Can people really get scuba certified without knowing how to swim?

[emoreira]

Knowing how to swim is not a binary knowledge, like and On-Off switch.
There are lots of swimming styles, there are grades of speed, resistance, endurance, etc.
Generally, people says that they don't know to swim when they cannot float, or stay in the water with the head over the surface without touching the bottom and without any flotation device.
For OWD the requirements are very little. The student should be able to float and move, I mean, the student should be comfortable in the water without any gear.
It also depends on the instructor, the dive school and the agency.
In my case, certified with SSI, the dive school was several steps further of the minimun requirements and they wanted us to swim breast and free style for at least 5 minutes each in the pool every single pool session and in the pool final exam.
Now I've just certified Stress & Rescue. The swimming requirements are even stronger.

 

[faster7581]

I had to swim 300 yard nonstopn, and tread water for 15 minutes.. I cant believe someone could be certified and not swim... doesnt make much sense.

 

[agilis]

A long time ago in Jamaica I was diving with a Scuba shop owner, just the two of us. His young assistant was in the boat. When we surfaced we discovered that the boat had drifted several hundred yards away from the place it had been moored. The divemaster shouted his employee's name, but no response. "Im fall asleep. You cyan swim good?" I assured him I could. 'Is good, becaw me can't" he replied. Eventually the assistant's head popped up, and the situation was resolved.

Nothing surprises me anymore. With on-line 'training' almost anything is possible. The idea of scuba certification for people who are not reasonably good swimmers makes about as much sense as driver's permits for the blind.

 

[gurnie]

Like mentioned before, the requirement is a 200 yard swim and a 10 minute float, but it does not have to be pretty (my dog could swim and he never took a lesson).. Honestly anyone who is comfortable in the water should be able to do it, but if someone is not sure about their abilities they should check out the local YMCA for a couple of lessons. It is really about safety, if you had to ditch your gear could you swim back to the boat?

 

[RTee]

When I got certified through NAUI in 78, this was a non-issue as we did endless pool lapses swimming on and under the surface and that was even before we put mask, fins, snorkel on, let alone saw our first 72cft steelie. We also did a fair bit of threading water and always finish our sessions playing underwater hockey. Those who could not swim did not even finish the first session.

@Devon. You know you do have a couple of choices. First one is to ask folks as they step on the boat if they can swim or not. The negative answer individual get to sit with a bright orange life vest strapped to their buddy until its time to gear up and do the same coming back. The second one is to have folks wearing their wetsuit for the ride to and from the spot. I don't know too many people who cannot float with a 3mm shorty or full length, especially in salt water with no weights on.

 

[nimoh]

I don't see how anyone could be comfortable in deep water without knowing how to swim, so certification requirements aside, I am not sure why someone would want to be a diver without knowing how to swim.

At the risk of hijacking this thread, I also think they should bring back swimming requirement to certification, even if just a 100m swim.

 

[RTee]

Nimoh...not being able to swim is one thing, fear of the water is another one.

Some folks are blessed (???) with both and that keeps them away from most if not all water related activities including scuba diving. However, it is not necessary the case for others especially in exotic locations. Once some of them realize that they can see very well with a mask (fish, reef, etc) without having water come up their nose, breathe with their head in the water (snorkel, reg), develop a means of propulsion they normally do not have (fins) and a means to stabilize their buoyancy (BCD), they lose their fear of the water wrt scuba diving activities.

 

[DevonDiver]

Since when did "lack of fear" constitute 'safety'?

 

[oly5050user]

A former dive buddy of mine said he was a very poor swimmer, and that he really should take lessons. He was certified at a very reputable LDS. But remember that you do not have to have great crawl form or speed to complete 200 yds.-mtrs. in a pool. As long as you keep going and do not touch anything but water you can pass--no time limit, officially. Also, as mentioned, you MAY be given the choice of 300 meters (PADI) with mask/fins/snorkel-- WAY easier--usually up to the instructor (a bone I have to pick--it should be the same everywhere, and if you have the option of one or the other you should get to choose). This is a heated and much discussed topic on SB, and rightfully so. It is frightening to think some people actually get certified who can not swim at all. On the other hand, how GOOD a swimmer one should be is a very good discussion.

yes they can do 300yd mfs option, but still must do 10 min tread water with no swim aids..

 

[redacted]

Since when did "lack of fear" constitute 'safety'?

I guess the test is on the other end: the presence of fear is a contraindication of safety.