swim like a fish - I did not.

[S. starfish]

Hummmphh! I will be doing my OW course in about 1.5 weeks and I've been making sure my swimming was good enough by going to the local pool over the last few weeks or so...but last night has made me wonder....I swam like a complete numpty - just didn't 'feel right' at all. :shakehead

I am just out of having a throat/chest infection which meant I haven't been swimming for almost a fortnight. Perhaps i'm still recovering?

Any other newbies suffered from this irrational feeling of concern about the swim test?

A lot of people see, anxious about the swim, but if you've been practicing i wouldn't worry about it. You don't have to finish with any sort of grace, you just have to finish. The fact that you're practicing already says a lot- those who put in the effort to do such things generally turn out to be great divers simply because of the effort they put in.
Whats really annoying is when people can't swim, don't practice and then need to be rescued from the pool. Why is it that people who can't swim and aren't willing to put in the effort to at least learn how to doggy paddle think that scuba diving is the sport for them? (can you tell that I'm having fun with my current course?)

 

[Jon-boi]

Whats really annoying is when people can't swim, don't practice and then need to be rescued from the pool. Why is it that people who can't swim and aren't willing to put in the effort to at least learn how to doggy paddle think that scuba diving is the sport for them? (can you tell that I'm having fun with my current course?)

Hey Starfish - what a mare.....i wouldn't dream of going on my OW course without having practiced and put some effort in....

Tonight I went for a swim again. I kinda remebered some of the advice from folks here and didn't rush too quickly (10 lenghts in 10 minutes) and I have at the back of my mind that I'm doing this so I can be fit to dive....tonight was so so much better. I'm feeling more confident again

 

[shandajr]

"Maybe what cork2win meant was that s/he isn't comfortable with the breathing techniques required? (I used to say I didn't like putting my face in the water but what I really meant was that I wasn't comfortable with the breathing and the constant face in, face out that the front crawl requires.)"








It could be that what they meant was what they said...I know that I hate to have my face in water, if my nose isn't plugged. I am 41 and have had this problem all my life. I joined the swim team to help me, but still could not go under water without plugging my nose, although I am in the water constantly, it is just something I have learned to live with. During my Certification, I needed to remove my mask, allow it to fill and clear...I hated it, but did it anyway with a couple trip ups along the way, but I passed. During my open water portion, I needed to do it again and panic started to set in but I beat it and succeeded. All you need to remember is to BREATH OUT your nose after you put your mask back on.

This could be a problem during dives though too. I was very confident that I would never have a problem with my mask filling while diving, as long as I stayed away from fins in front of me...wrong, just laughing while under will fill your mask. This has happened to me and I did start to panic while on a dive, and started to go up without realizing it, caught myself and recalled the clear mask procedure. All ended well, but it was a wake up call to me. If you don't feel as free as a fish (as some people do) you are a danger to yourself...and it is practice, practice, practice. But you can simulate all you want and it won't matter until you are in a real life situation. Just stay calm becasue being in a panic is what wil hurt you.

 

[cork2win]

Yes, I kind of meant both. I'm actually a fairly good swimmer, if you can consider someone good who doesn't do the "breathing technique" like you're supposed to. I can't stick my face in the water, breathe out of my nose, turn my head and inhale like you're supposed to. I do all my strokes with my head completely above water. I can go underwater just fine, it's not like I don't like being under water and I can do it without holding my nose (as long as I'm not diving in, that's a different story). I can swim underwater, I can stand on my head. Basically it's a problem swimming frontstroke with turning my face out of the water and breathing... too many horrible experiences with not turning my face far enough in swim class and sucking in lungs full of water. I just prefer to swim with my head completely out of the water. I'm sure with practice I would probably be able to overcome my fear (maybe) but I don't get that much time in the water.

And for the question of how I dive and clear my mask... I haven't even started diving yet, hence the fear of the swimming test. I haven't even chosen a shop to take the training from yet.

 

[AndyA]

When I did my confined 300 meter swim for my OW, I had not been in a pool in three years. I had surface snorkled. Do not sweat the swim backstroke, sidestroke, dog paddle what ever floats your boat or yourself.

 

[cummings66]

When I did my OW course I hadn't been to the pool in about 15 years, wasn't in the shape I was back then either. The swim test was a non event although it was harder than I last remembered.

I can still remember how I could swim all day long and not tire out, that's no longer true of course. So, don't sweat it. I swim much better now of course and my longterm goal is to get back to where I used to be.

 

[shandajr]

Yes, I kind of meant both. I'm actually a fairly good swimmer, if you can consider someone good who doesn't do the "breathing technique" like you're supposed to. I can't stick my face in the water, breathe out of my nose, turn my head and inhale like you're supposed to. I do all my strokes with my head completely above water. I can go underwater just fine, it's not like I don't like being under water and I can do it without holding my nose (as long as I'm not diving in, that's a different story). I can swim underwater, I can stand on my head. Basically it's a problem swimming frontstroke with turning my face out of the water and breathing... too many horrible experiences with not turning my face far enough in swim class and sucking in lungs full of water. I just prefer to swim with my head completely out of the water. I'm sure with practice I would probably be able to overcome my fear (maybe) but I don't get that much time in the water.

And for the question of how I dive and clear my mask... I haven't even started diving yet, hence the fear of the swimming test. I haven't even chosen a shop to take the training from yet.

Walk in the park for you then. It sounds as though you can swim just fine and have no worries.

 

[hopeitsapar]

It says that you have to finish the distance, not how fast or what strokes you use. Don't sweat it you will be fine. Time only matters when you move to more advanced certs

 

[Dao Jones]

I start my SSI OW course in 2 weeks and hadn't really thought about the swim test until I read this thread. I can swim just fine but I'm wondering- do you take the swim test with or without mask/fins/snorkel?

 

[Supernal]

You can do it either way (PADI) but you'll have to go a little further if you use mask/fins/snorkel.