PADI Physical requirements

[Werks21]

the pyshical reqirements on the padi web site state that for qualification you must swim 200 M or 300 M w/mask snorkel and fins. and also tread water for ten minutes.

my question is this; are these requirements strictly upheld by instructors? while i understand the need to be i decent shape to scuba, i feel these these requiremets will not be easy to fufill. i plan on certing with my father in july and am concerned that he will not be able to hang. i myself will have to work to meet these goals. i would not apreciate having to finish the class alone and waste my $ on a cert gone wrong. any and all info or advice is apreciated.

 

[Don Wray]

Those requirements are standards that must be met, and any instructor worth his/her salt will ensure that they are met. All of the agencies require at least those requirements, some more. Good luck on your course.

 

[ScubaSteve2000]

Yes, those are standard requirements. In my class they had us do the physical requirements first. No reason to go any further if you can't do the physical stuff. But don't get to worried. Let's think about it for a minute. There isn't a time limit for the swim. You can swim using any stroke or series of strokes you wish. When you get out of breath, flip over on your back and swim for a bit untill you catch your breath, then try another stroke. You can use swim goggles and a nose clip for the 200M swim or if you opt to snorkle (my instructor wouldn't accept snorkling but let me wear my mask since I forgot my goggles...made me do the 300M though) you can do the 300 meters. Some finished the swim in less than 5 minutes. Others - like me - took over 20 minutes.

I have to admit that I was pretty worried about the treading part of the test. But if you look a little closer you will see that it is called a tread/float. So you can do just that. Tread for a while, float for a while.

The other thing to consider is that you already know what the requirements are. Why don't you and your Dad meet and practice. I'll bet within a few weeks you both will be able to knock those skills out with no problems. The result is that you both will be more comfortable in the water, which is always a good thing.

Finally, talk to the instructor. Let him or her know if you need more time to prepare physically. Remember, they want you to succeed. Also, there is the added benifit of some great excersize and good father/son time. No matter how old either of you are.

You might find out that you like it enough to keep swimming. I did. The swim and tread were very hard for me. I wasn't a good swimmer and I didn't prepare. I decided that if I was going to be a diver, I should be able to swim and tread. Now I swim 500M 3-4 times a week and once a week I do a 15 minute tread/float with my arms extended out of the water for the last 2 minutes.

So get out there and swim.

Steve.

 

[digital_steve]

I'm a fat, unfit guy... but **** me, i can still swim 300 meters

Anyway, don't worry to much about the course mate. It's PADI, you paid so if they have to drag you up and down the pool to pass, they will.

 

[Damselfish]

Yes, you should expect any instructor to insist you can meet the standards. If you can't, and an instructor would teach and certify you anyway, they are not an instructor you want and are doing you no favors.

The standards are not all that high, lots of people would argue they're not high enough. Embrace them, practice, get in better shape, improve your swimming technique, whatever. It's not even all about "fitness." It's partly about being comfortable in the water, which is important and unlikely if you can't swim well. And it's partly about simply being able to swim and tread water well enough if you find yourself in a situation where you need to. You're in the water, stuff happens. Some will argue it's easier to swim and hang out in the water in dive gear, which is true. But if you got yourself in a situation you could also easily be swimming or floating for much longer and further than those standards.

 

[NancyLynn]

the pyshical reqirements on the padi web site state that for qualification you must swim 200 M or 300 M w/mask snorkel and fins. and also tread water for ten minutes.

my question is this; are these requirements strictly upheld by instructors?

I hope so. The 300 M w/mask snorkel and fins was not permitted by the instructors I had - and frankly, I think that is a good thing. You are embarking on a sport in which your life may depend on your comfort in the water and your ability to survive in the water, perhaps without your equipment. I consider the 200 M swim/10 minute tread/float minimal requirements for providing some level of water safety. (There are others who don't agree with that opinion.)

My mother (approaching 80, and not in the best physical shape - although her endurance is fine) swims around 800 M several days a week, and my teenage daughter (not a swimmer prior to being certified - and not terribly athletic) easily managed the 300 M swim the YMCA program required (no mask, fins or snorkel). When I start swimming after taking a months or years long break, I start at 800 M. 200 M is really not that challenging.

As someone else said, embrace the requirement. If you can't currently meet it, spend some time in your local pool until you can. It will be time well spent, in the long run.

 

[Sas]

If your father can't do the swim, then it is probably not a good idea for him to be certified due to safety issues but yea, this has been debated a lot on the thread http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ne...e-dive-even-though-i-don-t-know-how-swim.html so you might want to check it out. Even without any training most people should be able to swim that distance as it is not far at all, it is untimed and you can use any stroke. Try survival backstroke as that is designed to be an easy stroke that you can do for a long time.

 

[300bar]

It's PADI, you paid so if they have to drag you up and down the pool to pass, they will.

Don't you believe it.I'm not gonne drag anyone thrue the pool.:no

 

[Walter]

are these requirements strictly upheld by instructors?

God, I hope so, they are the lowest requirements in the industry.

I would suggest you both complete in a swimming class before taking the SCUBA class. Diving is inherently dangerous. You can greatly reduce that danger by being a good swimmer. Anyone who cannot swim 300 yds (without mask, snorkel & fins) and stay afloat for at least 15 minutes has no business diving. It's not that hard and almost anyone can do it.

 

[fisherdvm]

the pyshical reqirements on the padi web site state that for qualification you must swim 200 M or 300 M w/mask snorkel and fins. and also tread water for ten minutes.

my question is this; are these requirements strictly upheld by instructors?.

To be an equal opportunity basher. It happens frequently that instructors will not require swim skill per organizations standard - which means in swim trunk. It also happens with both SSI and PADI instructors, that they will let individuals wear their wetsuit while doing either the swim or the snorkel. It will happen with both agencies, that they will simply require snorkel and fin, and not a real swim. This will give the student's the false confidence in the swim/snorkel skill.

In my opinion, just because you passed these skill test, it will not mean that you're fit to dive. I've towed in a relatively young tired OW students more than once from simply being out of shape, despite passing the "swim" test. I've also seen an elderly student almost passing out after the water treading.

I would say one should set their own standard and not rely on the instructor's testing before signing up for an OW class. Real life is not a crystal clear pool, or a tranquil lake where you do your OW dives for the course. For your sake and your father's sake, I would recommend being able to swim at least 200 or 300 yards comfortably without snorkel and fins before you sign up for the class. Ideally, it should be a rhythmic stroke like the crawl or breast. I started diving when I could barely swim on my back for 200 yards, but now I feel much better swimming 2 to 3 miles every week.