Swimming

[Crush]

You don't need to be a great swimmer to be a good diver, but you do need to have a high panic threshold in the water. Most people who are good swimmers also have a high panic threshold in the water, most people who are not good swimmers have a low panic threshold when in the water. That is the real issue. Experienced instructors know that swim tests are just a way to get a read on the potential student's in-water panic threshold.

Thalassamania, FWIW I agree with you entirely. However, I'd like to draw attention to one of my OW classmates. He was on the high school swim team. While that was some time ago, he was still a very good swimmer. However, when it came to (on a single breath) the 25 meter swim underwater (with fins), dive down, find your gear and put it on, he crashed and burned badly. He swam to the end of the pool on the first attempt, dived down, then bolted for the surface. Next, he made it 20 meters and abandoned his attempt. Repeat at intervals of 20 (again) and 15 meters.

Summary: While not being a strong swimmer often predisposes you to panicking underwater, sometimes being a strong swimmer is not enough to make you calm underwater.

 

[k ellis]

to the OP I started diving and I could not swim a single foot. I could not float and could not tread water. One intersting thing is I learned from my instructor how to float with no problem. After that I realized swimming was simple and like others have said I may look like a wounded turtle in the water but I dont have any problems any more.

She should be fine once she gets passed the cert. Ironicly with me I love to dive and will dive any where any time but when asked to swim I find no interest in going unless its 100 degrees outside

 

[h90]

The swim test is not very hard. It has two parts. You have to be able to float in deep water for 10 minutes.

The other thing is you have to be able to swim 200 meters.

So, just find a decent size pool and practice some. If she can swim at all, she should be able to do it. Learning a basic stroke would really help. Another thing to master is feeling comfortable in the water. If you do not feel comfortable in the water, you have no business scuba diving.

to add the 200 meter are without time limit. No matter if it needs 5 min or one hour.....

 

[lulubelle]

These threads always scare me. I consider the swimming competency standards to achieve OW certification to be the bare minimum. Maybe that's fine if the diver only dives in environments which do not demand more swimming skill than the OW course does. But that card means that you can dive anywhere you want.

I have needed to be a very good swimmer in nearly all of the diving environments I have been diving in, Little Cayman probably being the exception. Not being a "swimmer" in the Atlantic Ocean is probably a good way to meet your Maker a bit too early.

You do not need to be a superstar swimmer to be a good diver. But you do need to be capable of handling yourself, and your buddy, in currents, surge, waves, chop, whatever you find yourself in. I simply can't fathom that it is possible to do so without being a decent swimmer.

Please have her take swimming lessons first.

 

[g1138]

Being a good swimmer doesn't always make you a good diver.
My dad's a pretty good swimmer. And by good I mean he can swim laps all day. Granted he's not fast and his butterfly could use a major overhaul in form, but he's got good form (sans butterfly) and endurance.
However as a diver he's not that great. Granted, again, he just started.
During surface swims he bends his knees too much so he doesn't really get anywhere fast, and underwater he flails his arms and legs too much when trying to orient himself.
Bottomline swimming on the surface is entirely different than swimming submerged.

As with anything new, practice makes perfect. If your girlfriend feels comfortable and confident in the water (pool and ocean) and she can pass the instructors swim test, I see no problem in allowing her to try.

 

[TMHeimer]

And anyone who cannot swim should not be in the water. Nothing to do with scuba just simple common sense survival. Swimming with fins is not swimming.

Agree 100%. Swimming and diving are apples & oranges. Generally (unless you have a disability), arms are not used with scuba. Legs only. Be that as it may, I still find it amazing that some folks sign up for OW who actually can't swim at all. Like signing up for parachuting class but never having been in a plane.

 

[k ellis]

Agree 100%. Swimming and diving are apples & oranges. Generally (unless you have a disability), arms are not used with scuba. Legs only. Be that as it may, I still find it amazing that some folks sign up for OW who actually can't swim at all. Like signing up for parachuting class but never having been in a plane.

As I posted earlier I could not swim 5 feet when I started. Your response is as a general rule but there are exceptions. Scuba in itself is what drove me to the point of being a swimmer. I can now swim all over the place for long periods of time in a wounded turtle fashion but I am improving.

Its true its not the smartest move but its like driving a car. At one point in time we all had to sit behind the seat for the first time with absolutely no experience but through determination and desire we learned to drive.

I think its very important to know how to swim when you learn to dive but you can learn to do both off of love and desire to do so.

 

[g1138]

Aquaregia I have only dove twice where I felt like I could swim all the way to shore. I know I can swim 2 miles if I have to but off shore to on shore on a deep water boat dive. Aquaregia really.

Right, sorry, I forget about those darned boat things.

haha
yeah over where we are we tend to forget about the whole diving from a boat thing
too many surf entries and exits will do that to ya ;D

 

[TSandM]

I think anybody who dives should be able to tread water, and to make a simple swim. After all, one walks out on docks to board boats, and falling can happen; one can fall off a boat, as well.

I am not a good swimmer, in that I don't like the freestyle and swim sidestroke and slowly, but I can swim a long distance that way without tiring. I think my swimming skills are adequate for the diving I do, and I've passed the swim tests for GUE Cave 1 and 2 (the latter by the skin of my teeth) so somebody else agrees with me.

You don't have to be able to set Olympic records, but safety really requires you be able to swim to dive.

 

[k ellis]

I think anybody who dives should be able to tread water, and to make a simple swim. After all, one walks out on docks to board boats, and falling can happen; one can fall off a boat, as well.

I am not a good swimmer, in that I don't like the freestyle and swim sidestroke and slowly, but I can swim a long distance that way without tiring. I think my swimming skills are adequate for the diving I do, and I've passed the swim tests for GUE Cave 1 and 2 (the latter by the skin of my teeth) so somebody else agrees with me.

You don't have to be able to set Olympic records, but safety really requires you be able to swim to dive.

I could not agree more. But in my case had I have not passed scuba I would have never learned to swim. Had I not learned how to swim then it would be a serious hazard to my scuba. I think one played as crucial role for me to want to learn the other and vice versa.

While I think initially its a little importance though I do rank it still important to be able to swim good I do believe as you advance in your desire to take on the wonders of the world where high current plays in, high waves and surf then you should adequately adapt you swimming too to meet those new demands.