Swimming Skills Assessment

[Trace Malinowski]

i call bullsh!t - you weren't there at bts because i didn't see you!

i'm a totally nontrained very comfy swimmer - grew up on the water swimming every day, and chubby enough to float forever. i'd like to have some actual instruction someday & maybe improve my nonexistant technique.

Were you wearing a pink Cave Excursions T-shirt with "If you have to ask <l--------l> you wouldn't understand," on the back?

 

[MRadke]

I understand the intent of Cousteau's message to be this. Diving is relatively simple, always breath, get your weight right, always breath, make sure that you have enough gas, always breath, make good use of the tables and always breath. Did I mention always breath. Every time there is an accident, a well intended person tries to do all of the thinking for the rest of the population. The bottom line is that you can't legislate common sense. Frankly, I see the same thing with our fire training. Prospects are getting so overloaded with so much technical BS that it isn't funny, but come out of fire certification training without enough brains to put a little water on themselves if they are getting burned through their gear.

 

[cloudflint]

I used to swim alot for fun when i was younger, nowadays I dont swim without scuba very often. I had to do a swimming assessment to get my qualification and still have to go through it every now and again since when we run someone through it we do it next to them to show them it can be done

Our swimming assessment is:

• Swim 300m freestyle (except backstroke) without using mask, fins or snorkel
• Swim 100m on back without using mask, fins or snorkel
• Swim 50m wearing a weight belt without using mask, fins or snorkel
• Float on back for 5 minutes with minimal movement
• tread water for 30 seconds with arms held above water without using mask, fins or snorkel
• Recover 3 object one at a time from between 18 and 3 meters without using mask, fins or snorkel
• Swim 15 meters underwater without using mask, fins or snorkel
• Hold breath underwater for at least 30 seconds without using mask, fins or snorkel
• recover mask, fins and snorkel from 2-3 meters, refit while treading water on surface
• Fin 200m diving to the bottom at least every 20 meters

Ive found its good for building peoples confidence and making them feel comfortable in the water before they go out to the sea. Also it keeps me from letting myself go to much

 

[Kenny13]

I answered "Average Swimmer: Learned as a child, but only swim occasionally " but I don't necessarily feel that accurately assesses my level of swimming ability. Yes I learned as a child and I do only get to swim occasionally, but I grew up on the water swimming in strong currents and took formal swimming lessons every summer all the way up to lifeguard (I was too young and would have had to wait 4 years to take the lifeguard class).

I was never on a swim team or anything like that, and right now I don't get to swim every day as part of my fitness routine although that will change in June when a new YMCA is opening nearby and I have already joined. However, I am very comfortable in the water with my swimming skills and even though my strokes aren't perfect I can more than handle myself in the water, including some basic rescue and survival skills.

I will say that I would not have even considered learning scuba diving if I weren't a good swimmer and comfortable in the water with those skills.

 

[BabyDuck]

yes, but i didn't *see* you, so you don't exist. nyah.

[/hijack]

 

[Trace Malinowski]

yes, but i didn't *see* you, so you don't exist. nyah.

[/hijack]

Are you sure you have enough awareness to be a cave diver?

 

[fisheater]

Fair physical fitness and overweight (due to LONG hours riding a desk).

However, I swim laps a couple times a week, doing a nautical mile each time. I was a (not particularly) competitive swimmer and am very comfortable in the water.

I'm also a certified BSA LifeGuard.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BabyDuck]

no. i guess i'll quit...



april fool's!

 

[ScubaFeenD]

I dont think Cousteau is what divers should aspire to. Instead, we should aspire to far more. Divers shouldnt need to swim like they used to and they certainly shouldnt interact with the environment like Cousteau did--it can be harmful. Cousteau lived and dove in an ocean untouched by divers and unseen by the world, but things have changed and we all need to be mindful of that. Further, our understanding of physiology as it relates to operating at different pressures has also changed (greatly) and we should be mindful of that too. Diving like we would swim at the surface is not a great idea.

That being said, the whole "you dont need to be a good swimmer to be a diver" is just absolute BS! Being a good swimmer, far from what is listed as average in the poll, is what gives you the comfort in the water to deal with problems that might arise and the comfort and fortitude not to bolt in an emergency. I am fortunate to feel totally at home in the water. I love getting wet, and just treading water, and I find it a real privilege to be able to go underneath the waves to take a peak.

I see so many divers get in the water who fear the water and are really dependent on their gear and BS training because they are terrified and cannot maintain calm underwater. Far more should be expected of potential scuba divers before they are allowed to certify just to assure they truly belong in the water. Perhaps every class should start with a free-diving course, not necessarily for the depth but just for the comfort of breath holding and swimming. There is just too much of the "its so easy anyone can do it, even if you cant swim" mentality in diving it is disgusting. As a result, people who shouldn't be allowed to take baths are taking a giant strides.

 

[ScubaFeenD]

I understand the intent of Cousteau's message to be this. Diving is relatively simple, always breath, get your weight right, always breath, make sure that you have enough gas, always breath, make good use of the tables and always breath. Did I mention always breath. Every time there is an accident, a well intended person tries to do all of the thinking for the rest of the population. The bottom line is that you can't legislate common sense. Frankly, I see the same thing with our fire training. Prospects are getting so overloaded with so much technical BS that it isn't funny, but come out of fire certification training without enough brains to put a little water on themselves if they are getting burned through their gear.

As a firefighter I can agree with your sentiment a bit, but not completely. I have seen a ton of oldtimers do some really stoopid $hit because they believe that adding intelligence to firefighting gets people killed. But, if you look at some of the greatest losses of life in firefighting it was always the cock-sure aggressive attitude in the absence of thinking that got people killed. Ive seen quite a few dumb mistakes on a fireground due to lack of cerebral activity, and sadly even seen some seriously hurt firefighter too. There has to be a balance of training and real life experience/exercises and the expectation that not everything goes by the book (which can trip people up when they get into the real world). Training agencies everywhere forget that whether in firefighting or in SCUBA.