How strong a swimmer do you need to be to dive

[Rafael]

You do not have to be a strong swimmer to dive, but what happen if your BC fails?
Would you be able to hang on till help comes to you, would you be able to get back to shore on your own?

Think about it always ask yourself, What if....?

Go to a pool test your limits in a safe enviroment and then if you are comfortable go for it in nothing better than dive

 

[Tom Winters]

Being a strong swimmer is a sign of conditioning, and there's nothing wrong with that. I have seen just way too many tudbutts - INCLUDING a lot of horribly unconditioned instructors - who simply do not belong in the water except in confined, totally supervised conditions. Being in condition does not mean you still won't have an accident underwater, but it sure does help in those marginal situations that can happen.
Now a lot of people will write in about so-and-so who is a big fat hopeless lardass but who is the finest diver they have ever seen. Ok, you dive with him. I'll pass.
People - it's scuba diving...swimming...water...currents...tidal changes...murky viz sometimes...submersion under God-knows-how-many-atmospheres. If you're serious about it, you get in shape swimming. Not Olympian...just well-conditioned.

 

[TheDivingBear]

Being a strong swimmer is a sign of conditioning, and there's nothing wrong with that. I have seen just way too many tudbutts - INCLUDING a lot of horribly unconditioned instructors - who simply do not belong in the water except in confined, totally supervised conditions. Being in condition does not mean you still won't have an accident underwater, but it sure does help in those marginal situations that can happen.
Now a lot of people will write in about so-and-so who is a big fat hopeless lardass but who is the finest diver they have ever seen. Ok, you dive with him. I'll pass.
People - it's scuba diving...swimming...water...currents...tidal changes...murky viz sometimes...submersion under God-knows-how-many-atmospheres. If you're serious about it, you get in shape swimming. Not Olympian...just well-conditioned.

Speaking as one of the "fat hopeless lardass" divers (I am not an instructor), I think I would rather swim with a dvier who knows his stuff and can perform the skills needed to keep me safe (as a buddy) than one who looks good in a wetsuit but has only half a brain (unless it is Meg Ryan or Angelina... then, all bets are off).

That said, I agree that a diver needs to be in shape. I am not in the best of shape, being 6'2" and 250 lbs. I can swim both under and on the surface though and while I may not be the fastest, I will get there. I may have to stop, float/tread water, and rest sometimes, but I will get there. And, since I've started diving, I've lost 10 lbs and have built my upper body strength up a little more. Will I ever be an Adonis or a Charles Atlas? Nyah, but I will be a good buddy to swim with. After all, my buddy puts thier lives in my hands and that is an awesome responsibilty to have; one that I will do my best to never live down.

Peace,

Bear

 

[auberg]

I have to totally agree with Bear.

He and I are about the same size. That being said, I am a lousy swimmer. (You can barely call me a swimmer, just ask my instructor.) But, I just got back from Hawaii and did shore dives in the ocean. This is something I thought I would/could never do. But a snorkel (for the surface) and your tanks (for under) make this a completely different ball game than without.

Its an amazing thing, being able to do something you thought was completely out of your reach.

Good luck!

 

[TheDivingBear]

I have to totally agree with Bear.

He and I are about the same size. That being said, I am a lousy swimmer. (You can barely call me a swimmer, just ask my instructor.) But, I just got back from Hawaii and did shore dives in the ocean. This is something I thought I would/could never do. But a snorkel (for the surface) and your tanks (for under) make this a completely different ball game than without.

Its an amazing thing, being able to do something you thought was completely out of your reach.

Good luck!

Come up to Blue Springs sometime and we'll raise the water level. The vis sux sometimes, especially on weekends when all the LDS's have student divers there, but the weekdays are great.

Peace,

Bear

 

[jpsexton]

I asked a similar question here when I got certified and I got similar answers. You don't have to be a strong swimmer to get certified but you should work on it. Even though the gear will make SCUBA possible you still have the boat ride out to the site. What if you fell off? Could you keep yourself afloat until help arrived? I spent allot of time at the Y before and I had a very understanding instructor for my OW certification. I do think you should be a good swimmer though and I have continued to work on my swimming abilities. I am even considering taking adult swim lessons this winter. The main thing for the class though is being comfortable in the water. I did'nt have a problem with comfort, I was just a poor swimmer. Talk to your instructor about it, he will give you advise.

John

 

[jholley309]

Okay, my 2 pennies and a personal story now: :doctor:

If you can manage 200M without gear or 300M with mask fins, and snorkel, as well as tread water and/or float for 10 minutes, you're in there, at least with PADI. If you have any doubts that you can do it, find the nearest pool and go there regularly until you're comfortable with those limits. Go get a snorkeling set (or if you're positive you're going to go forward with certification, go ahead and get the scuba fins and mask: you can snorkel just as well with them) and just give the 300M a try; you might surprise yourself. Someone mentioned practice with a snorkel being helpful for the class, and I wholeheartedly agree!

The shorter version is that it's more important to be comfortable in the water than it is to be an olympian athlete. Now for the story:

Up until this year, I had thought about SCUBA certification off and on, but always balked at the though of the swim test. Bear in mind, most of the people I was talking to at the time were Air Force Pararescuemen (PJs), who endure some of the harshest water training in the Armed Forces (close second only to Navy SEALs); their standards and training methods are somewhat, er, more stringent than recreational diving. Since childhood, I had never been very comfortable in the water, so I figured that was an insurmountable obstacle.

The tide finally turned after a long conversation with a friend who had just gotten certified and he told me what the requirements for the swim test were, and reassured me that they didn't do things like sneak up behind you , yank off your mask, and toss you into the pool. This is, after all, meant to be fun, not a test of combat skills. :14: So, off to the store for a snorkeling set I went, and I spent time in the pool at my apartment complex literally every day until I had figured out that I wasn't going to panic and drown just by putting my face in the water.

Six months later, I'm PADI OW certified and actually prefer being in the water to being on land; I can't believe I didn't do this sooner. I'm not an olympian swimmer, but I can get to shore if I have to without gear (which I have practiced, just to be sure).

Oh yeah: and all of my "lardass" dive buddies can outswim me.

Cheers!

 

[D Powell]

Thanks for your help guys you`ve been great. I`ve strarted swimming 3-4 times a week in preparation for my PADI and am swimming 150-200 meters with relative ease.

Im sure once i`ve started the PADI course I will be asking lots of questions (most daft LOL) so any further help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again

 

[gfisher4792]

Thanks for your help guys you`ve been great. I`ve strarted swimming 3-4 times a week in preparation for my PADI and am swimming 150-200 meters with relative ease.

Im sure once i`ve started the PADI course I will be asking lots of questions (most daft LOL) so any further help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again

Good for you! From personal experience, swimming regularly will not only make diving a whole lot easier, but your body will be glad you're doing it.

BTW, what swimming strokes are you doing? Swimming crawl stroke is certainly an excellent fitness stroke, but since I also use frog kick while diving, I'll usually throw in a couple hundred yards of breaststroke as well.

 

[Orlando Eric]

Everyone has opinions and here is mine. I am a good swimmer, 18 years ago I was a AWESOME swimmer winning matches and varsity letters. I find that the proffessional training and skills that I received back in those days still serve me even now. If you put the time in diving with groups of people you will see the elephant sooner or later.

As far as being a lard *** and swimming skills. It is harder to swim, run. walk, love, live, or even breath with 50 pounds of extra fat hanging off of your frame.

I am 6'1" and about two years ago had crept up over the years from my HS wieght of 188 to 215 pounds. From a 34" wasit to a 38". I have watched my diet and pulled myself out of that crater under my bum on the couch and got fit.

I am now 180 (183) pounds and have a 34/35" waist (depending on what is stuck in the waistband).

So in short.. yes you NEED to be able to swim, the better you can swim the better you will be. Lose that extra fat. Diving and fat cells are a bad combination for all kinds of reasons.

PS for all the fat people out there that say.. but I dive fine... Well you'd dive better if you where not fat.