Skills to brush up before certification

[mrperrygunite]

Hey all,

I'm new to diving and have just begun researching certification. I've always enjoyed swimming and been comfortable in the water, but in the last few years I haven't done anything more strenuous than swimming from a boat to an inner tube (~10 yards) while trying not to spill a drink.

In researching certifications, I've seen a number of different ideas regarding prerequisite level of skill ranging from simply being able to swim to being able to swim 200 yards without stopping followed by 10 minutes of treading water or even being able to run a 12 minute mile. I've also seen a number of suggestions about taking skin diving courses prior to an open water certification as a foundational step.

So, my questions are:
- What type of skills are worth spending a few months brushing up on prior to starting certification?
- What other sort of preparation did most of you do prior to certification and what sort of timeline did you follow leading up to certification and your first dives?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Swimming is perhaps the best thing you can do to prep. Not only for the skill but also the overall exercise value of it. If you don't have pool access on a regular basis the next best thing is getting out and walking at a brisk pace. An hour a day is what I am doing now. Mixed with high rep, low weight strength training. Scuba is not about brute force or speed. Stamina and overall conditioning is much more useful. You also want to try and work on just being comfortable in the water. Treading, floating, drown proofing exercises are invaluable for anyone who is going to be around the water, let alone in it.
Swimming is a life skill and while one doesn't need to be Olympic class, if all they can do is a basic dog paddle for a couple minutes, IMO they have no business learning how to dive. Or even being in the deep end of a pool.

 

[scoobydrew]

Anything that helps you get more comfortable in the water is good. As Jim said, swimming will have lots of benefits. I would not necessarily say that taking a skin diving course is required, if you have the time, money and inclination then why not but just getting in the water and snorkelling will help lots. Get used to blast clearing the snorkel and the feeling of having the mask on as well as what it feels like when you have water inside the mask.

 

[Pinecube]

I was just certified a few weeks ago, I found that the hardest thing to do physically was the 200m swim, which still wasn't all that hard. I just took it nice and easy and had plenty of energy for the rest of the pool session. The rest of the course was more mind over matter, the rest of the skills didn't seem physically demanding as much as mentally.

If I were to have practiced anything before going in, it would have been snorkling. Just swimming around, going down, equalize, come up and clear the snorkel without taking it out of my mouth.

 

[lamarpaulski]

Snorkling is good transition and swimming is great.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba 2]

Swimming is always a good thing, comfort in the water is key to enjoyment of diving. In addition, a regular fitness routine will make life easier as diving also involves a good deal of heavy lifting(gear schlepping).

 

[lamarpaulski]

If you decide to snorkle...consider getting mask & fins that will transition with you to scuba.

 

[gfaith]

If you do get the mask, snorkel, fins and have pool access, practice mask removal and flooding in water you can stand up in. Lots of new divers my wife included has a lot of trouble with mask skills. Now she practices at depth nearly ever dive flooding, clearing and complete removal and clearing.

 

[Nasser]

Apart form swimming do other forms of cardio and leg exercises... along with plenty of diving, this will help keep your air consumption lower and come in handy if you find yourself swimming against strong currents. Additionally, strengthening your back and mid-section with core exercise always helps... especially when you're carrying a whole bunch of equipment and weights on a long shore walk into the water!

 

[chrisch]

Swimming and scuba diving are not the same thing. Although there are plenty of what one might term "old school" divers who think you should be able to swim the Atlantic to do Open Water this view is slowly becoming redundant. A good finning technique in full scuba gear is very different to swimming in trunks. Likewise skin diving or free diving is a totally different discipline.

You say you are a reasonable swimmer and confident in the water (if you can swim without spilling a drink you should make Divemaster in a month). I think if you are reasonably fit that is all you need. By all means do some more exercise if you like - it's good for you!