Tips for the 10 minute treading portion of OW certification?

[purbeast]

Well I went to the pulmonoligist today but unfortunately he didn't sign the waiver (yet) because he is requiring me to get 3 different PFT's at the hospital as well as chest X-rays. I did this 6 minute walking test which I easily passed but he needs more. I am pretty confident that as long as my tests come back good he will sign off, he seemed very reasonable about it all and printed this sheet out for me (which I had read before):

SCUBA Diving and Asthma: Clinical Recommendations and Safety. - PubMed - NCBI

He said that his goal is to get me a signed waiver with 2 caveats - 1, I don't SCUBA having used my inhaler less than 48 hours prior (which shouldn't be a problem since I haven't used it in 10 years) and 2, to not use a hookah less than 48 hours prior (which I do maybe once or twice a month with friends) so that shouldn't be an issue.

That said, I unfortunately will not be able to sign up to the class this weekend, which means I won't be able to do my checkout dives when in Grand Cayman next month, so it's a bit disappointing, but I'm thinking I will take the class in October and maybe go with the class on a trip to Grand Cayman in December, if my wife is okay with that lol.

This means I will have some time to attempt to float and tread before though, so maybe I can get rid of some of my concerns by trying some different techniques. I was going to say I can try while in Grand Cayman, but salt water will make it easier to float than the pool we'll be testing in.

 

[Chavodel8en]

This was 15 years ago. but I used the float on my back method, with an occasional kick and or skull. Im not the strongest swimmer, altho I don't think Im particulary negative in the water.

If you think about it, could you do a very leisurely backstroke for ten minutes straight? When I think of it that way, it doesn't seem that hard.

 

[tursiops]

He said that his goal is to get me a signed waiver with 2 caveats

If he puts those caveats on the signature page of the RSTC medical form, then the form is not valid.
For example, PADI says:
Q If a diver is required to see a physician for diving medical clearance, what documentation is needed?
A It’s best to use the RSTC Medical Statement or a like form specific to scuba diving. Also be sure that the documentation:

• Has a physical exam date within 12 months of the course.
• Includes the physician’s name, signature and contact details.
• Clearly states that the candidate is “fit for diving”
  • RSTC Medical Statement box is ticked: “I find no medical conditions that I consider incompatible with diving”
  • There are no “conditions” put on the diver. For example, the physician ticks the fitness statement, but then remarkson the form that the diver can’t dive deeper than 10 metres/30 feet; or suggests that the patient should see a hyperbaric physician – this makes it is a conditional medical, and not acceptable.

You may want to have your doctor talk to DAN. This is what they say:
Asthma & Diving — DAN | Divers Alert Network — Medical Dive Article
Doctor-to-doctor talk will accomplish more than any number of internet postings.

 

[Altamira]

I don't know if you thought you could walk on water then, but it seems to me that the veterans of that era who post on ScubaBoard believe that was one of the standards then.

It was a joke John, in response to flyboy08's post about standing on water. I don't know if I agree with your comment or not, because we ran into divers so rarely in Missouri, I do not know what others' standards were. From my recollection, back then, there were not many "standards" other than studying the Navy's dive manuals and using their tables. The standards we followed were self-imposed, and considering the equipment and lack of opportunities for formal training that were available at the time, we trained ourselves to a higher level of proficiency than what I see new divers demonstrating following training by most agency instructors. I am not saying everybody approached the discipline of diving as our group did back then, perhaps because of our safety minded, conscientious personalities, and prior backgrounds in other higher risk activities such as flying, caving, climbing, etc. None in our group would have fallen into the "cowboy" category.

 

[boulderjohn]

It was a joke John, in response to flyboy08's post about standing on water.

I was joking as well.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

My OW instructor wouldn't allow us to float. We had to actually remain vertical and try to keep our heads above water. At the time I took my OW class I was playing on two baseball teams and playing a lot of basketball as well. My legs were like two long muscles. Once they dipped below the surface they dragged me down like a lawn dart. Using my arms wasn't enough so I had to kick as well. I would cramp up after less than two minutes. My instructor finally allowed me to float on my back. To this day I doubt if I could tread water unless I was in a suit.

 

[Altamira]

@boulderjohn. Being a fan of your posts, I missed, but now see and understand the humor. I'll have a private toast to you, and drink an outstanding beer in your honor tonight.

 

[boulderjohn]

@boulderjohn. Being a fan of your posts, I missed, but now see and understand the humor. I'll have a private toast to you, and drink an outstanding beer in your honor tonight.

I will join you in mere minutes.

 

[TMHeimer]

My OW instructor wouldn't allow us to float. We had to actually remain vertical and try to keep our heads above water. At the time I took my OW class I was playing on two baseball teams and playing a lot of basketball as well. My legs were like two long muscles. Once they dipped below the surface they dragged me down like a lawn dart. Using my arms wasn't enough so I had to kick as well. I would cramp up after less than two minutes. My instructor finally allowed me to float on my back. To this day I doubt if I could tread water unless I was in a suit.

You got certified 16 years before me by a different agency--I assume and hear things were different back then (if 1989 is "back then"). But a PADI instructor I assisted in 2012 said she didn't allow drown-proofing. She was (is) a fine instructor, but sometimes instructors still (I guess) like to tweek the rules a bit on certain things.

 

[lowviz]

...//... the part I'm most concerned about is actually the 10 minute treading part of the test. ... While this may be common sense to some, I never knew until I started researching that holding air in your lungs while you try to float helps as well,

I'm wondering if people have any tips on how to pass this part of the test. ...

Get into a pool, no fins. Extend your arms and do a gentle figure-8 sculling motion just below the surface. You will instinctively get how to angle your hands.

Take a deep breath (hold it) put your head waaaaay back and see where you float (still gentle sculling). If your nose and mouth are out of the water then you aren't a sinker and you have this nailed. You don't want to work to keep your whole head out of the water, just your nose and mouth. If you tilt your head back this becomes much easier.

Next find a scissors kick that will raise your entire head out of the water.

Try this: Float with head way back (sculling) holding breath until you need to take another breath. Super fast exhale and super fast inhale, do your kick. That is the ugly way to do it.

Now just work on prettying it up...