DIR-F swim requirement question

[piikki]

When diving in fresh water (like pool) you'll be negative bouyant with empty lungs (I'm negative with half empty lungs). Imagine yourself at the end of the dive tired, without enough strength to kick and letting air out and making you body negative bouyant. Not a pleasent experiance.

I do not need to imagine here. I am not negatively buoyant with empty lungs. I was not even when I was fit, let alone now that I am not. And I did not misunderstand you, I am talking about just wearing my bikini, no neoprene. Some of us just are floaters.

I understand your point though, it is a good one, and I might just read a bit about free diving just for general education.

 

[ppo2_diver]

From what I've read and heard, the breath hold swim test is only used to test one's ability to swim (not scuba) efficiently underwater and not test one's ability to hold their breath.

We learned not to hold our breaths while underwater. It doesn't make sense to hold your breath while swimming to your buddy in an OOA event. Even an ascent of 3 feet can cause a lung overexpansion injury (I've seen it at 4 feet in a pool). During the DIR-F breath hold swim, you can hold your breath or blow tiny bubbles. All that matters is "how" you move in the water.

DJ

 

[JeffG]

From what I've read and heard

Have you taken DIR-f?

All that matters is "how" you move in the water.

No. What matters is the distance.

 

[MonkSeal]

Even an ascent of 3 feet can cause a lung overexpansion injury.

This depends on depth i.e. this is true for shallow water but it's less dangerous at deeper depths (of course if you move only 3 feet). And of course breath hold while scuba is bad practice.

 

[MonkSeal]

All that matters is "how" you move in the water.

No. What matters is the distance.

Size does matter (from Godzilla)

 

[Mark Vlahos]

My original question was specifically about the requirements for DIR-F. That question has been answered. Thank you. It was my hope that by posting this question specfically in the DIR forum and asking in the way I initially did there would be little confusion about just what information I was looking for.

Mark Vlahos

 

[Xanthro]

Swim to buddy in OOG situation.

I guess I wasn't clear since two people responded in the same manner.

To me the test does not reflect swimming in an OOG situation in the least bit. No exposure suit, no tank, no fins. It's not representative in any manner to an OOG situation other than being done underwater.

I could easily swim 25 meters underwater in the test conditions. I'd be lucky to make it 5 or ten meters in gear with no fins. Just adding exposure suits would have the distance one could reach.

The test should be 50 feet in gear and with fins.

 

[Rick Inman]

The test should be 50 feet in gear and with fins.

Which is close to the IANTD Advanced Nitrox requirment:

a. Swim in a simulated out-of-air situation (without breathing, and exhaling slowly) without a mask for a distance of at least 45
feet (15 meters), and commence gas sharing; or appropriate Rebreather gas management drill for out-of air diver. While
gas sharing, swim for 3 minutes, then replace and clear mask.

 

[lamont]

The test should be 50 feet in gear and with fins.

The DIRF test is not a test of some kind of real-life emergency simulation. It is a test of basic cardiovascular fitness and VO2 capacity. If you can't hit 50 feet in swimtrunks and no gear, you have some kind of a physical fitness issue which needs to be addressed. Period. With fins on, you should be able to go farther.

I had a hard time hitting 50 feet initially, but I got into the pool and practiced and I'm getting into better shape and I can hit 60 feet consistantly now, and I'm working on hitting 70 feet consistantly. And I suck. Start going to the pool every other day and 50 feet should get easy. Stop making excuses about how its not fair.

 

[Snowbear]

Then why not have the test done wearing the appropriate exposure gear and fins? That I could understand, but swimming in trunks without fins is nothing like swimming in gear.

Hehe.. yeah, the instructor who was coaching me last week when I was having trouble asked if any of my "advanced training" (he knows nothing about GUE) required simulated OOG swims underwater with gear on. I told him yes, and that if he let me do this same test with full gear and my jet fins, I would pass easily

One of the engineers (fire apparatus driver/operator) I work with is a former pararescueman. He's learned the technique to an art and looks like he doesn't even move. He doesn't use his arms at all and gets to the other end of the pool, takes a breath and comes back not even breathing hard. I'm thinking THAT's the guy I need to coach me