Requirements for Cert?

[Darin]

Hi all,

My wife and I will be taking the OW class in the next month or so. I was just curious, what are the academic and/or swimming requirements? What skills need to be mastered during the class? I heard something about a swim test? Is that in scuba gear or what?

I know that I for one am very comfortable in the water and swimming isn't difficult for me. (Although I am a sinker) I just wanted to know what to expect.

Thanks in advance.

Darin

 

[scubasean]

Hi all,

My wife and I will be taking the OW class in the next month or so. I was just curious, what are the academic and/or swimming requirements? What skills need to be mastered during the class? I heard something about a swim test? Is that in scuba gear or what?

I know that I for one am very comfortable in the water and swimming isn't difficult for me. (Although I am a sinker) I just wanted to know what to expect.

Thanks in advance.

Darin

Welcome to Scubaboard!

Which agency are you certifying with?

In general, swim tests are done without gear, in a pool.

The academic requirements are not that taxing, and my 15yr old sailed through them fairly quickly without any help from me.

By the end of class, you will be able to demonstrate several skills such as underwater mask removal and replacement, sharing air with a buddy using your octo or theirs, etc.

 

[UndrWatrDan]

Hi Darin,
The time required to take the class can vary, but the main requirements for the PADI OW class are:
Watch the OW Video, read the book, answer the Knowledge Reviews.
Attend classroom sessions to go over the knowledge reviews, answer questions, and take the exams.
Attend pool sessions where you will learn the basic scuba diving skills. There is a 200yd untimed swim (no scuba gear) and a 10 minutes water tread requirement again without gear..

It would be very long to put all the skills in this forum. The length of the classroom sessions and pool sessions vary depending on your understanding and how you master the skills. The classes I've assisted with, generally, have two classroom sessions which are 2-3 hours in length and two pool sessions which are generally 3 hours in length in addition to the time you spend at home watching the video, reading the modules, and completing the knowledge reviews. You will also have two days at a lake, quarry or some other open water location where you have a minimum of 4 dives. If you have any questions about the specific skills ect, I'd suggest you talk to the instructor at your local dive shop where you will be taking the class. Each instructor has a different teaching technique, but they all should teach the class in accordance with PADI standards.

 

[TravisT]

Well, i think it depends a lot on the instructor. I know my instructor's philosophy wasn't about how far you could swim but how comfortable you were with the equipment. We didn't have any official swim test where we had a swim a certain length, but normally as mentioned above most instructors have that (200 yrds normally)

What we did on the first night was go into a classroom and learned about the equipment, we then went out to the pool, put the equipment together, put it on, hopped in the pool. The first couple of breaths are abnormal since humans arn' used to breathing under water. Then you begin with the simple drills of regulator recovery (Take out your breathing piece (regulator) and then put it back in your mouth.)

We didn't do mask clearing until the second night, but for most people, after doing it once or twice it isn't all that scary. Just a matter of becoming comfortable under water and knowing what to do if you get into trouble.

After taking this class I felt very comfortable with my knowledge about diving. Despite the fact I know I have a lot to learn and need to gain experience, i'm don't feel like i'm going to panic under water (the big no-no).

I found the class extremely fun rather than daunting with unpleasurable swims and such. Do your research on local instructors before hopping into a class.

 

[MechDiver]

What we did on the first night was go into a classroom and learned about the equipment, we then went out to the pool, put the equipment together, put it on, hopped in the pool.

I wasn't aware of any agency that would let students in the pool without a swim test, let alone with equipment on.
Interesting.

And, FWIW, if a student finds a swim test "unpleasureable", I would not want to see them in class.

 

[Drew Sailbum]

PADI requires completion of the swim test and 10 minute tread prior to certification. There is no requirements that this be the first activity in the pool.

 

[Walter]

I was just curious, what are the academic and/or swimming requirements?

It's impossible to answer without know which agency will be issuing the certification. Different agencies have vastly different requirements. For example, Drew's statement about PADI's swim requirements is true (although you can substitute a 300 yd snorkel for the 200 yd swim), but it's not necessarily true for other agencies. YMCA, for example has swimming requirements to begin pool training.