Doc Wong's Tech One Reports

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yeah, if you suck at swimming the swim test can be challenging though. used to be that i could barely do 6 laps backstroke in 12 minutes (old fundies test). i'm naturally negative with short arms and legs and a larger cross section and i just naturally suck at swimming so i needed to do a little work. i had to learn how to swim freestyle and learn how to breathe correctly, had to learn how to not kick so hard (mostly i kick to try to keep my body horizontal rather than for propulsion). and i did 400 yards in 10:25 after not swimming for awhile and without any prep beforehand, but i'm better off building up my upper body strength with a little practice in order to do 500 yards...

if i can do it, anyone can, it just takes committing a few months of practice at the pool...

But without any sort of coaching you did it!
 
Interval train for 400 to 800 meters indoors (Olympic size or at least 25m pool). Also do endurance swims in open water (Beach, Lake, Quarry etc), to get practice in swimming/navigating a particular course (i.e. ain't no lane lines or markings on a pier-to-pier beach swim).

My swim tests were both indoors -were I wasn't allowed to use Flip Turns- and outdoors in a Cenote were I had to navigate to landmarks over a course to complete the requisite distance.
 
But without any sort of coaching you did it!

yeah, it doesn't take any superhuman abilities.

the GUE swimming tests are pretty much pathetic when you get right down to it. the only one which should be at all slightly difficult is the 500 yard/14 minute one, and that's just the risk of being totally out of shape with no recent swimming practice and get a side ache / cramp halfway through it.

but if you suck at swimming it does take a month or three of 2-3 days/week in the pool to get to the point where the swim tests look pathetic...
 
yeah, it doesn't take any superhuman abilities.

the GUE swimming tests are pretty much pathetic when you get right down to it. the only one which should be at all slightly difficult is the 500 yard/14 minute one, and that's just the risk of being totally out of shape with no recent swimming practice and get a side ache / cramp halfway through it.

but if you suck at swimming it does take a month or three of 2-3 days/week in the pool to get to the point where the swim tests look pathetic...

Surface part is easy for me. I suck at the u/w swim -- have been able to pass 3 so far, but it's always the most feared part of the course for me.
 
Surface part is easy for me. I suck at the u/w swim -- have been able to pass 3 so far, but it's always the most feared part of the course for me.
Not surprisingly, it's all about technique. :D
 
I know -- I still have the breath-hold swim for Rec Triox to do, and then the longer one for Cave 1 . . .
 
Lynne if you can get any video of yourself doing an underwater swim, let me know. I would be more than happy to work with you on it!
This goes to anyone else, for that matter.

Video showing good efficient technique for completing an underwater swim.
 
I know -- I still have the breath-hold swim for Rec Triox to do, and then the longer one for Cave 1 . . .

When you get down there to Pondarosa its just a matter of pushing past the pain of that last 15 to 20 feet. You can see that big rock coming up so you just have to keep repeating to yourself, "It sucks, it hurts, but just hold on a few more seconds and I won't have to do it again"
 
We've totaly hijacked this thread :D so let's continue in same direction. Few years ago when preparing for Fundamentals I discovered that my swimming skills were seriously worse then I had thought. I decided to practice little bit, made some plan for advancing both in speed and distance. I started with maximum 200 m (roughly 220 yards) swimming free style and beeing totaly exhausted after swim. After two months of practicing (two hours a week) I was able to do 400 m (roughly 440 yards) in 8 min and 1000 m - 1 km (roughly 1100 yards) in 24 min. Nothing spectacular but way faster then required for any GUE swim test.
 
Lynne if you can get any video of yourself doing an underwater swim, let me know. I would be more than happy to work with you on it!
This goes to anyone else, for that matter.

Video showing good efficient technique for completing an underwater swim.

Good video - it helped me - that and Ed telling us to pretend his white legs were the light at the end of the tunnel. :D
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/
http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

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