Is it possible for me to dive even though I don't know how to swim?

[Walter]

I don't see how someone that can't swim can snorkel.

I'm not surprised, but it's true, even if you don't understand the process. I've known several folks who could snorkel, but couldn't swim. I was one of them, I taught myself to swim as an adult. Prior to that, I found snorkeling to be extremely easy, even without a vest. What makes snorkeling easy for a non-swimmer is not having to concern themselves with breathing which lets them leave their heavy head down in the water as well as the fact that fins push you through the water much, much easier than feet.

 

[engdiver]

I know I'm going to flamed for this, but...I just don't understand why some people don't learn to swim. Swimming is like riding a bike...it's just something all kids should learn to do, it's a right of passage.

Very true. Learn to swim first, even if you don't decide to SCUBA. SCUBA diving without knowing how to swim is like wanting to ride a motorcycle and not even knowing how to ride a bike.

 

[DivingPrincessE]

Very true. Learn to swim first, even if you don't decide to SCUBA. SCUBA diving without knowing how to swim is like wanting to ride a motorcycle and not even knowing how to ride a bike.

Ugh! I've been trying to think of an analogy for wanting to scuba dive without knowing how to swim and have been at a total loss. Great analogy, well done!!

 

[Hank49]

I'm not surprised, but it's true, even if you don't understand the process. I've known several folks who could snorkel, but couldn't swim. .

I agree. I taught two of my kids to swim by teaching the snorkeling first. My reasoning is that when kids learn to swim, breathing is the hard part. They swim, lift their head up out of the water to get a breath, their feet drop and they're flailing away not going anywhere because they're now upright.
I put a mask on my son at about 3 and a half, held onto him and showed him fish in the shallows. He was stoked...so I said, "breath through this" and gave him a snorkel. He was more stoked. Put fins on him (little dime store ones that sucked but he liked them) and within 10 minutes he was off swimming. He then developed a strong crawl stroke because breathing wasn't a problem. Later, he learned to breath without the mask and snorkel and became a strong swimmer by age 4.

 

[SelkieDVM]

I don't actually remember not being able to swim. However, regardless of the safety factor, I suspect that diving would not be nearly as much fun if I was not already comfortable in the water. From your description of your abilities it sounds as though, yes, you probably could become certified, but I wouldn't recommend it. Just take a class, it's not a big deal.

 

[thomjinx]

Possible, yes, but also very bad (stupid) idea.

-thomjinx

 

[surfsidedav]

Like others have said, a basic level of comfort in the water is necessary, but you don't have to be able to compete in an Olympic swimming event. Before I started diving I really didn't enjoy any watersports except for boating. Water was good for drinking and showering and that's about it. Diving was something fun and because of diving it made me more comfortable in the water. Being a great swimmer doesn't make you a great diver, just as a great diver isn't automatically a great swimmer. I would at it more like they're cousins, not siamese twins.
David

 

[doczerothree]

You may want to consider: any agency who neglects to check to see if you can swim might need to refine thier instruction manual. You don't have to be a great swimmer, you don't even have to be a good swimmer, but it is a necessary skill and basic to scuba just as learning to buddy breath. you may not remember having to swim, or maybe it was overlooked. Maybe assessed without you even being aware. Who knows.
But learn to swim

SWIMMING IS TO WATER LIKE WALKING IS TO LAND.:azvatar:

 

[fisherdvm]

.so I said, "breath through this" and gave him a snorkel. He was more stoked. Put fins on him (little dime store ones that sucked but he liked them) and within 10 minutes he was off swimming. He then developed a strong crawl stroke because breathing wasn't a problem. Later, he learned to breath without the mask and snorkel and became a strong swimmer by age 4.

It is funny, I started swimming about 1.5 years ago. I started by working on my crawl with a snorkel. Once I got the endurance down, the breathing was so much easier. The transition from snorkel to free breathing was about 3 weeks. At first, I can only do about 15 strokes without running out of breath. Now I can do 1 mile with either the crawl or the breast stroke. I think using the snorkel is not a bad idea for an adult to start to learn to swim, along with rhythmic breathing simply standing on the side of the pool. The other thing that helped me at first is a very buoyant wetsuit. It makes the swimming so much easier when you are warm, and it helps you breath comfortably with the crawl stroke. About 4 months of using the wetsuit, and swimming about 3/4 mile at a time, I went to using just a swimming trunk. You lose about 1/5 of your speed and 1/3 of your distance without the wetsuit, but it is a little helping hand earlier on. It is never too late to learn how to swim, and the snorkel or wetsuit can be a big helper at first.

 

[Alex777]

No.