Dive Master Training, Swim Test went back in class

[aquacat8]

As for masks maybe dm on duty should wear on neck or back of head.

 

[tursiops]

My wife paid a swim coach for three lessons to help her with the 400 freestyle; she only needed two of them.

 

[Seaweed Doc]

As for masks maybe dm on duty should wear on neck or back of head.

I don't think the mask is all that critical. Being able to open your eyes underwater is a skill most DM's will have. Positioning fins to don quickly makes sense to me. However, the DM may be moving around a boat and (hypothetically) happens to be checking on the anchor line at the bow when a diver is noted in distress. Jumping off the bow maybe the best solution.

On controlling a panicked diver: An early lesson in Rescue is not to become the second victim. The better bet is to hover out of arm's reach of the panicked person and talk them through a solution. Get behind them if possible and inflate BCD or dump weight if they haven't and it can be done safely. If that doesn't work, wait until they've tired themselves out and then intervene.

 

[Landau]

Maybe some resistance training and weight lifting for my arms. Maybe running for endurance and breathing.

In the words of one of the best swim coaches I've had: "the best way to get better at swimming is swimming" Get in to pool with a good instructor or coach to work on your technique.

 

[Addicted2H2O]

I don't think the mask is all that critical. Being able to open your eyes underwater is a skill most DM's will have. Positioning fins to don quickly makes sense to me. However, the DM may be moving around a boat and (hypothetically) happens to be checking on the anchor line at the bow when a diver is noted in distress. Jumping off the bow maybe the best solution.

On controlling a panicked diver: An early lesson in Rescue is not to become the second victim. The better bet is to hover out of arm's reach of the panicked person and talk them through a solution. Get behind them if possible and inflate BCD or dump weight if they haven't and it can be done safely. If that doesn't work, wait until they've tired themselves out and then intervene.

Really one of the best ways to get behind a panicked diver is to duck below the surface and swim under/around them. They're panicked and worried about being able to breathe....they're not going to follow. But definitely done much easier with fins IMHO.

 

[Graeme Fraser]

I think I was a bit defeated before I ever got in the water. I wasn't in the right mindset and was pretty certain I couldn't do the 400. I knew my breathing was off, I knew my arms weren't going to hold out and now I know that yes indeed my stroke was way off. A couple of my classmates have offered to swim with me and help me perfect my stroke but I think more than anything else I just need to start getting my body back in shape. Maybe some resistance training and weight lifting for my arms. Maybe running for endurance and breathing.

Fitness obviously helps, but technique is the thing that'll make all the difference, trust me. Back when I did my swim test I got a coach to give me a couple of informal lessons. In just two weeks I reduced my stroke rate from 13 to 8 per lap. Less effort, way more power. Also, concentrate on sustaining the distance first then gradually work out a pace time over a few sessions. If you start to tire, switch stroke for a couple of laps.

Young fellas often struggle with their swim tests cos they set off like scolded cats and burn out. Remember the tortoise and the hare!

Good luck, I'm sure you'll nail it.

 

[Divegoose]

@Divegoose if you really miss swimming maybe you would like to try swimming like I do. I have a shoulder injury from yoga but my swimming style doesn’t irritate it.

What I do is always wear pool (or scuba) swim fins, and mostly swim with my legs.

Hola aquacat8,

I haven't swam in several years now, and am sadly out of shape for distance swimming.. When I was swimming part of my routine was to use swim fins, and a flutter board. Usually did a minimum of 1/2 mile every session, and my swim sessions were a minimum of 2 miles. Now I just spend more time in the ocean !! Walking, hiking, and elliptical machine also help me maintain lower body and leg strength.

Divegoose

 

[TMHeimer]

One more point about taking time to put on fins: if you already have booties on swimming without fins is WAY WORSE than swimming barefoot. Try it and see. Swimming with shoes on is dangerous, this is why sailors wear shoes they can kick off. But taking off booties would probably take as long as putting on fins, and reboarding or returning to shore barefoot while helping another diver might get your bare feet in trouble, so again it makes sense to me to put on fins.

I may be repeating something as the thread is revived.
Yes, I agree with all you say about swimming vs. diving. Of course fins on is completely different than bare feet. All of your power for diving comes from kicking, whereas 75% of power when swimming comes from arms.
Kicking doesn't take much "technique" (I'm not talking about frog or back kicking of course)--everyone can do it properly, except that 4% of people who take OW and haven't even been in water.
So all the advice about getting your swimming technique down is the key--then getting into swimming shape, meaning lots of laps over time.
Couple of things from my "swimming" brothers I learned to complete the 400 were--
-- don't have arms too high out of water, you accomplish nothing fanning Air and it takes energy.
-- "dig" your hands deep into the water below you and push hard.
-- it's best to get your arm strokes to leg strokes the correct ratio, but too much kicking is worse than a little too little
(it wears you out).
My philosophy is swimming is a life skill that anyone in or near serious water should know, but is only a very distant cousin to scuba. It would have to be a one in a million situation for me to attempt a rescue without my fins on--how do you do all the rescue skills on a panicked diver without any fin leverage? I guess you just do, if that's the only choice.

Why is there a 400 swim test for DM? I don't know.
Why can't you use your arms on the 800 m/f/s test, perhaps making it a 1200--you'd use arms doing a real rescue, no?
The 200 swim in OW course is not a "swim" test, it's a "Gee can that guy make it 200 yards with any old "stroke" and only be on the DOORSTEP of a heart attack and you pass" test.

 

[Skulmoski]

As has been said before, ensure the other tests go well (e.g. stress). My partner and I planned, practiced, de-briefed, made corrections, practiced and then finished the stress test with full marks. I struggled a bit with the swimming component (I was 56 when I certified) and concluded that improving my swimming to do okay on the 400 was a good thing. So I practiced and practiced. I improved and got acceptable marks on the 400 given my age. (AND!!!!! We had a 150 m swim just to get to the start line!!! I was a bit tired beginning the 400! LOL!!)

Good luck on achieving your diving goals. You will get there!

GJS

 

[Miyaru]

There's a shortcut.

In the Netherlands, the local CMAS agency operates under the name NOB. A couple of years ago, the NOB completely dropped the fitness requirements for the 3-star course. When I asked one of the board members during a phone call why , she told me that too many older divers were unable to meet the requirements.
Although CMAS states that there must be some fitness test and fitness requirements, the NOB has none.

A 3-star CMAS diver is considered the same as DiveMaster. Wanna become a DM without fitness tests? Here is your shortcut.
If you ever see a Dutch 3-star diver as your divemaster, and you wonder if (s)he would survive a 400m swim, don't.

(just think of the silent k)