Swimming Skills Assessment

[vladimir]

If someone fell off a boat with none of their gear on where I dive, I don't care if they were Michael Phelps, they would be dead in about 15 minutes. The waters on average about 50 degrees

At 50º F, you have about an hour until exhaustion or unconsciousness. The world record in the 1500 meters freestyle is about 14:34. Let's say Phelps could do it in 15:00, since it's not his event. I like his chances if he falls off the boat within 3 miles of land, and I like the chances of the handful of excellent swimmers with a lot of body fat too.

 

[divad]

That's a pretty sad assessment of your fellow ScubaBoarders. It is hard to see what somebody gets out of lying on an anonymous poll. Isn't it more likely that the poll attracts responses from members who think they are good swimmers, and poor swimmers don't bother?

Yeah, lying on an anonymous poll should be something you do just before you step off the chair.

 

[TMHeimer]

I am 52 now. I have been a lifeguard for most part of my life. I quited as a lifeguard and a dive rescue team leader in 2007 when I left Germany. When I started scuba diving about 30 years ago, I did it the old fashioned way, with a lot of swimming and snorkeling, so I think I know what I am talking about.

Are good swimming skills and stamina helpfull for scuba diving? - Yes.
Are good snorkeling skills helpfull for scuba diving? - Yes.
Are they necessary for scuba diving? - NO!

Is it necessary for scuba diving to feel comfortable in the water? - Yes.
Is some level of general physical fitness necessary for scuba diving? - Yes.

During my carreer as a diving instructor, I had several students who did very hard to pass the OW swim test, but they became very good divers.

And one of the most important points is to know your limits. If you are not a strong swimmer, may be its not a good idea to dive in rough conditions. Also, if you are not a good swimmer, may be its not a good idea to dive very far away from shore or boat. But if you know your limits and stay within them, where is the problem?

If someone wants to swim for improving his physicall fitness, why not? If he asks me for some advice for improving his swimming skills, why not?

But I don't see having my student divers swimming and snorkeling as a necessary part of my job as a diving instructor. I just do it because the standards of my agency force me to do it.
IMHO its a waste of time during a scuba diving class and its one of the remnants of the "good old time" when every scuba diver nearly had to be a combat swimmer.

I tend to agree with all you say. There are many on SB that don't, particularly when it comes to the DM requirement--feeling that you should be able to do a "3" on the 400 with very little preparation. I do think the DM requirements should be somewhat more than the OW ones, of course. How much more I don't know. I'd start with the premise that all OW candidates should at the very least KNOW how to swim. Does this mean doing 2 pool laps (50 yards)?-Maybe. Perhaps more that that would mean some people would and do have to train to do say 100 or the required 200. That training and passing that test means nothing if the diver stops swimming laps afterwords.

 

[fjpatrum]

I skipped the poll because the options are horrible. I'm a moderate-strong swimmer but I don't swim that often recreationally. I've also never been a competition swimmer but I can swim for while in surf without any difficulty. Just don't ask me to float.

 

[lulubelle]

At 50º F, you have about an hour until exhaustion or unconsciousness. The world record in the 1500 meters freestyle is about 14:34. Let's say Phelps could do it in 15:00, since it's not his event. I like his chances if he falls off the boat within 3 miles of land, and I like the chances of the handful of excellent swimmers with a lot of body fat too.

You make a great point, and I have to agree with you. My brother held a world record in swimming for a period of time, though it was a 50M sprint. He is 6'4" and was about 162 or so at the Olympics. He would probably be able to make it 3 miles, but what would likely get him would be hypothermia.

I on the other hand (didn't fit into the poll so I didn't answer), who considers myself a very strong but not fast swimmer, and am fluffier than my bro, quit swimming laps when I was about 10 although I thrashed about the ocean my entire life and have rescued a number of folks. I just got back into the pool for some fitness swimming recently. It took a few times before I learned how to swim without an air supply again. I'd probably score a 3 on the DM swimming skills assessment and hope to improve.

I'd probably put even odds on both of us getting back from 3miles out, although bro would get their faster if he didn't freeze first. I'd get their more slowly, but I'd get there.

Interestingly, I was a natural diver from dive one. Him, not so much. He does 2 DM escorted dives a year on a good year and has no idea what he doesn't know about deep diving. So I have found this discussion on swimming skills and their relationship to diving to be an interesting one!

 

[explorer08]

I tend to agree with all you say. There are many on SB that don't, particularly when it comes to the DM requirement--feeling that you should be able to do a "3" on the 400 with very little preparation. I do think the DM requirements should be somewhat more than the OW ones, of course. How much more I don't know. I'd start with the premise that all OW candidates should at the very least KNOW how to swim. Does this mean doing 2 pool laps (50 yards)?-Maybe. Perhaps more that that would mean some people would and do have to train to do say 100 or the required 200. That training and passing that test means nothing if the diver stops swimming laps afterwords.

I see the DM requirement in the same context than the OW requirement - a remnant of the "good old time".

 

[Lead_carrier]

......

I believe that daily swimming should form part of every diver’s lifestyle and habits. I am not a free diver, but will start soon as I believe these skills and a better understanding of how your mind and body work, will only improve you as a scuba diver.

That would be great but not all of us have access to a pool that we can swim in every day or even once a week as far as that goes.

 

[seaducer]

Why should it matter if it takes 30 seconds or 30 minutes? When you do rider training, you're training to actually ride.....yes? I've seen nothing in this thread that convinces me that one's ability to swim well (or swim fast) has anything to do with diving. I passed the PADI tests, but it wasn't pretty.

I struggle to come up with a scenerio that would make me "lose" my wetsuit, BCD, dSMB, and fins all at the same time. However, if that actually happened, nobody has a stopwatch, and there are no style points given for survival. Just staying above water.

In my opinion, what is most important is being comfortable and confident in one's abilities UNDER water.

The PADI swim test is what...200 meters? I don't see this test really as a measure of swimming ability as much as I see it as a fitness test as close as they can come to SCUBA specific fitness. If you really struggle to finish the swim test it says more about your fitness level than your swimming stroke in my opinion.

Once you drop below a certain level of fitness, even the most benign diving locations become potentially hazardous, and we see accidents and fatalities every single year directly related to health and fitness.

Im sorry Trace if you think this is a little OT, I do feel the swimming assesment is more about fitness than skills. If you want, PM me and I'll delete...

 

[ToyZuki9615]

Just an observation, the last summer camp that I lifeguarded for the BSA required all scouts to pass a "swimmer" test to be allowed in the deep end and to be allowed on boats, canoes, etc. This included floating for 2 min unassisted and swimming 200 meters. IMHO anyone with somewhat basic swimming ability can accomplish these requirements.

Should it be a requirement for SCUBA...? I'm not one to make that decision, but there is definitely a benefit to having the ability to swim, especially in a safety sense.

 

[lulubelle]

Just an observation, the last summer camp that I lifeguarded for the BSA required all scouts to pass a "swimmer" test to be allowed in the deep end and to be allowed on boats, canoes, etc. This included floating for 2 min unassisted and swimming 200 meters. IMHO anyone with somewhat basic swimming ability can accomplish these requirements.

Should it be a requirement for SCUBA...? I'm not one to make that decision, but there is definitely a benefit to having the ability to swim, especially in a safety sense.

I guess I see it as a safety issue more than a skills issue too but I'm not the one to make that decision either. I've seen some UGLY swimmers. But they were comfortable in the water, reasonably fit, could move with strength in and out of the water, and assist others if needed. I DO look for these qualities in my DBs too, and here in NC, would NEVER buddy with someone who described themselves as a poor swimmer. No way. That tells me that if there was an equipment failure, they'd be toast.

I've had times where I timed myself out of diving because my basic strength and fitness, as opposed to swimming skills, were not on par with what is needed to dive safely here.