Tips for the 10 minute treading portion of OW certification?

[TMHeimer]

So I did it tonight and it was a lot harder than I expected. I didn't realize it was going to be at the end of the pool session, and prior to it, we had to swim 100yds with snorkel/fins then 200yds without. That 200yds killed me and then had to tread 10 mins after. I simply am not bouyant at all and holy crap it was tough. I had to take a break between the two swim and treading because I was winded. I can't remember the last time I actually swam in general because in the pool I'm either in shallow or in the ocean if I'm "swimming" it's to snorkel and I have fins on.

But I did it so that is all that matters lol.

Good job. Yeah, "swimming" with fins is not swimming. I found that out too.

 

[purbeast]

Good job. Yeah, "swimming" with fins is not swimming. I found that out too.

I thought I had read you can do it without fins or do it longer with fins. Either way I didn't want to be "that guy" and ask lol so I just sucked it up. I realistically thought it was going to be much easier than it was too but holy hell it wasn't.

 

[TMHeimer]

Yes, unless they changed it, it's 200 meters no aids, or 300 with mask/fins/snorkel, the latter being way easier IMO if you are out of "swimming" shape or your stroke/breathing technique is flawed or rusty. But, it's usually up to instructor which is done, which makes no sense to me. One or the other, or let the student choose.

 

[Geobound]

So I did it tonight and it was a lot harder than I expected. I didn't realize it was going to be at the end of the pool session, and prior to it, we had to swim 100yds with snorkel/fins then 200yds without. That 200yds killed me and then had to tread 10 mins after. I simply am not bouyant at all and holy crap it was tough. I had to take a break between the two swim and treading because I was winded. I can't remember the last time I actually swam in general because in the pool I'm either in shallow or in the ocean if I'm "swimming" it's to snorkel and I have fins on.

But I did it so that is all that matters lol.

Congratulations!!

If you are not a floater or a swimmer, then you have no idea how hard this is.........or how great a feeling it is to pass this portion of your test!!

Very well done you!

 

[dmaziuk]

If you are not a floater or a swimmer, then you have no idea how hard this is...

... and then they tell us about divers who get in trouble in 6-foot swells in open ocean "because they had no snorkel".

 

[purbeast]

Congratulations!!

If you are not a floater or a swimmer, then you have no idea how hard this is.........or how great a feeling it is to pass this portion of your test!!

Very well done you!

When I did the fin pivot skill today, my instructor was pretty surprised at how much air he had to put into my BCD for me to be able to move. I had the most in there by far in the group. But then we did the hover skill right after and he helped me get it set properly since he knew how much to put in prior.

 

[boulderjohn]

When I did the fin pivot skill today, my instructor was pretty surprised at how much air he had to put into my BCD for me to be able to move. I had the most in there by far in the group. But then we did the hover skill right after and he helped me get it set properly since he knew how much to put in prior.

The fin pivot was removed from the PADI course nearly a decade ago. It is still an option to show that breathing in makes you go up and breathing out makes you go down. Any exercise that teaches that concept is acceptable.

If you are properly weighted, it should require very little air in the BCD. How much weight were you wearing at the time?

You are supposed to put the air in your BCD, not the instructor.

Did you also ho er while adding air to the BCD orally? If so, did the instructor breathe into your inflator, or did you?

 

[purbeast]

The fin pivot was removed from the PADI course nearly a decade ago. It is still an option to show that breathing in makes you go up and breathing out makes you go down. Any exercise that teaches that concept is acceptable.

If you are properly weighted, it should require very little air in the BCD. How much weight were you wearing at the time?

You are supposed to put the air in your BCD, not the instructor.

Did you also ho er while adding air to the BCD orally? If so, did the instructor breathe into your inflator, or did you?

I was wearing 8lbs. The instructor said for the pool we were in that the weight needed here will be much different than salt water. Also keep in mind the pool was 8ft deep max.

As for filling up the BCD, he said he would help us fill it to figure out what we needed. Then after he did that I played around with it myself. And no we did not orally put any air in our BCD's underwater, only when we did some at surface drills.

 

[TMHeimer]

At the pool, students were given either 8 or 12 pound soft weights. I used a 12. Unless, of course there was someone who absolutely needed more weight. I figure no one was "exactly" properly weighted, which would make doing the hover harder than it should be. I could do it and demonstrate it fine, but I had to work my lungs a whole lot more than when doing it in salt water with my own weights.

 

[Addicted2H2O]

@purbeast Congratulations on completing your swim/safety swim skills! I know you were concerned about it. I can certainly understand, too. I'm in a DM program myself and my swims are 400Y unaided in 10 minutes and 800Y mask, snorkel, fins in 17 minutes ( w/o using arms & hands). I'm not so much concerned about the fin kick as I'm pretty positive I can handle it, especially with the power I get out of my fins. But I'm really concerned about the 400Y free swim, especially with it being timed. It's swimming almost a quarter mile. Literally the only thing I'm worried about in my DM program. Everything else is cake!