Stamina Skills

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I echo other comments on the treading. Just like you use your lungs for precision buoyancy while diving, use them at the surface. Try to relax as much as possible.

For the snorkel, I recommend using snorkeling fins. Full-footed or open-heel with no booties. Snorkeling fins are not as stiff. I found that I was slower snorkeling with my scuba fins than when I was actually swimming. Granted, my snorkeling technique has greatly improved since then. Instead of a regular scissor kick, I now use a bicycle kick - bring your leg forward with knee bent and kick the water up and back. This way, you are pushing the water away from you. Before, I was just kicking the surface with my blades. Another option is to frog-kick while snorkeling. This is also a good option if you cramp with your initial kick. Varying kick styles can prolong endurance by working different muscles.

YMMV,
Bri
 
Ok what is Drown-proofing?:confused:

When i got certified back in 91 or 92 we didn't have to do a float/tread. We done a short swim to a buoy off the beach and that was it.

Hallmac,
I somewhat get what your saying. Although if i quit swimming,i sink. A lifeguard at the pool has had me swimming with just my arms. I put a float between my legs to keep them up. For that is one of my problems,i am kicking so much to keep my legs up that it's wearing me out quicker:confused6:

Yes. Have you ever noticed that there is no splash when you are watching Olympic swimmers race? Proper placement and rhythm is the key. I would spend a little bit with parts of my body out of the pool learning what works and what is waisted energy. Hang your feet on the edge, using only your arms stroke through a few cycles trying to slice the water cleanly and feel the pull, you should be able to feel your body being pushed up and rotated on a clean stroke. Then switch, with your hands on the deck, try a very shallow and slow kick first, slicing through on the way down and as your foot comes up, allow the water caught by the bottom of your feet to do the work. If you work at it slow enough sooner or later you will feel what causes thrust and what causes drag. Small changes in the foot position during the kick make drastic changes in thrust. Once you have the proper positions you will find that the a pull with the right arm causes the body to rotate dipping the left side, if your left leg is slicing down at the same time you balance, if your left leg is lifting at the same time your feet get pushed down deeper. Try changing the length of your kicks you will feel the difference in long wide kicks and short narrow kicks, match your kick to your stroke. Technique is far more important. Sounds like to me, you are working against yourself in a denser medium. Swimming is like running on land, the harder you try, the shorter the distance you can go. We can walk many times farther than we can run. It is the same for swimming, once you learn how to walk you can keep up a mildly accelerated pace for a very long time without being tired. That pace is well above what is required to pass your eval.

Drown proofing is to treading as the bobbing method is for inflating a bc when you are out of air. It is an energy saver when done correctly. Most find that to tread water very small movements are all that is necessary when you breath fully and relax. Even with lead feet. :D
 
Ok what is Drown-proofing?:confused:

When i got certified back in 91 or 92 we didn't have to do a float/tread. We done a short swim to a bouy off the beach and that was it.

Hallmac,
I somewhat get what your saying. Although if i quit swimming,i sink. A lifeguard at the pool has had me swimming with just my arms. I put a float between my legs to keep them up. For that is one of my problems,i am kicking so much to keep my legs up that it's wearing me out quicker:confused6:

Drownproofing

As a kid we used to do "dead-man" floats in the water which is basically the resting posistion of the drown-proofing. Just google drown proofing for more examples.
 
5. Is Everyone a Natural Floater?
No, a small proportion of people have negative buoyancy. As a general rule, women are more buoyant than men and we all tend to become more buoyant as we get older. Fred Lanoue did a lot of measurements, but lifestyle changes over the last 50 years could well mean that his figures no longer apply. At that time, he found that almost all white people have some positive buoyancy but, in a sample of young African American males, 30% had negative boyancy.
Fred's tests were done in a fresh water pool. It is almost certain that everyone can float in sea water.
If you are not a natural floater, you can still learn Drownproofing, but the technique is slightly more complex and you will need an experienced teacher.
If you are a bodybuilder and diet to reduce body fat and improve muscle definition, you will very likely have negative buoyancy.

That sentence is me:wink:
 
Ok what is Drown-proofing?:confused:

:

Back when I was in the Navy, it was jumping into the pool fully clothed. Removing our boots, tying them together and hanging on the them. Then removing our pants, tying the legs shut then putting air in them to make a float. Then relaxing for 10 minutes to catch our breath.
 
... It is the same for swimming, once you learn how to walk you can keep up a mildly accelerated pace for a very long time without being tired. That pace is well above what is required to pass your eval....

I'm really having a hard time getting my speed up to a level where I can get enough points! I had a shoulder injury years ago and the doctor said I shouldn't do freestyle. So, I do the breast stroke. Believe me, even when I try the freestyle, it's not as fast as my breast stroke. But I can do it FOREVER! I tried to talk my instructor into letting me swim 800m instead of 400m, but forgetting the timed aspect. He didn't approve. :depressed:

So what can I do?? The float/tread was an easy 5. But I don't seem to be able to get more than a 2 on the 400m or 800m. I've been swimming laps 4 days a week since last November. I'm really frustrated. It's the only thing I have left to do for my Divemaster!
 
So what can I do?? The float/tread was an easy 5. But I don't seem to be able to get more than a 2 on the 400m or 800m. I've been swimming laps 4 days a week since last November. I'm really frustrated. It's the only thing I have left to do for my Divemaster!

Well, you still have the 800 Mask/Fin/Snorkle swim and the 100 Tired Diver tow. Why don't you bust those out and see if you can get at least 6 points for both....that will give you 11...then all you have to do is finish the 400 for the final point.
 
I have two shoulder injuries and can only use the breaststroke.

What I found out was that I could take off a significant amount of time on the 400 yard, if I double kicked between taking breaths. I still only use my arms once for each breath. I found that it could easily take off 3 or 4 seconds every width (25 yards) in the pool. This adds up if you have to do 16 widths (25 yards)

If you are close to the 10 minute mark, you might try this to get under 10 minutes and get 3 points.

If you're just below 12 minutes, I think that you'd be better off concentrating on the 800 yard. I used a dry snorkle which greatly restricted the air flow. If I were to do it again, I'd use one with an open top and a large bore.
 
Try doing the swims on different days. You'll perform better.
 
Try doing the swims on different days. You'll perform better.

True - but any competent candidate should be able to complete the stamina tests in a sinlge morning. Out of the several hundred (PADI) DM's I've trained only a handful were unable to complete the swimming tests in half a day. Most candidates got about a 30 minute break between each test.

Many of the aforementioned candidates were weak swimmers... so as somebody else mentioned earlier - if you can't swim well, at least complete the 400 metres - that will earn you 1 point and the rest are fairly easy to make up. Score 3 on the 800m snorkel, 5 on the float and 3 on the 100m inert diver tow and you have your 12 points (again, the PADI requirements). Okay this isn't great and 12 points is a minimum score for the PADI DM and I'm not recommending anybody does this by half measures so if you're scoring 12 points only then spend some quality time in the pool and practice!

"Drownproofing" is floating face down and breathing over your shoulder - at the end of the day it doesn't matter how you do it, as long as you can maintain yourself in water too deep to stand up in for 15 minutes and (at least for PADI DM requirements) keep your hands out of the water for the last 2 minutes.

I would like to add that those DM candidates that are struggling with the swims should think carefully about what it is you are doing. As a professional diver, your stamina WILL be challenged at some point. Okay so you don't actually need to be able to swim to dive but when it comes to assisting or perhaps even rescuing another diver you need to be reasonably fit. You don't have to be an Olympic athlete but if you can't pass the (very) basic swimming challenges then you need to consider how your students' / customers' perception may be affected by this.

As a professional diver you may well be responsible for other people's lives. I have had direct experience, unfortunately - so please consider whether or not you are capable of pushing an overweight, struggling, heart attack victim to safety.

There is little leeway for those with physical challenges - I may get lynched for this but if you are not capable of passing those basic tests then as a DM/DiveCon etc. you may actually be putting other people at risk - assuming you want to work professionally. On the other hand, a former trainee of mine has only one leg and he met all the swimming requirements - so...

If any of you need advice or help please feel free to PM me for a chat - regardless of agency - I'm happy to help

Take it easy folks (but not toooooo easy!)

Crowley
 

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