Passing the Swim Test

[TMHeimer]

What I meant by being able to swim 200 m comfortably was not that it should necessarily be done with good stoke technique. I meant that someone should be able to do it not too slowly without becoming unduly tired. It is also to do with confidence in the water when you have to surface some distance from the boat or beach, or you come across an unusual bit of current. I do a bit of open water swimming in rivers, lakes and the sea and its not unusual to have driftwood or submerged obstructions. Ploughing into these at crawl speed with reduced visibility can be very painful, that's why I tend to use sidestroke. In my brief time diving I have seen quite a number of divers who are far more qualified and experienced than me have difficulty approaching a boat or jetty steps in rough water - some where really struggling and close to exhaustion.

Again I agree with all that. There is no question that someone who is a good swimmer will be more comfortable and confident taking the OW course, or just diving. Whereas, someone who doesn't swim (properly) well, may or may not run into problems diving. I like to use to terms "water person" vs. non-water person. To side-step a bit, I usually found that "non-water" students are more likely to have problems with several skills, particularly the mask/airway skills and buoyancy control. These can be overcome and still the person may not be much of a swimmer.
Of course, in beating a dead horse, a diver will never be "swimming" after surfacing since they have fins on--they will be kicking. But, I do agree that good swimming ability here probably helps with confidence if you are faced with a long distance to go.

 

[dmaziuk]

To side-step a bit, I usually found that "non-water" students are more likely to have problems with several skills, particularly the mask/airway skills and buoyancy control.

That's not surprising: swimmers are used to getting chlorinated water in our eyes and up our noses. And breathing through the mouth, nose, etc. And if you swim enough you get the relationship between propulsion and trim -- that's as much the reason for "proper technique" as stroke efficiency, and it works underwater in BC and fins the same way as on the surface in speedos and goggles.

 

[Rob Bibber]

I freely admit that I BARELY passed the swim test. The swim part would have been fine if I hadn't worn myself out treading water for 10 minutes. I wish the shop had provided a bit more detail up front on the nature of the test. They just asked if I could swim and I said yes...

 

[Bubblesong]

I am heading to a hotel for the weekend pool practice. When the pool does not work for laps, i will try hanging on the side and just kicking hard, in fins, for 30 min, since my legs are the biggest part of getting back to shore. Side kick is ok, frog kick is harder to practice without my shortened, heavy fins. I intend to Time my max minutes at each type of kick since i have all weekend to practice.

 

[Youngandfree]

It's an old post but here's what I did. I don't swim well and don't like deep water for that reason. Foe the 10 minute float, my wife did the flat dead man float on her back and could have taken a nap. I tried that, but my feet wouldn't stay up, so I stayed on my back and had to curl my knees up. I had never floated that long ever. After lunch, I did the swim in a residential sized pool. I did the half doggie paddle side stroke, for the entire 22 laps. It was slow, and I was sucking wind, and my arm started to cramp with like 5 laps to go. It honestly sucked since I've never swam that far, probably cumulative in my life. I made it and passed. I'll have to try these methods.

Funny thing is my wife grew up on a swim team and swims like a fish. She doesn't like deep water either, and tapped out in a 10ft pool because being under the water that deep freaked her out.

 

[TMHeimer]

My wife floats like a cork too in fresh water. Not me. Everyone is different and being in good shape or not IMO has nothing to do with buoyancy (well, I know that muscular people tend to sink more than those carrying a lot of fat). I also theorize that if you're very negatively buoyant, proper swim techniques may be harder to master since some of your energy is going to keeping you afloat--thus less is going to move you forward.
I figure Olympic swimmer like Phelps have a big advantage due to physiology.

 

[Neilwood]

It's an old post but here's what I did. I don't swim well and don't like deep water for that reason. Foe the 10 minute float, my wife did the flat dead man float on her back and could have taken a nap. I tried that, but my feet wouldn't stay up, so I stayed on my back and had to curl my knees up. I had never floated that long ever. After lunch, I did the swim in a residential sized pool. I did the half doggie paddle side stroke, for the entire 22 laps. It was slow, and I was sucking wind, and my arm started to cramp with like 5 laps to go. It honestly sucked since I've never swam that far, probably cumulative in my life. I made it and passed. I'll have to try these methods.

Funny thing is my wife grew up on a swim team and swims like a fish. She doesn't like deep water either, and tapped out in a 10ft pool because being under the water that deep freaked her out.

Remember that, in most agencies (WRSTC link) it isn't a float as such (it is actually termed a survival swim/float) - you are allowed to tread water, use arms etc so long as you are keeping on the surface for the 10 minutes.

 

[Youngandfree]

Remember that, in most agencies (WRSTC link) it isn't a float as such (it is actually termed a survival swim/float) - you are allowed to tread water, use arms etc so long as you are keeping on the surface for the 10 minutes.

Sure I get that, but I exerted far less energy. The only energy my wife exerted was laughing at me.

 

[dmaziuk]

I also theorize that if you're very negatively buoyant, proper swim techniques may be harder to master since some of your energy is going to keeping you afloat--thus less is going to move you forward.
I figure Olympic swimmer like Phelps have a big advantage due to physiology.

It's a trade-off because more (fat) tissue gives you larger cross-section and therefore more water resistance. So you spend less energy on staying afloat -- but more energy on pushing forward. I think generally we just grow big lungs -- provided one started early enough -- and use those.

Phelps has a joint in the middle of his back. His dolphin kick starts from his shoulder blades.

 

[kelemvor]

@Trace Malinowski
Keep in mind that the watermanship requirements vary by agency, and some agencies have options for the tests as well. For example NAUI has a 60' underwater swim in addition to the ones you mentioned . Also there was an option on the tread water - if you held a weight (I forget how much, maybe 10lbs?) you only had to keep it up for 2 minutes. Just going by my vague memory here from 5 years ago. I am not an instructor. When my daughter did a class with SSI, the requirements were slightly less than what I remember them being with NAUI.

Since I am a fat guy who is floaty, the long swim and the tread water were dead simple for me. I could have done triple the requirement with no difficulty. The 60' underwater swim was another story. I had to hire a swim instructor in order to get through it. He taught me what to do in about 15 minutes and after that I was able to complete the swim no problem. I'd tried 6 or 7 times prior to hiring the swim instructor and almost gave up on scuba because I couldn't do it.