Swim Poll

[TMHeimer]

A poll for certified pros: Am just curious as to what % of pros continue swim routines after passing the DM stamina tests.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I try to hit the pool 3 times a week. With my wife in the hospital for the last 2 weeks that has kinda got pushed to the back burner. I'll get back into once she is ok.

 

[scubamama5]

Jim, prayers and best wishes for your wife's recovery.

 

[divingbuddy]

I feel it is very important for me to keep myself in good condition - thus I swim lengths once or twice a week in addition to cycling and running.

I feel it sets a good example when I can get in the water with my students for their endurance swims, and it makes me more effective should the need for an in water rescue be necessary.

Just my two cents...Cheers!

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Mike Nelson (Sea Hunt) was a little before my time, but he was probably one of my Father's favorite TV characters. I never felt pressured while growing up, but dad gave me the chances to collect all the tools to be a Mike Nelson. After my Instructor cert my first gig was investing in a crazy inventor who also needed an Assistant Instructor. He had the whole Sea Hunt VHS collection; so in my 40's I finally paid attention to those shows. It always seemed to me that a dive instructor should be able to make water rescues whenever the need arose, even non-diving water rescues.

If one is a full time ocean instructor/guide and your pleasure recreations are bicycling, kayaking, freediving and cliff diving, swim training is probably unnecessary. If your not so active off work you should really think about it, IMHO. I am currently 3 weeks into a 7 week land locked situation, with no scuba at all. Luckily there is an awesome Olympic pool in this 7,250 foot elevation town. On the days I'm not snowboarding I swim laps and 3m dive at the pool; for the first time since I was 17 years old.

Every body is different, but I see a bunch (30) of 45-60 year old guys swimming more than 5 miles per week here, and none of them are dive pros (couple are divers); all of them could pass the DM test tomorrow.

That said, there are no hard and fast rules. I know many good instructors who have done no swim training since DM and certainly could not pass the swims now. I only question the ones that put themselves in situations where their lack of fitness could mean tragedy for students/customers. Kind of like law enforcement; obese desk jockey's that are good at cyber sleuthing are not a big problem but obese patrollers are a problem, IMHO.

Part time land locked quarry assistants are not the same as 5 day a week ocean instructors, and even two neighboring 5 day a week ocean instructors are not the same.

 

[TMHeimer]

halemano, Though I admit I don't know first hand (thus the poll), I would tend to agree with you that there must be a lot of good instructors/DMs who never swim now. Most likely just too busy with full time day jobs plus scuba courses. Whether this would mean they would be lacking in rescue ability (requiring swimming specifically) when teaching students or leading experienced divers is in question. I also agree about the 45-50 year olds that swim regularly being able to knock off a swim test easily anytime. As far as the bicycling, cliff diving, being in great shape, etc. being a substitute for swimming laps, I think we disagree. Swimming involves a specific set of muscles that must be developed (for most people, I guess) by doing one thing--swimming. My competitive swimming brothers will vouch for that. I do agree that quarry folks certainly are in a different situation than instructors in the tropics. You are lucky to be so close to a pool.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

If one is a full time ocean instructor/guide and your pleasure recreations are bicycling, kayaking, freediving and cliff diving, swim training is probably unnecessary.

I also agree about the 45-50 year olds that swim regularly being able to knock off a swim test easily anytime. As far as the bicycling, cliff diving, being in great shape, etc. being a substitute for swimming laps, I think we disagree. Swimming involves a specific set of muscles that must be developed (for most people, I guess) by doing one thing--swimming.

...

You are lucky to be so close to a pool.

Don't forget those 50-60 guys I mentioned; here there are more in that group than 45-50.

My statement on swim training possibly not being necessary was specific to a full time ocean pro who rides, kayaks, free dives and cliff dives regularly on his time off. Kayaking moves muscles similarly to the crawl, free diving works the lungs and the legs work similarly to the flutter kick, the cliffs I dive require swimming before, in-between and after and climbing the cliff is similar to the crawl stroke, bicycling back up the hill to home is less similar but my breast stroke whip kick is still ex State gold worthy and I feel they are related.

Los Alamos is a unique community; today I may swim in the morning and half day snowboard at the local ski hill. A few months ago I bragged that I thought I could roll out of bed that day and score 5's on the swims. I am uncertain about how the 7,250 foot elevation is affecting me but a 4 in the 400 would have been a really good swim that first day up here. I do plan on timing's before I leave and when I get back to Maui. I am also working on the mind set that might incorporate swim training there as well, but somehow I doubt it will happen.

The most I can see happening is 2-3 times a week mono-finning around Ulua Point and back. And that statement alone is a reason for most to shrug off my comments as more than idealistic. As it says off to the left, I'm a fish (sometimes a flying fish). I also have no 401K, rent a dilapidated 30 year old cottage and my sporty cars are 9 and 18 years old respectively. The still to be found Cinderella mermaid who will put up with all that is as unique as I am, or perhaps even more so.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I answered Not at all or very seldom.

I was a competitive swimmer for 10 years growing up. These days I stay fit via cycling and running, but I never swim. I've had two shoulder surgeries and the shoulder rotation from regular swimming is discouraged by my orthopedic surgeon. Since I'm a strong swimmer and keep myself fit, I can easily get in a swim any distance up through a 400 or so faster than most people can who swim regularly.

 

[RJP]

Not at all. Seldom.

I'd consider myself a very strong swimmer, I'm in pretty good shape, (Better now than a few months back, having lost ~30lbs) and when I get in the water, I'm wearing scuba gear. If I'm getting in the water WITHOUT scuba gear it means I'm getting in the shower or the tub.

:cool2:

 

[TMHeimer]

Finally passed the tests, so I voted in my own poll. Thanks guys for all the advice I received the last few months. Checked "seldom or never", but I'm afraid it will have to be "never". With the only pool being a 100 mile round trip from home, I'm sure I've spent more on training for the 400 than the cost of the DM course (especially in Canada, with gas about $5/U.S. gallon). That's life when you live in the boonies. But I hope more folks that read the poll will vote. I do intend to keep exercising (I did to some degree before DM course anyway), but I do wonder what effect not swimming at all will have on my future divemastering. Fact is, I just can't afford it, and though we live on the coast, the water temp. rarely touches 60F--there may be a month or 2 you could do any real swimming. So I am very curious to see what others do, whether they have the opportunity to swim much or not.