OW course: Treading water

[Diver0001]

My scuba instructor told me that the treading test is supposed to be done with neutral buoyancy.

....

Talk to your instructor to see if he/she can or willing to "modify" you to be neutrally buoyant.

Assuming it's a PADI course this isn't true. The treading/floating test is supposed be done without any swimming aids but standards do NOT say that the student is supposed to be made neutrally buoyant. Adding positive buoyancy to someone who is naturally negative I would see as using a swimming aid and to my way of thinking that would be a standards violation. In any case if I were your instructor you would be SOL.

It is, however, in the standards that *if* a student must wear a wetsuit then they must be weighted to be neutrally buoyant so if you wanted to cut corners you could put someone who naturally very negative into a wetsuit with a properly weighted weightbelt and get them to do the tread like that. It sounds like this is what your instructor did.

Personally I prefer people to do it with no aids at all. It's a water sport and you might not be wearing a wetsuit at every moment. If you're body is negative, then your body is negative and it's in your best interest to learn how to deal with it the way it is.

R..

 

[IceCube]

It is, however, in the standards that *if* a student must wear a wetsuit then they must be weighted to be neutrally buoyant so if you wanted to cut corners you could put someone who naturally very negative into a wetsuit with a properly weighted weightbelt and get them to do the tread like that. It sounds like this is what your instructor did.

I was still negative with the wetsuit, so no weightbelt was needed. With full lungs my rate of sinking was significantly slower, but I was still sinking.

 

[dkktsunami]

If you can swim breast stroke reduce the scope of the stroke and kick, relax, keep lungs full, and "swim" in a small space, small circle. If you are remaining totally upright in the water all of your kicking effort is up and down creating a high energy output and a bobbing effect. Lungs full, small strokes, relax, float, change positions .......it's easy, just swim but don't go anywhere.....

 

[AquaExplorer]

So had my first pool session today and failed the treading water part :shocked2: I'm reasonably fit, I can ride my bicycle for 15 miles nonstop and on the elliptical in the gym burning 600 cal/hr for an hr nonstop without issues. I can also hike nonstop for 5+ miles, so I am at a loss as to why I can't tread water for more than a few mins, perhaps my technique is all wrong and combined with some fear of drowning I think I am just not relaxing. I completed the swimming part fine but the instructor said I could repeat the treading exercise tommorow. More so I am just plain embarassed that I failed it

So question...what is the easiest way to tread water without much effort?

Well at least I do not feel so weird now!

I did pass the test, but what a major PITA!

I was designated a "rock" by the DM and Instructors. I too am physically fit, active, lift weights, run, etc. and I sink like a rock in the water!

I also chose to do the swim instead of snorkel test and that seriously tired me out for the tread.

 

[krawlings]

Glad to here I new you would pull through good luck on all your dives and dive safe

 

[boulderjohn]

Although many people refer to this requirement as the water treading requirement, the standards do not say anything about treading water. They say students "must demonstrate that they can comfortably maintain themselves in water too deep in which to stand by completing a 10-minute swim/float without using any swim aids."

You can do that by treading water, but there are other ways to do it.

 

[scubadada]

I guess I'm the only one frightened by the fact that someone who will be diving with me can't keep their head above water for 10 minutes. Being the Southern CA swimmer, water polo player probably makes me insensitve to this issue. I would suggest extracurricular practice/instruction to improve swimming skills and endurance.

Apologetically, Craig

 

[mark00020]

I learned how to tread water in my Navy aviator swim class/qual. If you lean your head back in the water and fill your lungs, stretch your arms out you will most likely float back down with little of your body above the water... that is the problem most people have they are expending all kinds of energy keeping as much of them dry as possible. When you take a breath you will have to scull a little, one stroke up, I have a rhythm you'll probably pick one up too. This floats me with full flight gear on, uninflated wing, including steel toe boots.

On a side note people thought me taking deep breaths and floating during open water class in the pool was pretty silly, until the last few minutes when I was just floating around and they were getting tired. I did notice a few people try to copy my technique. I can float like that for hours and hours, probably days if I don't have to worry about hypothermia and the sea isn't too rough.

 

[k374]

If you lean your head back in the water and fill your lungs, stretch your arms out you will most likely float back down with little of your body above the water... that is the problem most people have they are expending all kinds of energy keeping as much of them dry as possible. When you take a breath you will have to scull a little, one stroke up, I have a rhythm you'll probably pick one up too. This floats me with full flight gear on, uninflated wing, including steel toe boots.

thanks mark, I will have to try this out in the pool.

 

[halocline]

Try taking the test in salt water, the dead sea if possible! You'll have no trouble floating.

Having read your other thread, I'd just add my words of encouragement in; you need to spend extra time practicing pool skills. A lot of the responders are finding fault with your instructor; that's really typical for threads like this, as everyone's got an opinion. I would say that the more you take it on yourself to practice the skills, the better off you'll be. The instructor quality is important, but much more important is your ability to improve your own dive skills over time.