signed up for OW-questions

[friscuba]

hey guys.
just signed up for a padi ow class and have some questions.
I'm pretty well out of shape and I'm told we'll have to do a 200 yard surface swim.
I know it's untimed but I don't wanna look like a total fat slob and take twice as long to swim it as everyone else. any suggestions? I have about two weeks until class starts. think that's enough time for me to condition myself to be able to do that swim fairly comfortably?
the tread/float for 10 minutes is no problem. I could float all day long if i had to.
but I think we have to swim underwater for 60 ft on one breath without fins. I don't know if I can hold my breath that long.
I'd appreciate any suggestions you guys could give me
after all this stuff I can't wait to get started on the actual scuba skills

Get to a pool and swim, don't wait the two weeks. You'd be surprised at how much you can improve in just a few outings, at least it works for me. I would recommend, if you know how to do the breast stroke or sidedstroke... Use it. There is no shame in taking your time and finishing up behind others, it's a heck of a lot more embarrassing to try to go fast and then have to give up because you've worn yourself out. It's not a race!

As to the underwater swim, I'm going to have to go back thorugh the last few updates to see if that's been put back in, it was removed as a requirement years ago. If it hasn't been put back in, they can't withhold certification based on that skill, even if you refuse to attempt it. From the standpoint of trying to get along with your instructors, be a good Joe and give it a try anyway, you'd be surprised at what you can do if you try - it might take a couple of tries to make the 60', but there's some peace of mind knowing that you can.

Good luck,

 

[LiteHedded]

i went to my neighborhood pool
i measured it. it's 40 feet long
I can get across it underwater and probably could make it a little farther.
I'll just keep on trying.
the laps are killer. I'm gonna just do more each day
hopefully I'll at least finish in a semi-respectable time

 

[slipslop]

hey guys.
just signed up for a padi ow class and have some questions.
I'm pretty well out of shape and I'm told we'll have to do a 200 yard surface swim.
I know it's untimed but I don't wanna look like a total fat slob and take twice as long to swim it as everyone else. any suggestions? I have about two weeks until class starts. think that's enough time for me to condition myself to be able to do that swim fairly comfortably?
the tread/float for 10 minutes is no problem. I could float all day long if i had to.
but I think we have to swim underwater for 60 ft on one breath without fins. I don't know if I can hold my breath that long.
I'd appreciate any suggestions you guys could give me
after all this stuff I can't wait to get started on the actual scuba skills

im fat and 45, when i did my ow i had no idea that there was a 200 yd swim. I did my ow with 4 fit swedish guys in their early 20's. they finished the swim well before me but it made no difference at all, no one mocked me or hurried me up. i think that if you try and race through it you will run out of energy. i wouldnt stress about it.

 

[Floridawannabe]

i went to my neighborhood pool
i measured it. it's 40 feet long
I can get across it underwater and probably could make it a little farther.
I'll just keep on trying.
the laps are killer. I'm gonna just do more each day
hopefully I'll at least finish in a semi-respectable time

Keep up the good work. You sound like you are doing everything you can to get ready. Scuba Diving is fun and I am sure you will do good. Just do not worry about the time, they are not. If they were, they would of put a time limit. They just want to make sure you have good endurance not speed.

 

[rpayne]

!

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

hopefully I'll at least finish in a semi-respectable time

Don't worry about your time, no one will care. They are all in their own world thinking about scuba and 10 minutes after the swim is over no one will know who was first or last.

I use the swim more as an evaluation than anything else. Those who struggle will get a little more attention from me or my assistants during the course.

When it's all over you'll be an open water diver and you'll love it. I have been diving for 40 years this summer and I plan to do it for 40 more.

Diving won't get you fit though, it's designed to be a slow motion thing. As a larger person you most likely will comsume more air than fitter divers so try to dive smarter than them. Don't flap your arms around like a bird. Don't kick hard just slow down and enjoy.

You'll love it.

 

[vogelrealty]

My instructor made us swim 100 yards and said to me, I can tell the differance between panic and out of shape people. Thank God he let me slide I dont think I could have made it down and back again unless I did the back float for 20 min.

 

[LiteHedded]

hey I'm getting better already
when I first started the other day I almost died after 5 laps in my little 40 foot long pool
I did the 15 laps that makes 200 yards today (tell me if my math is wrong) after only taking a short break after my ninth lap.
by next weekend I'm sure I'll have no trouble completing it
taking it slow was really the key

 

[crispos]

It's good to be in shape to scuba dive. Way to go LiteHeaded for getting over the initial training hump (swimming improves drastically at first I find). But two weeks is not long enough to get aerobically better in the swim. A couple of swims will remove some of the anxiety and maybe you can get a lifeguard to check/improve your technique, you probably already found this out. Go at a comfortable pace. Too fast you get out of breath, too slow is inefficient.

The 60 foot underwater swim is not part of PADI requirements. NAUI has a 50 foot underwater swim and we used to require that. Then we decided it was unrequired stress on the student. When is the student going to leave their equipment and do an U/W swim? Not very often and the risk of embolism from depth is considerabe.

Remember to hyperventilate for 3 times if you do the U/W Swim. If the Instructor insists on success, ask them why because it isn't part of the PADI OWD Standards.

Been off this site for at least a year, seems like ages. The site's much improved at first glance.

 

[LiteHedded]

doing 12 laps before needing a breather now
I think my arm muscles just needed to get used to being used for a change.
of course it's harder to swim laps on the weekends when the pool is filled with all the neighborhood kids