Divemaster fitness requirements?

[RJP]

RJP - that's outstanding but I'm not sure anybody would care! Seriously though - unless they were DM candidates nobody would understand why

That was kinda my point.

 

[Crowley]

hehe fair enough!

Although you might get some OW students thinking "he scored a 5 - out of what, like 100?"

 

[DivemasterDennis]

Also, swims are timed and scored. Total score on fitness/waterman ship must meet minimum requirements.
DivemasterDennis

 

[Frosty]

seriously guys thanks a million.Im just focussing on doing distance right now. Just over 800yards tonight so Im happy.
I got darn lucky tonight too because a swim squad was training in the same pool as me.
The coach came up to me and asked if I did a lot of freediving or scuba which I thought was a bit of a funny question.-Then He told me my leg strokes were pretty darn lazy. Typical of someone used to having 3 foot long "feet'
after that all was a lot better.AND the coach said Im welcolm to train alongside the kids.
apparently if an "old man" is prepared to listen to him they should too.

 

[TMHeimer]

The biggest tip I learned to be able to get a 3 on the 400 was fixing my kicking. I was kicking way too often for each arm stroke and knocking myself out. Unlike scuba, you get 75% of your forward power from the arms. If doing the front crawl, you have to "dig deep" in the water each stroke and not waste energy when bringing arms back out of the water (no power there). For me, one or two kicks per arm stroke worked. So your lazy legs may not be a big deterrent. I believe I was breathing improperly too (either to often or not enough). Of course, had I regained my proper stroke from HS swim team 39 years prior, I would not have had so much trouble. As well of course, once you attain a proper stroke now you have to do tons of laps to get your swimming muscles in shape--other exercising helps very little here.

 

[cbm32]

I am sure I will get a ton of negative feedback for this but.......

Passing a one time fitness exam is pretty pointless if you dont require the person to pass those tests during periodic reviews. If it is really important to be able to do those things to become a DM, it should be important to do those things to remain a DM. I guarantee that there are a lot of (if not a majority of) DM's out there that could not pass the same tests today that they did when doing the course. Could they if the practiced for them for a while? Many could and some could not....but emergencies that require being able to do those things are not scheduled so that you can prepare for them. They just happen when they happen.

IMO, towing a diver is an applicable skill, but should probably be more a part of the rescue training that is required prior to becoming a DM rather than the DM course. Swimming 800, or even 400, meters with no fins has little to nothing to do with a DM's responsibility to other divers. Saving his own azz maybe, although many dives are done so far from shore or another boat that those arbitrary distances are pretty worthless, but not saving someone else.

I could go on at length, but I think I have made my position pretty clear. The qualities I think are most important for a DM have nothing to do with fitness. Comfort in the water, yes. Fitness, no.

IMO a good DM is one that is calm and reacts effectively in an emergency. They have exceptional situational awareness. They have very good verbal communications skills and inspire confidence in themselves and in the other divers. Most importantly, their true focus is on serving others.....making sure that the divers in their care are safe first, and then that they are enjoying the dive and getting all they can out of the dive. Mental, emotional, and psychological factors, and not fitness issues.

I have seen many DM's that could sail through any kind of watermanship/fitness tests anyone would want to give them, but they sucked as DM's because they didnt really give a cr@p about the divers they were leading.

Just my two PSI on the subject

 

[RJP]

I am sure I will get a ton of negative feedback for this but.......

Not a ton of feedback, but...

IMO, towing a diver is an applicable skill, but should probably be more a part of the rescue training that is required prior to becoming a DM rather than the DM course.

It IS part of the Rescue Diver course... I'd think you'd like the idea that it was done again. You know, to verify they can still do it.

Swimming 800, or even 400, meters with no fins has little to nothing to do with a DM's responsibility to other divers. Saving his own azz maybe, although many dives are done so far from shore or another boat that those arbitrary distances are pretty worthless, but not saving someone else.

Unless that other diver's @ss is a couple hundred yards away from the boat and you need to swim OUT TO THEM before towing them back. Having had to do that myself on more than one occasion I'll assure you that some measure of swim stamina in a DM/Instructor is a pretty good idea. (The 800yd swim is repeated in the IDC as well.)

 

[Crowley]

I don't think it deserves negative feedback but as per RJP above - constructive feedback, certainly.

The assumption is that dive professionals will keep themselves in shape as a matter of course - although clearly this is not always the case. As I've metioned many times previously, especially with regards to the Open Water swim - there is a big difference between comfort and fitness although anybody who can swim 200m or 400m is clearly going to be comfortable in the water - but then again, so is a divemaster candidate, otherwise they wouldn't be there.

In terms of usefulness - well it's nice to know somebody can swim but the 800m snorkel and 100m tired diver tow are actually quite relevant. I've had to tow a LOT of divers, however only twice in an actual emergency, and I've had to do a LOT of snorkelling - the worst example was a guy who swam from the dive boat, managed to drift into the beach about 800m away and then refused to get back in the water because he was too scared. I had to swim to the beach to get him, reassure him everything would be fine, fit him with a life jacket and then tow him back to the boat, fighting an incoming tide. It was hard work!

You're right that preparedness and judgement, calm and effective action are some of the best qualities a divemaster can exhibit, and there is a big difference between being fit and being fit to dive, but this is all part of the course and you do really need that extra bit of stamina sometimes.

Cheers

C.

 

[TMHeimer]

Last 3 posts all good points. I'll only add that is up to the DM/Instructor to be responsible and be in good enough condition, etc. etc. to be working. Re-testing on stamina tests is brought up from time to time, and I don't disagree. It would cost some money somewhere, and there are a lot of things that are "good for life" (driver's license--unless you're 85 or older in some places). I will admit I could not get a 3 on the 400 now, as keeping those muscles where they were is economically unfeasible for me (distance to pool). But I feel I could do as well on the other stamina stuff as when I did the tests, as I didn't train specifically for them back then (the float is easy, and the tow and 800 involve strength/strong legs).

 

[cbm32]

I don't think it deserves negative feedback but as per RJP above - constructive feedback, certainly.

The assumption is that dive professionals will keep themselves in shape as a matter of course - although clearly this is not always the case. As I've metioned many times previously, especially with regards to the Open Water swim - there is a big difference between comfort and fitness although anybody who can swim 200m or 400m is clearly going to be comfortable in the water - but then again, so is a divemaster candidate, otherwise they wouldn't be there.

In terms of usefulness - well it's nice to know somebody can swim but the 800m snorkel and 100m tired diver tow are actually quite relevant. I've had to tow a LOT of divers, however only twice in an actual emergency, and I've had to do a LOT of snorkelling - the worst example was a guy who swam from the dive boat, managed to drift into the beach about 800m away and then refused to get back in the water because he was too scared. I had to swim to the beach to get him, reassure him everything would be fine, fit him with a life jacket and then tow him back to the boat, fighting an incoming tide. It was hard work!

You're right that preparedness and judgement, calm and effective action are some of the best qualities a divemaster can exhibit, and there is a big difference between being fit and being fit to dive, but this is all part of the course and you do really need that extra bit of stamina sometimes.

Cheers

C.

Of the two that you mentioned being useful, I did say the diver two was applicable. The snorkel I did not address at all, only the swim. Snorkeling with fins is much more likely to be applicable than just swimming without fins/snorkel.