Dive Master Training, Swim Test went back in class

[Divegoose]

Best way to prepare for your swim tests is to spend time in the pool swimming laps. I was in the same boat many years ago - for my original open water course we had to swim 40 lengths of a 25 metre pool. I got into the pool and trained hard, and just managed to make the 40 lengths. After completing and passing the swim tests, I never went back to the pool. That was a mistake

When I took the Divemaster program, I was again challenged with swim tests. Back to the pool and train hard. Completed the swim tests and the Divemaster program. This time, however, I continued to swim. A regular swimming routine not only improved my health, but helped make my dive times longer with less air consumption. I worked my way up to the point that I was regularly doing two mile swims, and when I felt good, an occasional three mile swim.

Unfortunately many years of swimming led to other issues, including rotator cuff problems in both shoulders. I have had to give up swimming and miss the time in the pool, but the time I did spend swimming lengths was time well spent.

Divegoose

 

[northernone]

Swimming is a physical skill to develop like any other. No stess that you're not already automatically good at it. Can take effort and some take to it easier than others.

For myself: I too am dense, dove because I could not float or swim. Now, after great effort, can swim but still prefer diving.

Cameron

 

[boulderjohn]

I think the important thing, as some people have mentioned, is that as a dive professional, you really do want to be able to pass these skills without too much trouble. You may be called upon some day to save a life, and if that moment comes, you want to be able to do it. In another thread, I recently gave an example of a DM who jumped in the water and saved a drowning diver. Here is a companion story.

A few years ago in Southern California, a man was working as a DM on a boat, even though he had not kept up on his personal liability insurance and was thus technically not a certified DM at the time. A diver was struggling at the surface at the end of the dive, and the DM jumped into the water to help. Perhaps he thought the diver had a weight integrated BCD--I don't know. Whatever the reason, he had the diver take off his BCD but not his weight belt. When the diver began to sink, the DM did not have the ability to help him. The diver drowned. A few months later, the DM committed suicide.

 

[Landau]

Any swim instructor or competitive swimming coach should be able to cut significant chunk of time off your 400m swim. Just improving your turns and pushoffs can make a big difference in a 25m or 25y pool where you have 16 pushoffs for a 400m swim.

Log on the bright side - You can probably take a minute or more off your time quickly, but Michael Phelps could train the rest of his life and not improve by 10 seconds!

 

[txgoose]

Google “Total Immersion.” Quick. IMO, it is a great way to relatively quickly take an okay swimmer and make them a decent one. Swimming is not a power event, it is an efficiency event. Incredibly similar to why we worry about danglies and drag and skulling. Don’t just practice, practice well. Practice gliding in the water, it is not all about the stroke.

Focus on the big three points and you can get 80% of the benefit for 20% of the work. It didn’t make me a great swimmer but the results were still almost jaw dropping. I had a lot of people ask me how I could swim without splashing and creating a wake.

The big three are balance (swim downhill), Swim on your side (think battleship vs barge), swim long (swap hands in front of you, don’t swim with your hands 180 degrees apart).

There are even YouTube videos on it now.

 

[boulderjohn]

I mentioned this earlier.

My friend was even worse than I was. He had terrible technique. He found an online site that taught swimming technique and practiced over and over until within a very short time, he was pretty darned good.

this is what he did:

Google “Total Immersion.” Quick. IMO, it is a great way to relatively quickly take an okay swimmer and make them a decent one.

 

[Tribal]

Any swim instructor or competitive swimming coach should be able to cut significant chunk of time off your 400m swim. Just improving your turns and pushoffs can make a big difference in a 25m or 25y pool where you have 16 pushoffs for a 400m swim.

I understand why you have to be able to swim as a DM. But i wonder if there is any situation where you would be able to turn and push. They shouldn’t put a time limit or they should make it a openwater swim.
If something real happens and you need to swim that far, it will be faster to put your fins on before jumping in the water.

 

[Diving Dubai]

I understand why you have to be able to swim as a DM. But i wonder if there is any situation where you would be able to turn and push. They shouldn’t put a time limit or they should make it a openwater swim.
If something real happens and you need to swim that far, it will be faster to put your fins on before jumping in the water.

The 400m is only one of 5

Also the 800m with fins and snorkel and the 100m rescue tow/push

And then the 15min tread water. All have a purpose

 

[Sam Miller III]

Certainly comforting to have "Professional Dive Masters" who can't swim...

@boulderjohn
As you possibly realize by now I am just a slow talking, slow walking ever slower thinking old broken down diver from California.
As you know I have been around a while and pride my self with keeping up on California diving events, but I have not been aware of the tragic events you describe in your post

"A few years ago in Southern California, a man was working as a DM on a boat, even though he had not kept up on his personal liability insurance and was thus technically not a certified DM at the time. A diver was struggling at the surface at the end of the dive, and the DM jumped into the water to help. Perhaps he thought the diver had a weight integrated BCD--I don't know. Whatever the reason, he had the diver take off his BCD but not his weight belt. When the diver began to sink, the DM did not have the ability to help him. The diver drowned. A few months later, the DM committed suicide."

Events like the one you describe generally make head lines and the evening and morning news cast. I must confess I can't recall such and event

I assume, since you are very precise and detailed you have all the details:
Boat ?
Date ? month and year would be acceptable
Location:
Northern channel Islands ?
Catalina Island ?
San Diego ?
Names of the deceased:
Diver ?
Rescuer ?

Inquiring mind want to know

Maybe good ole @Ken Kurtis can provide additional information ?

Sa Miller, 111

 

[boulderjohn]

Certainly comforting to have "Professional Dive Masters" who can't swim...

@boulderjohn
As you possibly realize by now I am just a slow talking, slow walking ever slower thinking old broken down diver from California.
As you know I have been around a while and pride my self with keeping up on California diving events, but I have not been aware of the tragic events you describe in your post

"A few years ago in Southern California, a man was working as a DM on a boat, even though he had not kept up on his personal liability insurance and was thus technically not a certified DM at the time. A diver was struggling at the surface at the end of the dive, and the DM jumped into the water to help. Perhaps he thought the diver had a weight integrated BCD--I don't know. Whatever the reason, he had the diver take off his BCD but not his weight belt. When the diver began to sink, the DM did not have the ability to help him. The diver drowned. A few months later, the DM committed suicide."

Events like the one you describe generally make head lines and the evening and morning news cast. I must confess I can't recall such and event

I assume, since you are very precise and detailed you have all the details:
Boat ?
Date ? month and year would be acceptable
Location:
Northern channel Islands ?
Catalina Island ?
San Diego ?
Names of the deceased:
Diver ?
Rescuer ?

Inquiring mind want to know

Maybe good ole @Ken Kurtis can provide additional information ?

Sa Miller, 111

It was a big thread on ScubaBoard. I will see if I can find it.