Swimming Ability

[DCBC]

I'm not trying to find fault or to otherwise disparage another's opinion. Nor am I merely interested in what the standards say. My point is that the swimming standards across agencies are something I simply don't understand in either their structure or intent.

I agree. I made it clear in the questions surrounding swim/watermanship testing (in the Instructor area) that standards set by certification agencies were not to be considered. I wanted to better understand what the Instructors think the testing should entail. In this way we can get a pulse of what the collective opinion is.

 

[drdaddy]

I swam competitively in high school and continued lap swimming throughout my adult life. I was in category 5, 400 meters or more, when I began scuba. But, while still a strong swimmer in my late 50's, my shoulders ache, knees hurt, and sometimes my back can make me grumpy .

But I climbed down that jetty last week and outdid a man in his late 30s and his 14 year old son. But my knees are aching a bit today!

I'll be back at the jetty this coming weekend, and throughout the winter. Well, I might go after my buck (deer season) this weekend, but if so I'll hit the water next.

About my PADI Instructor son. He's always been athletic, but never really a swimmer. So when he took up scuba, he was probably in category 2, 100-200 meters. However, after his Course Instructor got done with him, he was definitely in category 5, over 400 meters. They really gave him (and other candidates) a workout!!!

 

[Kingpatzer]

I agree. I made it clear in the questions surrounding swim/watermanship testing (in the Instructor area) that standards set by certification agencies were not to be considered. I wanted to better understand what the Instructors think the testing should entail. In this way we can get a pulse of what the collective opinion is.

Then you can understand why I don't see much utility in discussing what they should be when it isn't clear why we are doing it in the first place.

If we want real "drown proofing" for ocean environments, then a timed mile swim in at least 2' waves would actually test something meaningful.

If the intent is to test how comfortable someone is in the water, then far more meaningful testing with some flotation, such as a shorty and BC - as those are flotation devices that will almost always be present (and such tests should come after the majority of the class rather than at the beginning).

With no understanding of what meaningful scuba skill is being tested, I have no idea why we're testing, let alone what the tests should be.

 

[mselenaous]

Group 5. I grew up a competitive swimmer. Swimming always came easy to me.

Ditto what he said

 

[Seaduced]

We had a family pass to the community pool, when I was a kid. Almost every day of the summer, we took swim lessons or did free swim. My brothers and I became very strong swimmers. We used to swim across the Columbia river and back for fun.

The certification pool swims were fun, but not challenging. Then again, I would not expect everyone to have my experience either.

Group 5

 

[W8less]

Group 5 - Red Cross WSI, Swam competitively for 5th Army Group.

After countless pool sessions with new students it is amazing how accurately you can predict who will do well in the O/W and who will have to work hard on some issues. Some people ("A's for the sake of discussion) are just intrinsically at ease in water, others (B's) are not. The "A's" have the potential to go on to be hard core lifelong divers, type "B's" are doing it for the experience and at best will dabble, be tourists or add to the attrition rate. Either type is fine.

I think it would be difficult to be passionate about an activity you were not comfortable with.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

Group 5 easily when certified, Group 5 more slowly these days Today my progress through the water would best be measured with a sun dial rather than a stop watch

I do feel that good swimming ability is really important, both for overall safety in and around the water, and for comfort when diving.... I think that if you are a good swimmer it is just one less "issue" to be stressed about when learning to dive.

Best wishes.

 

[Rhone Man]

Good swimmers certainly do have to get used to not using their hands/arms, but I don't at all agree with your theory. IMO good swimmers are far more comfortable in the water and therefore make safer, more relaxed, more competent divers. There are always exceptions, but as a whole, my theory is that solid swimmers make better divers.

Fair enough point of view. With newer divers I tend to note an ability amongst strong swimmers to use their swimming ability to fight problems rather than overcoming them. But yeah, maybe I did over generalise.

 

[OldNSalty]

I thought the point of the swim test was to prove that you were somewhat comfortable in the water and to be able to get out of it (i.e. swim back to shore/boat/platform/turtles back/what ever). If it a safety issue, in other words, prove that you can swim back to us, then shouldn't the test be based on the local conditions? Lake divers swim in, well, a lake. Ocean divers where there is strong current should have to swim against a current, etc. For that matter, shouldn't you do your swim test in the gear you will be using when diving?

 

[Schizlor]

Am I correct in that with the crawl you get most of your power (speed) with the arms (thus arm stregthening exercises is best)? Also, how effective is swimming in the ocean (cold) with a 7 mil wetsuit to help build the required muscles (I have limited pool access)?

True, upper body (Shoulders are the main muscle used in the crawl) is where you get most of your power, but if you have good form, you can get a lot of thrust from your legs too. A lot of people ignore the legs and kind of drag them along when doing freestyle (crawl), which makes it much less efficient.

Swimming in the ocean is a great way to exercise, but it is a lot harder than in the pool because of chop. The chop also makes synchronizing your breaths to the side harder, as you may turn your head to find a swell hits you in the mouth when you're trying to breathe.

The breaststroke is by far the most efficient stroke if you're looking to conserve energy, and is easier to perform in the ocean. (though Backstroke is the easiest to do in the ocean, because said chop inteferes with the breaststroke breathing cycle too, but not the backstroke) This is because you waste very little energy tring to get your arms out of, and over the surface of the water, like you do in freestyle, backstroke, and butterfly. It is however, the weakest of all strokes in terms of thrust. (which is why records set in breaststroke are always the slowest times of the 4 strokes)

If I were working out in the ocean in a 7mil, trying to get better at swimming, I would use the breaststroke. Then backstroke, and then freestyle 3rd. Doing butterfly in the ocean....you'd last about 30 seconds before you're shoulders fell off, or you swallowed a mouthful of seawater.

The greatest benefit to you in terms of translating to scuba...is the increased lung capacity and efficiency of oxygen-exhange in the lungs, from the type of controlled breathing during heaving exertion, that swimming requires. You arent going to use any of the strokes underwater (except a modified breaststroke, incorporating the frog-kick) but you will really see improvement in air consumption if you work out by swimming. To that end, it doesn't really matter which stroke you choose, just that you do it often.

But in terms of being able to sustain any meaningful type of workout in the ocean (10+ minutes) unless you are training for a triathlon, I'd recommend the breaststroke
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