Can any swim stroke be used for PADI DM?

[RJP]

I'd agree but that doesn't mean a instructor has a right to disqualify a candidate based on standards.

The DM instructor manual section on "Waterskills and Stamina" states that the purpose of the section is "to confirm that candidates have the watermanship appropriate for someone working in a leadership capacity."

Clearly, anyone who is not a "comfortable swimmer" or must "doggie paddle" does not.

 

[SeaCobra]

I'd agree but that doesn't mean a instructor has a right to disqualify a candidate based on standards.

That is exactly what standards are for, if the candidate does not meet standards they are to be disqualified


points total and freestyle means any stroke recognized or not.

Freestyle is a specific swimming stroke

Jeff

 

[Haiko]

I don't know if someone who is doing the swimtest "doggystyle" will be "fast" enough. Let alone has the strenght to do this and will not drown himself before he completes the swimtest. When the S*** hits the fan, I prefer to be rescued within a reasonably amount of time and not drown while the DM is "doggying" towards me.

Besides it just looks crappy to me, if someone can not swim like anyone else, they should learn before getting a "pro" status. I must say, I would make an exeption for the psychically challenged!

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Just FYI, the US Navy SEALS us the side stroke almost exclusively or maybe even exclusively as their smim style. This allows for constant breathing, towing of injured or fatigued team member, visibility to see where they're going especially at night, and to be able to swim with boots on and with packs/gear and weapons. The side stroke is a very efficient stroke that can be kept up for hours on end.

Not that that's really relevant to the dive master swim test, but I'm just sayin'.
No shame in the side stroke.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Another thing,
How many DM candidates do you think who maybe aren't the greatest swimmers in the world practice like hell to be able to pass the swim test. Then after they pass, in say 10 or 11 minutes and get through it, never keep up the conditioning later and get out of shape but keep working as divemasters?
Think this ever happens?

So let's say there is a percentage of DM's that let themselves get out of shape and never get in a pool and swim laps again after their initial certification test. Let's say some time after their DM cert they get thrown into a pool and are told to do the swim but they are out of shape and they fail, should they still be allowed to be DM's? What if we apply this to logic to instructors? How many do you think would be benched?

As proffesionals in the field responsible for the safety of people's lives shouldn't they be always ready and in shape?
What if they had to be recertified once a year and pass all the stamina and skill tests before they could continue working as DM's or instructors?

 

[Nemrod]

The side stroke is a swimming stroke. "Doggie paddling" and back flopping is not. If a "doggie paddle" and back flopping is the only means of locomotion available to the individual then I would classify that individual as a NON-swimmer and require them to take swimming lessons. But I am old school, I just think for safety and comfort of all involved, anyone who plays near, on or under the water should know how to swim and be a swimmer.

N

 

[DennisS]

I think it would be a pretty good indication of stamina for someone to meet the time qualifications while doing the doggie paddle

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

The side stroke is a swimming stroke. "Doggie paddling and back flopping is not. If a "doggie paddle" and back flopping is the only means of locomotion then I would classify that individual as a NON-swimmer and require them to take swimming lessons. But I am old school, I just think for safety and comfort of all involved, anyone who plays near, on or under the water should know how to swim and be a swimmer.

N

Forgot to add that part.
Yes I completely agree, dog paddling is a natural instinct survival swim not only natural to humans but also to almost every other terrestrial mammal. It's not an accomplished swimming style suitable for anything except getting to shore and surviving for someone who has found themselves in water deeper than they can stand in and was never taught to swim.

I was more making a point that swim tests don't necessarily have to be done doing an olympic level freestyle crawl in record time to be considered a higher skill level than other strokes in the context of swimming used in diving rescue scanarios.
Personally I think a strong side stroke just from a practical application view is much more usable in regards to rescuing a diver in distress on the surface. While freestyle can be glamorous, it's not practical in the everyday duties of DM work, However it does demonstrate perhaps a higher level of fitness to do the crawl non stop for the swim test.

 

[Mike Boswell]

The dog paddle is fine if you are a Labrador, and the duck is already dead.

 

[RAWalker]

The DM instructor manual section on "Waterskills and Stamina" states that the purpose of the section is "to confirm that candidates have the watermanship appropriate for someone working in a leadership capacity."

Clearly, anyone who is not a "comfortable swimmer" or must "doggie paddle" does not.

And that is why it is multiple tests and skills and requires at a minimum completing each and a score of 12 points total.
In a rescue scenario diving in without at least fins is often a mistake and the stamina waterskills do test abilities with fins.

Clearly, the standards do take weakness and strength into consideration. As professionals, instructors are bound by the standards of the certifying agency they are working with.