Open Water Fitness Tests

[tursiops]

Your point is you can go faster with less drag? Fine.
My point is you can go fast enough with a "normal" snorkel.

 

[htatton]

My vote is to use a snorkel, mask and fins. I can easily go 500-1000 meters with that configuration but I struggle to get 200 meters without gear. Just my personal preference. Maybe I prefer it because my twice a week workout is swimming laps with snorkel, mask and fins.

 

[tursiops]

My vote is to use a snorkel, mask and fins. I can easily go 500-1000 meters with that configuration but I struggle to get 200 meters without gear. Just my personal preference. Maybe I prefer it because my twice a week workout is swimming laps with snorkel, mask and fins.

I agree, the mask/snorkel/fins are much easier. That is why I prefer the OW student do the 200m swim.

 

[TMHeimer]

Well, clearly, unless you have access to a 183+ metre body of water, you can't do a). Specifically, the continuous bit. With turns and push-offs it's gotta be the 300 in snorkelling kit. And you're going to be there forever: if you ever tried going faster than disabled-snail-on-ketamine pace with the regular (on the side) snorkel, you know why.

I think you're talking about it taking longer to do the 183m/200 yard (or the 300, etc.) if you have a smaller pool as opposed to open water or a large one. This is something the DM course tests should consider (especially on the 100 yd. tired diver tow) when assigning points for various times.

 

[TMHeimer]

Unless you practise "real" swimming without fins and have sound technique on a recognized stroke, you will always find it easier with fins (mask & snorkel are gravy). I was quoting htatton but his post didn't show up here. Still getting the bugs out I assume.

 

[Land Fish]

I had to do the 200 meters swim and tread water for like 10 minutes (or 5?) in a pool before the instructor would schedule my first open water dive.

I don't remember the exact words but he said something like "you paid me to teach you diving, not be your lifeguard" at the time. Now looking back, there shouldn't be any conflict anyway

 

[archer1960]

We had to do the 10-minute tread/float in the pool, but IIRC the 200m swim was done either between the first two dives, or perhaps after the 2nd one; I don't remember for sure now. It was definitely on the same day as the 1st two dives.

 

[Hawkwood]

I have the students do the float as the very first thing in the pool. It gives me an idea of their comfort level watching them in the water over that 10 minutes. Plus I have a captive audience to go over hand signals. Why waste those precious ten minutes?

I only "make" the students do the swim at the start if I have one who has not used a mask, snorkel, and fins before (trust me it happens more than you might think, especially out on the bald ass praire). They will do the swim right away, for the longer distance, using the mask, snorkel, and fins. Gets them used to that stuff.

Otherwise they do the swim sometime before we are finished with the pool sessions.

 

[tursiops]

It is probably worth mentioning that (PADI) the tread only needs to be completed before OW dive #2, and the swim only needs to be completed before certification...so could even be AFTER OW dive #4! Most instructors try and do it as part of the pool sessions, but there is no requirement to do that.

 

[dmaziuk]

I think you're talking about it taking longer to do the 183m/200 yard (or the 300, etc.) if you have a smaller pool as opposed to open water or a large one. This is something the DM course tests should consider (especially on the 100 yd. tired diver tow) when assigning points for various times.

It's not funny when you explain it: the quip was about the word continuous being a requirement for 200m swim but not for the 300m one.

On a serious note, I think 10 min float test is far more relevant for basic OW scuba and even then you should be able to tell the ones floating comfortably with no effort after a minute or two. The swim test: push off and start swimming, I can tell if you can swim or not after 15 yards if not earlier.