If you fall in from a dock, anchored boat, or other stationary location, you're going to need to be able to swim to an exit point (the ladder, the quarry stairs, the boat ramp, et cetera), so we ask you to show that you can swim a certain distance without gear. As far as I know, other than PADI's snorkel option, everyone else requires you to do this without gear. That seems only logical, as if you slip and fall in, it probably won't be while you're walking around wearing all your snorkel gear. :biggrin: You don't have to be fast; you just have to be able to make it over to the exit without drowning.
If, on the other hand, you're walking to the water cooler on your ride out to the dive site when your boat suddenly moves under you, tipping you overboard, it's also important to be able to stay on the surface and not drown while you wait for the boat to make a quick turn and come back to pick you up. You don't have to stay perfectly still in the water, but you have to be able to stay on the surface until the boat's back for you (which should certainly be less than ten minutes). Since you're not likely to be wearing a flotation device the *entire* time you're on the deck, it's important to be able to keep yourself from drowning for a few minutes with no aids.
I certainly agree with offthewall1 that these are *not* scuba skills. They tend to have very little relevance to your performance as a scuba diver. I *absolutely* and *unequivocally* disagree with offthewall1's pronouncement that these are worthless tests that should be eliminated. While they have precious little to do with your underwater time, they plainly show your instructor that you should not drown should you happen to have a clumsy moment.
You make some valid points, but you miss the big one.
The ability to swim without fins has nothing at all to do with diving. You're worried that people around water should know how to swim... and I agree with that wholeheartedly, however an inability to swim should not preclude someone from taking or passing a scuba course if they can otherwise pass it using the required equipment.
Is it foolish for someone to be around water who can not swim? Yes. But it is also foolish to deny scuba certification to someone simply because they can't swim without equipment (fins). If they can pass the scuba exams, pool skills training and checkout dives using fins... then they deserve a scuba certification. They do not deserve a swimming certification... but then that is not your responsibility as a Scuba Instructor.
If they fall off a boat or pier and drown, it has nothing to do with the scuba certification. They were simply a person who couldn't swim and were foolish for not wearing a lifejacket on the boat or for being more careful around water.
Drowning is a risk inherent to being around any amount of water. People have drowned in bathtubs, shallow pools etc... Some drown because they couldn't swim. Some very strong swimmers have drowned given the worst of conditions... so swimming ability in and of itself does not ensure a safe return to the boat or pier
In these true situations of emergency, we depend on throw rings (life buoys,) tag lines, rescue dinghys or rescue swimmers.. maybe even rescue divers.
I'm a strong swimmer, yet I have been in currents in the Coral Sea conducting a rescue without fins... and it was a murderous swim back to the boat hauling a panicked diver. Being forced to act quickly and without time to put on a mask, fins and snorkel, there were moments I wasn't sure I was going to make it back to the boat.
In a perfect world, with adequate time, I could have donned the Mask, fins and snorkel and things would have been much easier. My point here is that gear is what divers and snorkelers use. Beach Lifeguards are trained to swim without fins. Divers and Snorkelers are trained with them.
So back to the earlier statement - is a person foolish for being around water without swimming ability? Yes. I still argue the requirement to swim 200 yards without fins has no place in diving certification requirements. Do the 300 with Mask fins and snorkel. It makes far more sense.