OHGoDive:
I'm curious. At the point of completion of the swim test, what can you extrapolate to potential diving ability? Is it more to simply weed out those who should not be diving, or are there more subtle distinctions that you can make?
The reason I ask is because my two sons swim competitively. My youngest, at 14, can swim a 500 yard freestyle in a bit over 5 minutes. My oldest is a sprinter, but has no problem keeping up with his younger sibling.
Their father, alas, no longer can compete with them, time wise. I could complete your time test, but it would be significantly closer to the upper limit than these two. But, if you had the three of us in a class, would the differences matter to you at that point, given the ravages of aging, or would you simply feel we were all "teachable".
I guess what I'm asking is, what can someones swimming ability really tell you about a potential diver. Or is it more an issue of comfort, overall fitness, and ability to deal with stress? (Although my sons were not stressed in the least by PADI's swimming tests, nor would they be by yours).
(For extra credit, given that we just crossed paths in the fitness/obesity thread, how many divers certified at 20 something do you think could still pass the swimming standards in their 50's, and, do you think it matters?)
Let me tell you the truth, intelligent swim tests are smoke and mirror shows disguised as initiation rites. The things that you learn go many levels deep, let me show you the top level.
It is important that the test appears to have some challenge and to create a bit of nervousness in all candidates except the competitive swimmers. But the time requirements should set so that an old fart like me or you husband could complete it with smarts (e.g., sidestroke all the way). When I see an old guy (I remember swim testing a General from the National Guard
an ex-Green Beret gone to well
beer and the wife of the University President, they looked at it, dove in and back-stroked and side-side stroked and finished a few seconds a head of the limit no problem with them).
Now lets take the competitive swimmers. What do they do? Whats their attitude? Matter of fact or cocky? Do they try and knock of 25 second splits? I may worry more about trouble in class with someone like your 14 year old than a desk jockey like the General.
For the folks in between, its a question of judging their acclimatization to water, problem signs are the ones who start off great guns and then flag, consistency shows knowledge of self and of ones ability. Candidates you do not breathe properly, whatever the stroke, should also be closely watched.
You see, you
like the candidates are focused on the wrong thing, the distance and the time. What Im most interested in is not the destination but the journey. In order to get a clean read on the journey we need to make it look a little macho and a little tough
it really isnt. For me to teach you to dive I need to know that you are not afraid of the water, at the swim test I find that out
and a whole lot, a huge whole lot more.
And the last think I tell them is: Next week, when we come to the pool, each and every one of you is going to hold your breath for a minimum of 90 seconds, and many of you will go a full two minutes. You dont believe it? Neither did the last class through here, but the all did it. And they always do, no muss, no fuss (again, just something, like the approach to swim testing that I stole, this time from Walt Hedricks Sr.)
