400m swim for DM

[RJP]

Personally, I'd add another option where if you are comfortable in the short distance times, add a much much longer distance with somewhat relaxed targeted times. Think 1/2 mile or so swim. This should take care of the slower but consistant swimmers.

Um, sort of like the 800yd swim, which is roughly a 1/2 mile. (0.455mi)

 

[drew52]

I'm envisioning a post in Accidents and Incidents...

"RJP - a certified Rescue Diver and the DM leading the dive - explained to the wife of the deceased that although her husband was only 400yds from shore, RJP was unable to get to him in time to save him because there were no walls to push off."

That's as ridiculous as saying that the person couldn't be saved because they were 450 yards off shore. Damn if only they'd made the swim 450yards and not 400.

 

[String]

[QUOTE string]

Ah String man you need to toughen up, you've gotten too used to your drysuit. I dive year round in a wetsuit in the irish sea and just put up with the cold- we're not in the artic you know, it aint that bad!

Id seriously question the sanity of people ever tempted to dive in the UK wearing only a wetsuit. Anyone choosing to swim with no suit really does need locking up for their own safety.

People do, have and will continue to die from wearing inadequate exposure protection (another coroners inquest came out last month from someone dieing due to a wetsuit).

4-6c water survival time with no suit is shirt, the time where you can actually move is even shorter.

As im never going to be near the UK sea without wearing a drysuit and thermals thats how i should train - in the kit i use on a daily basis.

Distance swimming people have fins, thats what they're invented for.
Can go twice as fast as a swimmer and takes 5 seconds to put a pair on.

 

[String]

I'm envisioning a post in Accidents and Incidents...

"RJP - a certified Rescue Diver and the DM leading the dive - explained to the wife of the deceased that although her husband was only 400yds from shore, RJP was unable to get to him in time to save him because there were no walls to push off."

Id be more interested to know how a DM and rescue diver managed to forget their fins on such an incident and still tried to perform a dive....

 

[Diver0001]

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to go about doing the 400m swim in the allocated times allowed

thanks

I got someone to show me how to swim...

Actually, that's the truth. I had ok stamina but my technique was terribly lacking and I was killing myself trying to keep up the pace. A nephew of my wife plays water polo and I got him to help me sharpen up my technique (actually, it's more accurate to say "learn some" technique). That sped me up enough.

Occasionally we get someone in for a course who is really good.... A recall a women we had a year or two ago for OW who was a competitive swimmer. Her "bow wake" just about spilled over the sides of the pool. I don't konw how fast she was swimming but "brisk walk" speed is a good comparison.... she looked like someone was pulling her through the water on a rope. Beautiful to watch.

R..

 

[String]

One of the guys that did the DM tests with me was an ex state trial swimmer and he not amazingly got a 5 and time wise was near competition standard. Glad i beat him on the tow and snorkel

Fairly sure its my technique thats 100% wrong for swimming. Deep distant past (15 years or so ago) i use to distance swim. Since then i havent even tried to swim without fins and as i result thrash around like a dieing animal with no clue of how to actually do it efficiently.
Swimming is something i never do, never get the chance to do and as a result am now rather poor at. Cant see that changing either.

 

[deepblueme]

Well now some of us sink like a brick in a pool. So the eazy swim is not so eazy.

If I am instructing I have my fins on and if I am beach mastering I have my fins with in reach.
I have never needed to "Swim" to help someone, and I am sure the Min. it would take to grab my fins and put them on would be lost if I had to do a swim with out them.

I always thought the no aids swim was just to torture the DM kind of like hazzing, you know like not certifing them till they learn the words to Gilligans Island theme song.

 

[ams511]

Fairly sure its my technique thats 100% wrong for swimming.

String, the secret is you need to shave off all your body hair and coat your body with vasoline.

 

[dl348]

And this was counted for a DM cert?! :shakehead

IANTD allows it also, I just reviewed their standards (Revised 12/1/2006) and spoke to Tom Mount regarding it. ANY stroke or combination of strokes may be utilized by the candidate.

 

[ams511]

Well now some of us sink like a brick in a pool. So the eazy swim is not so eazy.

If I am instructing I have my fins on and if I am beach mastering I have my fins with in reach.
I have never needed to "Swim" to help someone, and I am sure the Min. it would take to grab my fins and put them on would be lost if I had to do a swim with out them.

I always thought the no aids swim was just to torture the DM kind of like hazzing, you know like not certifing them till they learn the words to Gilligans Island theme song.

You can't tow a diver without fins unless you are one hell of a swimmer. However, it may be faster to swim out without fins if you are carrying a surface buoy for the diver to hold and be towed in.