PADI Divemaster Stamina Test Question

[knotical]

My guess it would be up to the instructor whether he/she would allow ankle weights.

But why not simply bend slightly at the waist? This will help keep your fins below the surface.

 

[Crowley]

Wow how to get flamed in one easy post by asking a question to which you don't know the answer. Glad to see such helpul advice as "reconsider your career options".

for those who ask why would you need ankle weights...? - If you are wearing light, open-heel fins and therefore dive boots during the 800m mask fins and snorkel swim, the feet can become rather buoyant and this makes it a little more difficult to effect good propulsion.

Good snorkel fins (or at least, full-foot fins in general) tend to be effective during the snorkel swim, mostly because you're not wearing the booties, so it's easier to keep your fins underwater rather than flapping away at the surface. It doesn't matter how great your technique is; if the laws of physics say your feet will float, then they will float.

I don't recall anybody asking to wear ankle weights during the 800m snorkel swim, and I don't think I'd be too concerned if they did. You can either swim or you can't and at the end of the day, when I'm evaluating DM swim tests then yes, it's great that people have good technique (applies to the 400m swim also), but even if they don't look so good doing it, what I'm looking for are people who can make the distance in a reasonably healthy time. The times required in the DM swim tests are not terribly challenging, but you need to be in reasonably good condition to do them, and all of my interns (myself included) did all 4 tests in the same morning.

To the question of would you have time to strap on ankle weights in an emergency? Why not? If they are in your kit box and close to hand when you respond, and you know you swim better wearing them, then the few seconds it will take to put them on might well be recovered by being able to swim to the victim faster. Just a thought.

Good luck with the swim.

Cheers

C.

 

[scubajim 1]

Looking through the standards I see nothing to preclude weights. But the question is are weights "floatation aids", a case could be made for that (but not by me). If divingtpapa feels this will help her in the 800 and her instructor feels its ok I think she should go for it.
Isn't part of her training problem solving? I think she has come up with a rather unique solution.
I'd recommend she knock off a few 800 m timed swims and see how she does.

 

[Krazytomdiver]

As a dive guide,I have only seen ankle weights twice in ten years: Two gals from a cruise ship had several flat galvanized washers on cotton strings and one older SoCal guy had on 4lbs of ankle weights. I caught/rescued him at 90ft before he became a fatality. I think they ought to be painted red just as a warning. Just my experience.

"living life as without a hard bottom"
KT

 

[j yaeger]

use snorkle fins,as was sugested
less tiring on your legs
easier turns at pool end
it's not a "real life" rescue that you are simulating is it....
have fun with it
yaeg

 

[merxlin]

...........To the question of would you have time to strap on ankle weights in an emergency? Why not? If they are in your kit box and close to hand when you respond, and you know you swim better wearing them, then the few seconds it will take to put them on might well be recovered by being able to swim to the victim faster. Just a thought.

Agreed, IF the DM makes that part of their routine, then it would make sense. If it is just used to gain points on the test, then I see a problem.

 

[divingtpapa]

Hi everyone, I am by no means trying to cheat on my test. I simply asked about the use of ankle weights because I dive in mostly cold water with 7mm boots, and buoyant fins. I thought the ankle weights, if permitted, would allow me to maintain a better position in the water and be more effective. I would hate to waste money on snorkel fins since I would otherwise never use them in our cold water environments. I know nothing can help me more than being in shape and practicing waterskills and that is exactly what I been doing.

 

[Bubble_Boy]

If you want to be more efficient with your fins at the surface, tilt your body on the side and kick from side to side. This way your fins won't pop out of the water with every kick.

 

[nielsent]

I don't see anywhere in the standards that say no, and I don't think in the end it be a way to increase performance. If i were doing the instruction for the DM i would let them have at it. It certainly makes sense if you have very buoyant boots.

 

[GHDave]

I found it pretty easy to get a good score on the 800 mask/snorkel swim just by getting into reasonably decent shape (which you need to do anyway) and practicing at it a little.