PADI Physical requirements

[Walter]

Most (all?) agencies allow the swim with a wetsuit, but if a wet suit is used, require weighting so the student is neutrally buoyant.

 

[fisherdvm]

I think for the economy of time, I've seen both PADI and SSI instructor allow student to swim with wetsuit. But you're right, I've seen them putting weight on students who insisted on treading water with their wetsuit. The wetsuit cuts down stamina requiremen during the swim tremendously, depending on thickness of the suit. I think the same can be said by the snorkel/fin swim, which is almost a joke in my opinion.

 

[Walter]

Almost?

 

[BarryNL]

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.

Sorry to be blunt, but if these ridiculously easy requirements are difficult for you should consider a different hobby, or at least put off the course until you have spent some time getting into shape.

 

[ScubaSteve2000]

Most (all?) agencies allow the swim with a wetsuit, but if a wet suit is used, require weighting so the student is neutrally buoyant.

Really? I guess different LDSs do things differently. My instructor said that doing the swim and tread/float while wearing a wetsuit was cheating. But then like I said earlier they wouldn't allow the fin/snorkle option either.

Steve.

 

[Walter]

Really. Standards allow it as long as the student is weighted to be neutral. For most folks, that actually makes the swim harder since most of us are positively buoyant. In cold water, you have to make a provision to stop students from freezing.

 

[JimHar99]

As others have said, you don't have to be an olympic athlete to complete a 200 yard swim. It's not timed and you can use any stroke.
When I did mine, we were swimming in a 25 yard pool. I alternated freestyle and backstroke laps.

 

[pir8]

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.

I wouldn't count on that, but its really not that hard to do. And yes I do make you do it first and I don't even mention the snorkle option.

 

[Twistedarts]

on my course, the instructor had us do the swim on the last day of a cram weekend (after the last tank and skin dive). so if you could not swim, it would not be found out till last day after you went through the whole course. I was so exhausted after working and diving all weekend I damn near drown (being a recent ex-smoker did not help). just goes to show you not all lds and instructors are on the ball.

200M is nothing, however the assessment of those skills is not always fair.
my 2 cents.

 

[Don Wray]

on my course, the instructor had us do the swim on the last day of a cram weekend (after the last tank and skin dive). so if you could not swim, it would not be found out till last day after you went through the whole course. I was so exhausted after working and diving all weekend I damn near drown (being a recent ex-smoker did not help). just goes to show you not all lds and instructors are on the ball.

200M is nothing, however the assessment of those skills is not always fair.
my 2 cents.

The standards state that prior to open water dive 2, you should have done the 10 minute swim/float waterskills assessment. Prior to certification, the 200 yard/meter swim or 300 yard/meter snorkel mask and fins swim. While I do not adhere to saving the water skills until last, they were within standards.