Treading water?

[Hawkwood]

Me thinks there is confusion - some are discussing OW requirements and some are discussing DMC requirements.

 

[boulderjohn]

Me thinks there is confusion - some are discussing OW requirements and some are discussing DMC requirements.

Gotcha. It had me fooled.

 

[DBailey]

For DMC, I just refer to the skill as the "15 minute tread". If the DMC doesn't know the requirements, then that is his fault. If the DMC doesn't ask questions, then that is his fault. I want a smart DMC that comes prepared.

For an OW student, I will tell them all of the options available in the standards for the OW student.

 

[TMHeimer]

For DMC, I just refer to the skill as the "15 minute tread". If the DMC doesn't know the requirements, then that is his fault. If the DMC doesn't ask questions, then that is his fault. I want a smart DMC that comes prepared.

For an OW student, I will tell them all of the options available in the standards for the OW student.

Well, I was probably at fault as a DMC for having never heard of drown proofing. Until I found it on SB of course. I doubt ANYONE who hadn't heard of it would think of this method when asked or told to tread water/float. Don't know if that means one is not prepared.

Re the OW students: Good to see someone giving all the options available in the standards.

 

[davetowz]

Simple answer for DMC is.. Dont touch nuthin but water. Hands out of water for last 2 minutes. Don't drown. pretty simple

 

[boulderjohn]

Well, I was probably at fault as a DMC for having never heard of drown proofing. Until I found it on SB of course. I doubt ANYONE who hadn't heard of it would think of this method when asked or told to tread water/float. Don't know if that means one is not prepared.

Re the OW students: Good to see someone giving all the options available in the standards.

There are a lot of people who don't know what the rule actually is and think treading water is the only acceptable way to do it. There was a thread a year or so ago about a situation in which OW students were doing this skill in a pool within the shop. Two of the students were teenagers who were excellent, comfortable swimmers and were enjoying themselves during the activity, as is fully allowed. The shop owner/director of instruction came in and told them they failed the skill because they were not treading water. When the instructor (the guy's employee) tried to protest, he was rudely corrected in front of the rest of the class.

If people have been told that they MUST do a tread, as apparently a lot of people believe they must, then I can't blame them for thinking it is true and not going to the standards to see if the person who told them that was telling the truth. I think I would use this as a training experience to show DMCs how misconceptions leak into instructional practice.

 

[TMHeimer]

boulderjohn, That's amazing. Standards are what they are and should be uniformly enforced. Such silliness over a simple thing. The idea is that you can stay on the surface without drowning. Who cares HOW you do it. The standards don't care. If you can float, tread or drown proof you're OK. Back to my question: How is this a "stamina" test. I suggested on this sub forum a couple of years ago that maybe this test should be for an hour (in case you really are lost at sea and forced to float) to be considered "stamina". That would be too much pool time during a course.

 

[Jill from Phoenix]

In NAUI, basic scuba diver courses require a 10 min tread, back float or survival float (the form of drownproofing TM described)

In leadership courses, candidates do a 20 min survival float.

I know a man who had a guiness world book record for treading over 48 hours--hard...and I had a student who was a synchronized swimmer who could pick her body up out of the water with egg beaters---really hard..surviving floating is super easy and it creates watermanship. Students learn to keep their face in the water, exhale completely into the water, and when the times up a lot of students don't want to stop. It's my zen moment.

 

[TMHeimer]

In NAUI, basic scuba diver courses require a 10 min tread, back float or survival float (the form of drownproofing TM described)

In leadership courses, candidates do a 20 min survival float.

I know a man who had a guiness world book record for treading over 48 hours--hard...and I had a student who was a synchronized swimmer who could pick her body up out of the water with egg beaters---really hard..surviving floating is super easy and it creates watermanship. Students learn to keep their face in the water, exhale completely into the water, and when the times up a lot of students don't want to stop. It's my zen moment.

Amazing stuff. My wife can float in a pool vertically without any arm or leg movement. Others ask how she can be standing in the deep end--they can't believe she's floating. Whereas in fresh water on my back, my feet/legs sink like stones. And she can't believe THAT.

 

[TMHeimer]

In NAUI, basic scuba diver courses require a 10 min tread, back float or survival float (the form of drownproofing TM described)

In leadership courses, candidates do a 20 min survival float.

I know a man who had a guiness world book record for treading over 48 hours--hard...and I had a student who was a synchronized swimmer who could pick her body up out of the water with egg beaters---really hard..surviving floating is super easy and it creates watermanship. Students learn to keep their face in the water, exhale completely into the water, and when the times up a lot of students don't want to stop. It's my zen moment.

Amazing stuff. My wife can float in a pool vertically without any arm or leg movement. Others ask how she can be standing in the deep end--they can't believe she's floating. Whereas in fresh water on my back, my feet/legs sink like stones. And SHE can't believe THAT.