ElectricZombie
Contributor
Forgot to earlier...just voted...
DIRF and swim test
- Thread starter large_diver
- Start date
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Forgot to earlier...just voted...
The required swim test is
300 yards in less then 14 minutes without stopping &
Swim a distance underwater of at least 50 feet on a breath hold.
For Tech 1 it is
300 yards in 12 minutes & 50 feet breat hold
For Tech 2 it is
400 yard in 12 minutes & 60 feet breath hold
The swim can be done using any stroke.
Marc Hall
GUE Recreational Instructor
www.enjoythedive.com
Teach DIRF, Will Travel
300 yards in less then 14 minutes without stopping &
Swim a distance underwater of at least 50 feet on a breath hold.
For Tech 1 it is
300 yards in 12 minutes & 50 feet breat hold
For Tech 2 it is
400 yard in 12 minutes & 60 feet breath hold
The swim can be done using any stroke.
Marc Hall
GUE Recreational Instructor
www.enjoythedive.com
Teach DIRF, Will Travel
300 yards in 14 minutes is not a difficult test, and is in fact probably too low a threshold for regular diving fitness. A more appropriate goal for routine swimming fitness is 600 meters in 12 minutes. Also, for the breath hold swim, there are a couple of training techniques which are invaluable, not only for tests, but for keeping yourself prepared for an out-of-gas event in real life:
1) Breath hold swims: Swimming a length underwater should not be a big deal, but by doing this routinely (and incrementally extending the distance you swim on a single breath hold) you intuitively learn to conserve energy / air and use the most efficient body position (streamlining) and stroke (muscle group discrimination) possible.
2) Over and unders: Once a base competency has been established with regard to a breath hold swim, over-and-unders provide a means of increasing cardiovascular efficiency by combining aerobic and anaerobic conditioning in one exercise. Swim a length on the surface, then submerge and swim a length on the bottom, in a continuous cycle. The first few are relatively easy, but as your heart rate increases, it becomes more difficult to complete a length on the bottom on a single breath. The intent of this conditioning is to train your heart rate to drop or rise quickly in response to actual workload.
3) Anaerobic swimming: Starting with whatever your comfortable cruise speed is, start delaying your breaths by one stroke. Swim as far as you can following that pattern. Once you are able to do that continuously, add another stroke between breaths.
-Sean
1) Breath hold swims: Swimming a length underwater should not be a big deal, but by doing this routinely (and incrementally extending the distance you swim on a single breath hold) you intuitively learn to conserve energy / air and use the most efficient body position (streamlining) and stroke (muscle group discrimination) possible.
2) Over and unders: Once a base competency has been established with regard to a breath hold swim, over-and-unders provide a means of increasing cardiovascular efficiency by combining aerobic and anaerobic conditioning in one exercise. Swim a length on the surface, then submerge and swim a length on the bottom, in a continuous cycle. The first few are relatively easy, but as your heart rate increases, it becomes more difficult to complete a length on the bottom on a single breath. The intent of this conditioning is to train your heart rate to drop or rise quickly in response to actual workload.
3) Anaerobic swimming: Starting with whatever your comfortable cruise speed is, start delaying your breaths by one stroke. Swim as far as you can following that pattern. Once you are able to do that continuously, add another stroke between breaths.
-Sean
OP
large_diver
Contributor
Yes, we had the swim tests in the pool for DIRF this weekend -- IMHO the surface swim requirements for ALL the classes are far too lenient to measure anything valuable. If you can float, you can probably make it in the time required. We had a range of swimming ability/strengths in the class. It was a relatively narrow pool, making it crowded during the test -- even with all the swimmer traffic forcing people to slow way down, I think the slowest time was somewhere around 8 minutes for the 300 yards.
The underwater swim is a little more relevant and more demanding.
The underwater swim is a little more relevant and more demanding.
I don't think the swim tests are designed to be demanding....I think it is more of a bare minimum than anything else.
Remember we are diving, not swimming, although swimming is wonderful exercise and is an elment to diving, it is a skill you have to be competent with, not awesome at, to be able to dive well.
Remember we are diving, not swimming, although swimming is wonderful exercise and is an elment to diving, it is a skill you have to be competent with, not awesome at, to be able to dive well.
OP
large_diver
Contributor
I guess it depends on your definition of "competency". Someone can easily just float on their back and scull gently and complete that distance in that time. I would not call that competant swimming.
but anyone who can scull gently and complete 300 yards of it more than likely can swim....sculling is kind of one of those 'tools' to effective swimming.
Yes, we are diving and not swimming, but look at it from this perspective:
Your swimming strength and endurance are going to bear directly on the speed with which you can respond to a surface emergency, and your ability to swim a disabled diver to medical attention. Personally, I wouldn't dive with someone who I felt was not sufficiently capable of rendering effective and timely assistance to me, should I require it.
Think about that the next time you buddy up with someone who is out of shape.
-Sean
Your swimming strength and endurance are going to bear directly on the speed with which you can respond to a surface emergency, and your ability to swim a disabled diver to medical attention. Personally, I wouldn't dive with someone who I felt was not sufficiently capable of rendering effective and timely assistance to me, should I require it.
Think about that the next time you buddy up with someone who is out of shape.
-Sean
Fitness level is one criteria (not the most important to me) of many to use in judging other divers. Some of the best buddies i've ever had could be considered "out ot shape" by most interpretations of the phrase.
I've certified many excellent swimmers and many not so excellent swimmers .... swimming ability doesn't make a good buddy, one way or the other IMO. Watching someone swim or scull their way through a 300, regardless of the finish time, gives the instructor a wealth of knowledge of the students watermanship skills. Recommendations for remediation can follow from there.
IMO, the DIR, 300 yard swim test is logical for that reason alone.
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