aquacat8
Contributor
As for masks maybe dm on duty should wear on neck or back of head.
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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.As for masks maybe dm on duty should wear on neck or back of head.
Maybe some resistance training and weight lifting for my arms. Maybe running for endurance and breathing.
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.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.
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.
@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.
I may be repeating something as the thread is revived.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.