Can any swim stroke be used for PADI DM?

[TMHeimer]

NJDM, Yeah that's really odd. I don't know how to give you a link other than to say my OP was Dec.21/09 and the most recent post reply was Dec.24 by Divin' Hoosier. It is the 7th thread below the stickys, just before the "Finished" thread.

 

[RJP]

NJDM, Yeah that's really odd. I don't know how to give you a link other than to say my OP was Dec.21/09 and the most recent post reply was Dec.24 by Divin' Hoosier. It is the 7th thread below the stickys, just before the "Finished" thread.

Found it - had my dates set to show "Last 2 Months"

FYI - for links:

Right click on thread title.
Select COPY LINK LOCATION.
Go wherever you want to put the link.
Right click.
Select PASTE.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/going-pro/316384-swim-poll.html

Done

 

[Haiko]

Seems to be a conflict here. You'd make an exception for the physically challenged yet you don't want to drown while he doggies to get you?

Ehm, your right... Maybe I was thinking that a challenged person could not swim "the way it should" and make an exception for him to swim the way he "can". But yeah, he still has to be quick... It just seems to me that swimming like a dog is not that fast, but any other style might be. I don't know.

 

[TMHeimer]

Ehm, your right... Maybe I was thinking that a challenged person could not swim "the way it should" and make an exception for him to swim the way he "can". But yeah, he still has to be quick... It just seems to me that swimming like a dog is not that fast, but any other style might be. I don't know.

I hear ya. In practising for the 400 I began to recall how much more important arms are than legs in the freestyle. No doubt someone with limited leg use could eventually come up to speed standard.

 

[Lead_carrier]

I was wondering can I use any type of stroke to complete the swim tests like side stroke,kicking on my back,doggy paddle,breast stroke?

Any stroke or combination of strokes, even doggie paddle.
I'd suggest a good portion on your back for easy breathing if you are not a strong and very comfortable swimmer. Swim your pace and remember although it is timed it isn't a race.

According to PADI, any stroke or combination is ok. According to an instructor I started to do DM class with years ago, he has the right to require whatever he wants as long as it is tougher. PADI said he didn't but wouldn't back up their words.

 

[TMHeimer]

I guess you could do the whole thing doggy paddle if you could last that long.You'd only get a "1" and need 11 more points. Doggy paddly is S-L-O-W.

 

[boulderjohn]

Back when I did my DM work, it had been many years since I had done a lot of surface swimming (I really don't enjoy it at all), so I was one of those who did a lot of swimming practice to get ready for the tests. When I did the timed tests, I accumulated enough points on everything before doing the tired diver tow that I did not need any real time on that event--I just had to do it.

I was with the dive shop on a trip to Key Largo, and we were about to do a dive on which I had some assigned DMC tasks. I asked the instructor if I could just go in the water with someone, do a tow out and back for an estimated proper distance, and get it over with. He said sure, so off I went.

The seas were a bit high, and I started the swim into the wind/current. I went well past the required distance out just to be sure. There was another dive boat moored nearby, and I imagined myself pulling a real victim to it. It was very hard work, and I was getting quite winded. When I got my "victim" back to the boat so we could begin the actual dive, I could not submerge for a long time. I was breathing so hard my lungs were too full of air for me to submerge.

That experience told me very clearly why that swimming requirement is so very important. I realized while towing that guy against the wind that it might be a very, very hard job to save someone who is in trouble, and I could not be content with a mere technical pass on that requirement. Someone's life might depend on my being able to do more than a dog paddle to save them.

On a later shop trip to Key Largo I did not attend, a man from a neighboring boat was struggling in the water trying to get back to his boat after ascending from the Spiegel Grove. People were shouting at him to inflate his BCD, but he did not. He sank beneath the waves. The DM from our boat leaped into the water, swam furiously toward him, got a hold of him as he was about to get beyond his grasp, brought him back to the boat, and began CPR. The guy revived.

I think the guy was very glad that the DM had strong surface swimming skills.

 

[boulderjohn]

Just an added thought about this.

On a thread in the accidents and incidents forum, you will read about a case in which a DM who had not done any real practice or even renewed his status officially had to jump in the water, swim over to a struggling diver, and provide assistance. What he did in trying to assist him the opposite of your are taught as a DM, and we also learned that his swimming skills were weak.

The diver drowned.

Not long after, the DM committed suicide.

I don't think these skills are anything to be trifled with.

 

[eth727]

Hey guy's I was joking about doing the doggy paddle. For me the side stroke works the best as far as not running out of gas and time. Now for Mike Phelps or the Pitbull down the street they might be have a stroke that works for them. I recently started reading and watching Total Immersion videos by Terry Laughlin and learned that a swimming on the side makes you more slippery. Try it and you'll see. I want to be the the fastest and most efficient swimmer not only to pass the test but because it's fun once you get the hang of it.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Considering the fact that all the freestyle events are regularly won with the same stroke, the same stroke that all the records were set using, the same stroke that 6 year olds race freestyle events with for the most part; the crawl is obviously the fastest and most efficient stroke for the vast majority of competitive swimmers of the human persuasion.

The DM swims are not a rescue swim, and you get more points for faster times, up to a point. The requirements for PADI DM swims are so easy there are some 80+ year old guys in the USA who could pass them, and some 75+ year old ladies in the USA who could also pass them. With 193 sovereign Countries in the World, many with residents who are not as out of shape as those in the USA, it is likely that right now in the world there are hundreds of men and women over age 75 with no scuba experience whatsoever who could pass the PADI DM 400 swim and 800 snorkel without any preparation.

Some of those just might swim the side stroke, but none would swim the dog paddle.