The most intimidating and daunting part of learning to dive for some students is simply passing the swim test. Agencies belonging to the RSTC (Recreational Scuba Training Council) or those agencies that use RSTC standards usually require a student to demonstrate a minimum watermanship ability by performing a 200 yard/183 meter swim and a 10 minute water tread/survival float. Alternatively, a 300 yard/275 meter snorkel swim might be allowed in place of the regular swim.
While there are always exceptions, I normally encourage students to strive for the regular surface swim using the crawl technique. The reason is that it is part of a building-block approach to the snorkeling and scuba skills they will learn in open water class. My students start with nothing and we build the scuba unit one piece of gear at a time. It is a less stressful way of learning to dive and by the time the rig is complete to go to open water training the student has already learned to compensate for lost equipment. For example, they learn to breathe through the snorkel before getting a mask making breathing through a regulator during mask removal exercises much easier. They learn to use one fin before using two which means they've learned how to swim with a lost fin before we've worked on normal kick techniques. They learn to buddy breathe, sharing a regulator, before using an additional second stage (octopus) regulator.
Following this methodology, it makes sense for me to test watermanship by employing the standard swim test rather than allow the "snorkel cheat" in most cases. I was at the Venetian Pool in Miami one day with a friend of mine who was a high school phys ed teacher. We were watching a guy do a multitude of rapid push-ups with poor form. My friend commented, "When you cheat, you only cheat yourself." But, like I said, there are exceptions. As an instructor, my job is to help make people's underwater dreams come true, while encouraging them to perform at the best of their abilities, set their own high standards, and to ensure that students who've earned a C-card have demonstrated the maturity, confidence, and skill set to be worthy of being called a scuba diver.
Another reason I prefer to get students swimming the crawl is that I hope it will get them swimming. Not only is swimming a great form of exercise, but it is also an important rescue tool. Most diving emergencies find their way to the surface and often we are not kitted up like in rescue class when the call for "Help!" comes. Lastly, if we develop strokes like the crawl and breast stroke early in a diver's career, those divers who would make excellent divemasters some day, but who might be apprehensive about swimming on day 1 of a scuba class, may become comfortable with swimming long before they have to swim 400 yards or more in a DM course. In other words, we might be losing out on awesome future pros because we don't instill confidence from day one.
For students who might be timid swimmers, rusty swimmers, or who want a little coaching, or for instructors who wish to help with the basics, I came across a very nice building-block presentation of the crawl stroke on YouTube by Christian Anseaume, a French triathlete.
While there are always exceptions, I normally encourage students to strive for the regular surface swim using the crawl technique. The reason is that it is part of a building-block approach to the snorkeling and scuba skills they will learn in open water class. My students start with nothing and we build the scuba unit one piece of gear at a time. It is a less stressful way of learning to dive and by the time the rig is complete to go to open water training the student has already learned to compensate for lost equipment. For example, they learn to breathe through the snorkel before getting a mask making breathing through a regulator during mask removal exercises much easier. They learn to use one fin before using two which means they've learned how to swim with a lost fin before we've worked on normal kick techniques. They learn to buddy breathe, sharing a regulator, before using an additional second stage (octopus) regulator.
Following this methodology, it makes sense for me to test watermanship by employing the standard swim test rather than allow the "snorkel cheat" in most cases. I was at the Venetian Pool in Miami one day with a friend of mine who was a high school phys ed teacher. We were watching a guy do a multitude of rapid push-ups with poor form. My friend commented, "When you cheat, you only cheat yourself." But, like I said, there are exceptions. As an instructor, my job is to help make people's underwater dreams come true, while encouraging them to perform at the best of their abilities, set their own high standards, and to ensure that students who've earned a C-card have demonstrated the maturity, confidence, and skill set to be worthy of being called a scuba diver.
Another reason I prefer to get students swimming the crawl is that I hope it will get them swimming. Not only is swimming a great form of exercise, but it is also an important rescue tool. Most diving emergencies find their way to the surface and often we are not kitted up like in rescue class when the call for "Help!" comes. Lastly, if we develop strokes like the crawl and breast stroke early in a diver's career, those divers who would make excellent divemasters some day, but who might be apprehensive about swimming on day 1 of a scuba class, may become comfortable with swimming long before they have to swim 400 yards or more in a DM course. In other words, we might be losing out on awesome future pros because we don't instill confidence from day one.
For students who might be timid swimmers, rusty swimmers, or who want a little coaching, or for instructors who wish to help with the basics, I came across a very nice building-block presentation of the crawl stroke on YouTube by Christian Anseaume, a French triathlete.
