Diver fitness

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

BladesRobinson

ScubaBoard Supporter
ScubaBoard Supporter
Scuba Instructor
Messages
643
Reaction score
48
Location
FLORIDA / LAT 27°39.133' / LON 080°22.261' / ICW M
I agree. Watermanship test should be a must in certifying recreational dive instructors; the problem is: who are going to evaluated this, a course director? mostly they will not pass the test!
************************************************************
I'm going to add:
As we (recreational dive industry) are competing with other water activities that are not "knowledge" and equipment intense, we (the agency) are lowering the standards in an economic effort to lure the potentials customers (students & instructors) toward diving activities!

And that's the real thing

************no intent to insult**************
:)
 
There is a watermanship test that you have to pass to get a divemaster certification... which you have to have before instructor.. but i do agree that fitness it pretty key, should be kept up for higher levels as well. Perhaps during the instructor exam another test should be conducted.. but Pros DO have to pass a test.
 
I think that Mike Ange's concern is that the watermanship test is one time thing upon initial certification. I received my recreational dive instructor certification in 1984. In that era I was a "lean, mean, fightin' machine" and doing 8 dives a day harvesting lobsters commercially. Now approaching age 50, I am not the same person I was at age 24 when I went through my instructor level training.

I am sure we have all seen the same thing that Mike reports seeing on dive boats. Fat, over weight, out of shape SCUBA instructors trying to support their dive habit by having students pay for their underwater "fix." Mike believes instructors should set a better example and I am one of many who agree.

If you are going to be responsible for saving someone else (especially one of your students / customers) you had better be fit enough to be successful!

The most recent line-of-duty death involved a public safety diver that weighed 303 pounds and stood 5' 7.5" tall. Had this officer's dive team required completion of the IADRS Watermanship Test, he would likely be alive today.

At Dive Rescue International we are requiring both students and instructors to pass the IADRS Watermanship Test in order to recertify as we believe this is an effective tool to prevent line-of-duty deaths. We have already had reports where divers who were unable to successfully complete the watermanship test discovered that they had an underlying heart condition that they were unaware of.

I was glad to read that the IANTD is requiring a level of physical fitness for their instructors who are applying for recertification. I believe more training agencies should do the same. Unfortunately most only want you to mail them a check each year.
 
There is an interesting article that was recently brought to my attention regarding diving fitness. Kudos to Mike Ange for having the guts to say what's on his mind!

Check out:
Seaduction - Does Diving Need a Minimum Fitness Standard For Dive Pros?

For anyone who is not aware or needs a copy of the IADRS Watermanship Test, visit:
International Association of Dive Rescue Specialists - IADRS

Please help spread the word!

I've been doing the IADRS watermanship test exercises #1 - #3 (i.e., all except the tow/push) as my swimming workout the past couple of times I've been in the pool, just for the hell of it. One question: In exercise #4, what exactly is 'appropriate PPE' (Personal Protective Equipment?), and is the 'swimmer' in just a swimsuit, or mask/fins/snorkel?

Thanks,

Guy (5/5/4 currently and shooting for 5/5/5, or 5/5/5/5 if I ever find a volunteer victim)
 
Kudos to ya!

Proper PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) is relative to your position on the team. This IADRS Watermanship Test that is approved by the NFPA applies to ALL aspects of water rescue so if you are a surf lifeguard, then it's just a swimsuit and mask, fins, and snorkel. If you are performing swift water rescue, then the PPE is a PDF, helmet, mask, fins, and snorkel. If you are a diver, wear your complete scuba ensemble with mask, fins, and snorkel. Thermal protection is NOT worn during test #4; i.e., no drysuit, no wetsuit.

Copies of the test can be found online at:
http://iadrs.org/media/IADRS_Watermanship_Test.pdf

Best of luck obtaining all 5s....
 
We adopted the IADRS Watermanship Test and have incorporated it into Job Performance Standards in our SOPs. We also included, for those who do not pass, do not operate in any diving position until the test is satisfactorily completed. The time line to make it up is within three months of the initial test. Again, no diving until the test is passed.

We do the testing every January and have done so for the past four years. There was some initial resistance to the test from some of the team members. We all did some training before the initial test. Everyone on the team quick realized this test is a good thing and not that hard to pass.

Test #4 is something we try to do at the end of every training day. We cover bailout procedures and the tow. We do this full gear at the end of our training evolution to build muscle memory and keep fresh on rescue skills.

We have been trying to get yearly medical physicals in place, but I still run into resistance due to costs associated. The mentality is, all of our divers are full time staff and had to pass a physical to get hired. I am still trying to educate our management staff of the difference, but as anyone in law enforcement knows, that’s a difficult task at best.
 
There is an interesting article that was recently brought to my attention regarding diving fitness. Kudos to Mike Ange for having the guts to say what's on his mind!

Check out:
Seaduction - Does Diving Need a Minimum Fitness Standard For Dive Pros?

For anyone who is not aware or needs a copy of the IADRS Watermanship Test, visit:
International Association of Dive Rescue Specialists - IADRS

Please help spread the word!

Hi Blades,
Sorry so long to respond, I have been traveling a bit. Thank you for the post and also the email you sent me. I did know that DRI was requiring routine fitness testing and I appaud you guys for it. I did not list you because I was focussed primarily on the recreational (including tech) agencies. However, it would be a really good idea for the recreational dive industry to take a cue from the one of the oldest Public Safety Agencies out there.

Safe Diving,
Mike A

PS Since I replied here I will not respond to the email - but I did appreciate receiving it.
Thanks
 
Those are pretty low standards, I should think anyone who is serious about diving and certainly a dive professional upon who others might depend should pass such a test easily. N
 
When I put a crew through the level 1 cert for the team I also have a swimming component/fitness test they have to pass - its quite a bit higher than the IARDS but they do only do it to recieve the cert once.
As a team we "encourage" and have the IARDS test in our SOG's. Its difficult to make it manditory with the union point of view but it is coming along. Like Yotsie said the guys do see it as important and it isn't that difficult of a standard all things considered.

As for medicals our CSA's up here dictate that we need diver medicals at least every other year (or every year if you're old:depressed:). Personally I think its excessive and it costs us lots of $ but those are the rules...
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

Back
Top Bottom