800m mask/fins/snorkel for the DM
- Thread starter stephhhhh
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I hope you do too. I hope you do better.
I just worry about people moving into diving leadership without having the support of basic confidence in their watermanship.
I just worry about people moving into diving leadership without having the support of basic confidence in their watermanship.
Guba
Contributor
I don't know much about the DM test (I'm not one), but I do know a thing or two about swimming in general (I'm a swimming instructor and lifeguard trainer).
I've had quite a few strong young bucks who failed the lifeguard distance swim on the first try. On more than one occassion, I was assigned to "teach them to swim". Now these young men knew the basics, but they had terrible form and therefore exhausted themselves before finishing the test. After only one full day of teaching them basic hydrodynamics, they were able to complete the requisite swim easily. I also stressed that they should relax during the swim and not fight it. Tension robs muscles of stamina and interrupts normal breathing patterns, thus exacerbating the problem.
If you have been training, I tend to doubt that leg strength is the problem. Form and state of relaxation may very well be key issues. Just from the things you have said, I can tell that you are extremely anxious about the test. Try your best to calm yourself and decrease your stress level. Think about your streamlining and move through the water as easily as possible, gliding as much as possible with each kick and keeping your arms tucked (if you are not required to use them). If you are required to use your arms, clear the water with them on your body rotation and extend fully on each stroke.
Thassalamania has it right. Part of the reason he didn't have trouble with his swim was his comfort level. Strive to achieve the same mental attitude.
Hope this helps. I wish you well.
I've had quite a few strong young bucks who failed the lifeguard distance swim on the first try. On more than one occassion, I was assigned to "teach them to swim". Now these young men knew the basics, but they had terrible form and therefore exhausted themselves before finishing the test. After only one full day of teaching them basic hydrodynamics, they were able to complete the requisite swim easily. I also stressed that they should relax during the swim and not fight it. Tension robs muscles of stamina and interrupts normal breathing patterns, thus exacerbating the problem.
If you have been training, I tend to doubt that leg strength is the problem. Form and state of relaxation may very well be key issues. Just from the things you have said, I can tell that you are extremely anxious about the test. Try your best to calm yourself and decrease your stress level. Think about your streamlining and move through the water as easily as possible, gliding as much as possible with each kick and keeping your arms tucked (if you are not required to use them). If you are required to use your arms, clear the water with them on your body rotation and extend fully on each stroke.
Thassalamania has it right. Part of the reason he didn't have trouble with his swim was his comfort level. Strive to achieve the same mental attitude.
Hope this helps. I wish you well.
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Many things in life are all in one's head.Guba:
I started finning in the YMCA pool about a month ago, just to get my legs right for the upcoming season. It was rough in the beginning, but I came around quickly. I am a 48 year old male (fairly athletic), but was way out of shape when I started. Sunday, I kicked 20 laps (1000M) in just under 17 minutes, mask, fins and snorkel, no arms.
If I can make that kind of improvement in 30 short days, I think anyone could enough to do 800m in 18 minutes.
Stick with and practice.
If I can make that kind of improvement in 30 short days, I think anyone could enough to do 800m in 18 minutes.
Stick with and practice.
Just a thought...considering all the other discrepancies between standards and your instructors demands, have you confirmed the distances that he is claiming are 400 and 800?
OK another THING that I can't stand!!! I just did the 800m, did fin on it since I did it in 15' in open water and the current was there PLUS waves! Well I got 4 points on this one!
On the 400m, same conditions (which is not normal), I did bad (normal to me since we weren't in a still water!) So I got only 1 point on this one. But my Instructor is telling me that I can fail if I just have one point on one of the swmis exercises. And that I only have 2 chances to try. So one more left...
I've never seen such a rule!!!! Is he true???? I bet no!
On the 400m, same conditions (which is not normal), I did bad (normal to me since we weren't in a still water!) So I got only 1 point on this one. But my Instructor is telling me that I can fail if I just have one point on one of the swmis exercises. And that I only have 2 chances to try. So one more left...
I've never seen such a rule!!!! Is he true???? I bet no!
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An open water swim is very different than a confined water swim. I don't think that's right.
stephhhhh:
Assuming this is PADI and you're doing DM you should have been able to verify this yourself with the instructor manual.
You can retry as many times as you want.
A 1 is NOT a fail, its taking over 12 minutes to finish. Provided the other tests have a score >=12 a 1 is enough. You must *complete* the exercise, in other words, not stop, must get to the end regardless of time.
Go read 4-2 in the instructor manual for DM, make the instructor read it too. Remind people of the standards so everyone knows what to expect and perform.
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