NAUI underwater swim test question?

[Jill from Phoenix]

Hi Jill,
I did the PFI course. Kirk knew he was teaching free dive spearos. He emphasized what you said, that he will focus on performance free diving, but did make concessions knowing that we'd use a bit more weight in most cases. And that we DO look down on descent more than we should etc etc
But, there are differences in students. If you take someone from the midwest with little to no ocean experience, no real swimming experience other than how to not drown, going straight to scuba is a big jump. In this case, Naui, PFI Beginners or just a snorkeling course would help a lot. Just getting used to a mask and snorkel and fins is enough to start them off.
On the other hand, I've taught a few guys that grew up in Hawaii surfing, body surfing....lots of water time and ocean experience and basically had to teach them, "never hold your breath and go up slowly". And they got it right away.
Why the hell are you in Phoenix after diving all over the world? You hook with some cowboy that was on a diving vacation?

Phoenix is home, the rest of the world is a playground. Although, I've met a few scuba cowboys...

I hear you about looking down. I want to see the bottom. It's disorienting to be diving in blue water (or worse black water) with your chin tucked trying to look at a white line. But it does make a huge difference in streamlining an effortless descent. And the instructor said there's a danger of some kind of throat squeeze when you look down.

My class was all spearfishermen too. And ab hunters. I felt a little left out being the only scuba diver in the bunch. Even though we're all ocean lovers we had nothing in common. They're hunters and I am a tourist, plus I have a lot of scuba habits that are hard to break.

 

[Hank49]

Phoenix is home, the rest of the world is a playground. Although, I've met a few scuba cowboys...

I hear you about looking down. I want to see the bottom. It's disorienting to be diving in blue water (or worse black water) with your chin tucked trying to look at a white line. But it does make a huge difference in streamlining an effortless descent. And the instructor said there's a danger of some kind of throat squeeze when you look down.

My class was all spearfishermen too. And ab hunters. I felt a little left out being the only scuba diver in the bunch. Even though we're all ocean lovers we had nothing in common. They're hunters and I am a tourist, plus I have a lot of scuba habits that are hard to break.

One of the guys in our class is my diving buddy and also my dentist. He's 70 years old and has been spearing for 55 years here in Belize. He has that habit of really looking up (down) and did tear his esophagus, coughed up some blood and couldn't dive the last day. He did make 85 feet though. The theory is you're stretching your esophagus by looking upwards and then the air compresses, stretching the tissue.
Since the course I have been diligent about tucking my chin in and it makes a BIG difference. It's given me about 15-20 more seconds of laying on the bottom time, which here means increasing the chance of bigger snappers coming in close.
We were all free divers but are all scuba divers too.
Sounds like you've had a good life diving. Must be hard to be that far away from the ocean and seeing only sand though.

 

[Jill from Phoenix]

Thanks for that clarification...yeah that's what he said, but all I remembered was 'bad, don't do it'

A lot of sand here in Phoenix, true. But the ocean is 4 hours away, the weather is great, it's really beautiful outside the city, and it's just a great place to live. I travel a lot too - for work to at least half the month. But for local divers that get sick of lakes and rivers, Sea of Cortez is 1 hour flight, California 1 hour flight, and international flights are easy too especially to Mexico.

 

[Lead_carrier]

Honestly at this point I'm not really all that worried; I'm more interested in going to the pool to see if I can beat what I did yesterday. Heck, might take up free diving at some point

You do realize that the swim test for freediving requires you to do 25 meters on scuba. Keep at it Sparke, you'll make a better diver than most of us.

 

[RTee]

Way to go SparkE...have fun with the remainder. The part I found the most challenging was to go get my snorkeling equipment at the bottom, put it on, clear the mask, then the snorkel on exit and breathe through it a couple times. Not sure if they still do it but sure brings back fond memories...lol

 

[Jill from Phoenix]

Way to go SparkE...have fun with the remainder. The part I found the most challenging was to go get my snorkeling equipment at the bottom, put it on, clear the mask, then the snorkel on exit and breathe through it a couple times. Not sure if they still do it but sure brings back fond memories...lol

Skin D&R Ditch and Recovery....we still do it.