GUE fundamentals

[BlueTrin]

I might be there next weekend as well. I like Vobster, it has a nice chilled out atmosphere, particularly if the sun's shinning!

It will be my first time at Vobster.

I’ll be there 25th to 28th next week, ping me if you want to grab a beer or say hello. I think Fundies is a full day class so might not be able to grab a beer

 

[Imla]

If you're doing the class with either Marc, Rich or John... give your instructor a call... all of them are perfectly capable of giving tips on how to manage the swimtest.

My personal favourite method is 1 length frontcrawl (I cant do this)/breaststroke and 1 length backstroke. The backstroke gives me time to fully breathe, and on the breaststroke I keep focus on gliiiiding... takes a bit of mental effort, but wow, when it works, it works.

Being a full-figured girl, I am above average buoyant in water. Ie. i can read a book in freshwater without stressing. The under water swim has always given me grief, but the trick is to get a good kick of the side of the pool and glide. Then slowly, and tucked in to your body bring your hands forward. No sharp movements.

(And, it is possible to do all the swimtests up to T2C2CCR in a breaststroke....)

 

[BlueTrin]

If you're doing the class with either Marc, Rich or John... give your instructor a call... all of them are perfectly capable of giving tips on how to manage the swimtest.

My personal favourite method is 1 length frontcrawl (I cant do this)/breaststroke and 1 length backstroke. The backstroke gives me time to fully breathe, and on the breaststroke I keep focus on gliiiiding... takes a bit of mental effort, but wow, when it works, it works.

Being a full-figured girl, I am above average buoyant in water. Ie. i can read a book in freshwater without stressing. The under water swim has always given me grief, but the trick is to get a good kick of the side of the pool and glide. Then slowly, and tucked in to your body bring your hands forward. No sharp movements.

(And, it is possible to do all the swimtests up to T2C2CCR in a breaststroke....)

It’s too late for a big change: I am going next week

I didn’t know you were allowed to kick the side of the pool for the underwater breathhold, I may be able to do it with a kick

 

[EireDiver606]

Don’t worry about the swim test. Take a rest lap, then a normal quicker paced lap.

For the underwater swim, you just need to relax and thrust your arms as much as possible while kicking with your legs. If you are relaxed, you stand a better chance of holding your breath longer.

Swim as close to the bottom of the pool and visualise your position in the pool ie: if you roughly know how many metres you have left to swim,you’re going to hold your breath longer. I can swim 30m underwater with no weight belt or fins and I find that getting relaxed properly beforehand is the key.

I’m sure you’ll be grand. It’s a good sign that you’re thinking of it now, rather than when you get in the pool.

Who is the instructor? Can’t go wrong with any of them.

 

[Imla]

Oh.. EireDiver made a good point... I used to toss a watch/pebble/whateversinks at about 5m and again at 10, and the last at 15... that way I always knew how long I would need to tough it out. Supereasy... and it works!

 

[BlueTrin]

Don’t worry about the swim test. Take a rest lap, then a normal quicker paced lap.

For the underwater swim, you just need to relax and thrust your arms as much as possible while kicking with your legs. If you are relaxed, you stand a better chance of holding your breath longer.

Swim as close to the bottom of the pool and visualise your position in the pool ie: if you roughly know how many metres you have left to swim,you’re going to hold your breath longer. I can swim 30m underwater with no weight belt or fins and I find that getting relaxed properly beforehand is the key.

I’m sure you’ll be grand. It’s a good sign that you’re thinking of it now, rather than when you get in the pool.

Who is the instructor? Can’t go wrong with any of them.

Oh.. EireDiver made a good point... I used to toss a watch/pebble/whateversinks at about 5m and again at 10, and the last at 15... that way I always knew how long I would need to tough it out. Supereasy... and it works!

Thanks guys that a really a good point. My swimming pool has a few lines at the bottom I can use for distance/goal setting.

That really helped me a lot like you guys said: when you are about to reach that next line you feel suddenly a bit easier to fight the urge to surface for 2-4 more meters.

@EireDiver606 : I sent you the name of the instructor, i am sure he wouldn’t mind being named here but just in case I won’t do it

 

[KevinNM]

(And, it is possible to do all the swimtests up to T2C2CCR in a breaststroke....)

I can say it is certainly possible to do the fundamentals swimtest with breast stroke in a nice relaxed way. I’m have to go back to my high school racing form to get the longer ones done, but it certainly seems doable to me.

 

[Imla]

I can say it is certainly possible to do the fundamentals swimtest with breast stroke in a nice relaxed way. I’m have to go back to my high school racing form to get the longer ones done, but it certainly seems doable to me.

It is absolutely possible... I did all my swimtests in mostly breaststroke. I did add a length of backstroke every now and then though.

 

[Nirvana]

Do you know what happens if I fail the swim test, do I still get to do the rest of the training (not that I plan to fail it but I would like to know), and I get a chance later to do the swim test ? Or does it prevent from doing the class at all ?

I took the class very recently (finished a little over a week ago). The swim test was done after the second day of diving, after doing most of the skills.

One thing that surprised me was that the instructor actually swam alongside me and the other student during the test. For the underwater part, he did it just before us.

 

[BlueTrin]

I took the class very recently (finished a little over a week ago). The swim test was done after the second day of diving, after doing most of the skills.

One thing that surprised me was that the instructor actually swam alongside me and the other student during the test. For the underwater part, he did it just before us.

Id rather swim alone

Well I finally timed myself properly.

I did 275m in 14:03 mins so late by three seconds.

Breathhold I think I can do 15m, I can do 12 meters in the pool without forcing myself to the point I start to gag. For the test I guess I’ll hold a bit longer.

I can say it is certainly possible to do the fundamentals swimtest with breast stroke in a nice relaxed way. I’m have to go back to my high school racing form to get the longer ones done, but it certainly seems doable to me.

That’s certainly true, but I think it’s not so easy for people like me who didn’t do club swimming, it’s not so easy to do 14mins on a bad technique breaststroke

I am taking now swimming classes as I realised that I could improve my technique a lot and plan to continue until I am somewhat decent.