Boyscout smarter than us?

[bfw]

When I was in the Boy Scouts, I did the Mile swim every year at summer camp. Now at 50 years old, that just ain't happening.

That's by choice. I've done a 30 minute mile in the pool being lapped continuously by a 64 year old and a pregnant woman two weeks from delivery

 

[bfw]

Things must be different now. Back in the mid 60’s, I did the mile swim 3 years in a row at Camp Cherry Valley, Catalina Island. We had to swim 2 or 3 laps around Cherry Cove. The other portion of the laps were in far greater depth than 12’, more like 60-100’. We had to stay behind a guy in a rowboat.

And beginners and non-swimmers were not allowed to do the mile swim. You had to achieve swimmer status first.

 

[bfw]

The lake was great, but swimming laps in the pool for a mile was the most boring thing in the world.

Depends on who's in the lane next to you.

 

[bfw]

I'd fail.
Without an exposure suit I can not float while resting, even in salt water.

I had that problem. I passed by letting my legs settle to where they couldn't be seen fluttering slightly in the murky lake water.

 

[bfw]

Have you ever had real instruction in how to float? You'd be amazed at how many scouts have come to me convinced that they physically cannot float and learned how to float to pass that test.

And you'd be amazed to learn how many people cannot float. Personal buoyancy varies. I can sink without weights in a 3mm full wetsuit, and I've gone snorkeling in a full Viking drysuit with UnderWave underwear and no weights, and had to kick to stay up, and compared to my brother, I'm a cork.

 

[bfw]

Training has a lot to do with it.

Training can't alter the laws of physics.

It's not just about having lungs full of air, it's also about body position

Perhaps you missed the part about sitting on the bottom with lungs full. That's more than failure to float.

and mindset.

Right, use the Force, Luke. Or maybe it's a Zen thing. Next lesson, levitation.

I'm not saying that every single person can float no matter what.

With the information he's supplied, and knowing that you're talking to a diver, who probably understands buoyancy better than most people, you sort of are.

I'm simply saying that usually when people say that they cannot float, it's because they haven't learned how to do it properly.

I know all about that. I've worked with plenty of the "everyone can float" gurus.
No dice. The only way I learned to float was to stop exercising and live on junk food for six months. Gained 50 pounds, had to buy all new clothes, but hey, I suddenly could float. NOT worth it.

 

[bfw]

Has NAUI actually lowered their standards that much? I was required to do 10 lengths of a 25 yard pool with no time limit for my NAUI OW.

NAUI has also relented and now allows 10 year olds to be certified. PADI allowed 10 year olds at least as far back as 2004. An age of 12 is plenty young enough.

Apparently the disease is spreading....

 

[Aquatic Eagle]

And beginners and non-swimmers were not allowed to do the mile swim. You had to achieve swimmer status first.

That is a current requirement.

 

[bfw]

That is a current requirement.

Current in 1974, and current in the 1968 hand me down Boy Scout Handbook I used.
I've also seen the requirement to achieve swimmer status to go in water over one's head spelled out in an article on conducting a safe swim in an issue of Boy's Life from the 50's.

 

[bfw]

Current in 1974, and current in the 1968 hand me down Boy Scout Handbook I used.
I've also seen the requirement to achieve swimmer status to go in water over one's head spelled out in an article on conducting a safe swim in an issue of Boy's Life from the 50's.

I might also add that no anyone who could swim a mile could earn a swimmer tag for the buddy board.