Open Water Fitness Tests

[Kairoos]

I never did a formal swim portion in my OW. The confined portions were shore dives, and we had to surface swim a good distance to get to a divable area. We had all our equipment on though. I think this was much better than just a simple swim...

 

[tursiops]

I never did a formal swim portion in my OW. The confined portions were shore dives, and we had to surface swim a good distance to get to a divable area. We had all our equipment on though. I think this was much better than just a simple swim...

Which agency? Which country?

 

[Kairoos]

Which agency? Which country?

PADI, in the U.S.

 

[Hawkwood]

PADI, in the U.S.

Makes one suspicious as to what else was left out.

 

[tursiops]

PADI, in the U.S.

Have you reported to PADI the lack of your LDS/instructor following standards?

 

[Kairoos]

Have you reported to PADI the lack of your LDS/instructor following standards?

No, because the instruction was great. Plus a long surface swim against a current is a much better test than someone doing laps in a pool taking as much time as they want.

 

[tursiops]

No, because the instruction was great. Plus a long surface swim against a current is a much better test than someone doing laps in a pool taking as much time as they want.

So you get to decide what the standards are for the class? Perhaps you can do that validly....I'd guess most can't, which why they are called standards.

 

[Kairoos]

So you get to decide what the standards are for the class? Perhaps you can do that validly....I'd guess most can't, which why they are called standards.

I do get to decide!

With all the sub-par instruction out there, I'll take the instructor who substitutes silly requirements for better ones. It's funny how people on here are always talking about how it's about how good the instructors make a class, and then other people are unhappy when PADI's specific standards aren't met.

 

[TMHeimer]

While the swim tests are a subject I love to comment on (as you've seen), agencies have to have standards, no? How difficult and time consuming is it for an instructor to do the swim and float tests anyway? Why would an instructor risk getting written up for omitting them? You were very satisfied with your instructor--are you sure something (IMO) somewhat more serious than a swim test wasn't left out?

 

[archer1960]

While the swim tests are a subject I love to comment on (as you've seen), agencies have to have standards, no? How difficult and time consuming is it for an instructor to do the swim and float tests anyway? Why would an instructor risk getting written up for omitting them? You were very satisfied with your instructor--are you sure something (IMO) somewhat more serious than a swim test wasn't left out?

Maybe he can tell (or already knows) that they can swim well, and that doing the test would be a waste of class time?