A bit confusing. You're saying that anyone aspiring to be a dive pro should not worry about or struggle with any of the components? There are quite a few aspects of the DM course that are challenging to say the least.
I disagree with this, and agree that if you're an aspiring Dive Pro you should get off your backside before the course and get some work and practice in before hand.
I say this as someone who hates swimming and is lazy and not a water baby. I took my DM as a 50yr old and not a water baby and despised even snorkeling. I had to "man up before the course and put some effort in to get to the required standards. Not 5's but more than the minimums.
The exception is the stress test which is "impossible" to practice before hand, but I get my DM's to do it a number of times, and each time we'll add more "distractions" I want them to easily complete the test and the "distractions" to be little more than an annoyance. After all its to test the candidate ability to deal with an abnormal event underwater calmly and without flapping.
I hope that my DM candidates pass the 4 other swim tests first time, so we can use their course time more effectively teaching new skills.
On my courses, none of the other modules are simply completed as soon as they reach he minimum standard. For instance, Dive briefs, Guiding, search and recovery etc, are all completed many times by the candidate as I want them to be comfortable and at ease guiding, helping and briefing guests. We'll often "drop" a mask overboard and get the DM's to recover it because practice make perfect.
I want my DM's to learn something during the course and be challenged rather than think of it as an attendance course - pass each test once and move on.
Since the topic is really about the old dreaded Swim Test, I will add that I have yet to witness or hear about any dive pro jumping in the water without fins, swimming 200 yards and rescuing a diver by towing him/her back another 200 yards.
From my perspective, I agree. I dive off boats, so I'm going to use the boat to get to the "victim" but some people shore dive and supervise from the shore, in which case the tests are more applicable. But I do view them as a stamina test, where the candidate has to "dig deep" to complete in the given time. In real life they might well be in a situation where they actually need to "find something extra"
I try to turn out actual DM's rather than simply card carriers, it's not a cheap course so I want my candidate to come away with the feeling of achievement rather than it being a "walk in the park"