I couldn't do the 2 minutes hands out. I think I'm what they call a "sinker"--perhaps more negatively buoyant than normal. I did the float OK, though I needed arms to keep the legs from shooting directly down fast--fresh water. Since, my instructor has shown me the "egg beater" kick, which I could do to some degree. With continued running my legs will EVENTUALLY hold me up with hands out so I can get the 5. I, too,somewhat question the hands out thing. I do agree that it is a stamina thing, which is probably good, whether you're very negatively buoyant or not (I still can't finish the 400, as I spend as much energy keeping afloat as moving forward, but continual arm strengthening should help me get it done). I do believe, however that it would be extremely unlikely that you would ever find yourself in a situation where you had to do this....without fins, mask and snorkle, which is about the 3rd thing you learn in Rescue course--to always put these on. Also doubt you would be needing to swim without these items anytime you were diving. But if anyone can give exact scenarios where you would need these skills I'd honestly like to hear them. As I said, these may be excellent stamina tests, and I have a lot to improve on to meet the standards, but to say these are necessary skills for anywhere near likely (dive) situations is stretching it, I think. For practicality, it may be a better choice for these tests to extend the really necessary skills, making them harder (longer)--the 100 meter push, the 800 mask, fin & snorkel, and even the float without hands out to say, a half hour. I guess you could conceivably be in a position where the boat sinks and anything that floats (including all dive gear) has sunk, so you had to float. In salt water, that's a piece of cake. Some LDSs do these in the ocean, some in lakes, some in pools (lots of turns on the swims in a pool). Just some thoughts.
