facing waterman tests 400 yard swim. Any suggestions on how to train for this?

Go to a pool and swim it. The only way to truly train for swimming is to swim.

 

[Neff]

Cant help but agree with Perdidochas, just get yourself to a pool. as often as possible and swim. I train pool lifeguards and teach swimming. The advice given to you before ( about S stokes etc, ) is all correct, but wont help you unless someone shows you. You could look for an "Adult Improver" swimming class, in your area. failing that, get to the pool as often as you can and push your self as hard as you can. That'll do it