Is it possible for me to dive even though I don't know how to swim?

[Oxy]

I'm skinny and I can swim just fine. Being skinny really isn't an excuse for not knowing how to swim There are LOTS of thin people who can swim and float.

Allow me to reiterate, I can swim but it looks like i'm drowning when I do. I have since gained a little body mass (thanks to beer) so maybe I can float a little higher in the water requiring a little less frantic movements to stay at the surface. I won't know till I try and I haven't been in the water for years.

 

[Oxy]

Swim, tread, float, bob, who cares if you are having fun?

 

[shoturtle]

Padi ow requires a 200m swim test to get cert. or 400m with fin and mask.

 

[jefffalcone]

Irregardless of the fact that we're hijacking the thread: It is accepted by many as a word.
Main Entry: ir·re·gard·less
Pronunciation: \ˌir-i-ˈgärd-ləs\
Function: adverb
Etymology: probably blend of irrespective and regardless
Date: circa 1912
nonstandard : regardless
usage Irregardless originated in dialectal American speech in the early 20th century. Its fairly widespread use in speech called it to the attention of usage commentators as early as 1927. The most frequently repeated remark about it is that “there is no such word.” There is such a word, however. It is still used primarily in speech, although it can be found from time to time in edited prose. Its reputation has not risen over the years, and it is still a long way from general acceptance. Use regardless instead.

They'll put anything in the dictionary these days. See what happens if you try to say this to an English person.

 

[Thalassamania]

"Irregardless" is "Hillbilly-speak" to most native English speakers.

 

[Hank49]

Irregardless of the fact that I'm a displaced hillbilly turned nomadic shrimp mercenary, I knew a few surfers who could rip, but couldn't swim well. One day my leash broke at Secret Beach on Kauai and the waves were unreal. It was a sandy beach break so I kept surfing and had to swim for my board more than a few times. One of my friends told me he'd panic if he lost his board....and he was really good. I was amazed.

 

[NancyLynn]

We recently had a student in one of our classes that could demonstrate every diving skill with mastery. He had only two problems.......he could NOT float for 10 minutes. With full lungs, he would sink directly to the bottom of the pool.

My guess is that whoever was working with him was not a sinker and didn't know how to make a sinker float.

As a fellow sinker (at least in my younger years), it was years before I ran into an instructor who understood the problem - and knew how to fix it.

It's actually a matter of changing your center of gravity. Most sinkers drop feet first when they try to float. To counterbalance the feet's drift to the bottom, you need to stretch your arms above your head and point your fingers toward the sky (out of the water), which pushes the top half of your body down and consequently rotates the bottom half up around the air filled lungs. It also helps if you bend your legs at the knees so your trunk is horizontal, with your fingers vertical and your calves vertical. I haven't found anyone who is comfortable in the water that it doesn't work for (and I taught swimming for years).

Another alternative is just to scull a bit.

 

[matjo1]

This is actually one of the first threads started by a troll that has turned out to be educative and informative! Thank you Mr. Troll! (I think you should all thank him as well)

Therefore, I will bite.

-Can you drive a car without a seat belt? Sure!

-Can you own a house without fire detectors or extinguishers? Sure!

-Can you have sex with a perfect stranger without wearing a condom? Sure!

-Can you cross from from Florida to the Bahamas in a small boat, with one engine and no radio? Sure!

-Can you learn to dive without knowing how to swim? ... do you see where I'm going?

Let me throw a different twist to all the previous comments. (If you are not a troll I apologize for the next comment being so harsh)

YOU SHOULD NOT GET CERTIFIED UNTIL YOU UNDERSTAND WHY BEING ABLE TO SWIM IS SO IMPORTANT.

 

[Papa_Bear]

Sinkers have a greater body density! 80% of "Blacks" sink while 90% of "Whites" Float! Just a fact to consider in training and deal with as needed!

I feel "Comfort" is the most important factor in having a long and pleasant dive carrier and I don't see a non swimmer or too many sinkers being comfortable unless they're good swimmer who are comfortable in the water! You can probably dive without being able to swim, but the dive will end and many times you become a swimmer!

 

[lovetoscuba]

Can you tell me what are the requirements as far as floating on the surface? I can float for a long period of time with no gear as long as I am on my back with belly up, or do I have to float on surface with head out of water in a vertical position?