Tips for the 10 minute treading portion of OW certification?

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@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!
The other one that I am slightly worried about is the CESA on the open water. I simply cannot hold my breath very long. I never have been able to and I'm just not really able to. I can do 30 seconds easily if I'm just sitting down but I'm not sure while active. When we tested it in the pool yesterday we swam horizontally since it was 8 feet deep but I'm pretty sure my instructor didn't have me down underwater for 30 seconds. I continued my swim underwater for a bit longer though so I might have been under 30 seconds. But again, this is no pressure or anything and in a pool, not the real test. I'm glad though that at least I now know it's done with the regulator in mouth in case lol.
 
The other one that I am slightly worried about is the CESA on the open water. I simply cannot hold my breath very long. I never have been able to and I'm just not really able to. I can do 30 seconds easily if I'm just sitting down but I'm not sure while active. When we tested it in the pool yesterday we swam horizontally since it was 8 feet deep but I'm pretty sure my instructor didn't have me down underwater for 30 seconds. I continued my swim underwater for a bit longer though so I might have been under 30 seconds. But again, this is no pressure or anything and in a pool, not the real test. I'm glad though that at least I now know it's done with the regulator in mouth in case lol.
Are you done with your pool work, or is there still another session or two to go?
 
Are you sure PADI still does a CESA in open water? I think most other agencies have all but abandoned it and only do it in confined water.
 
There is that big thread on if you should practice a CESA or is it too dangerous to practice in OW? If your dive is to 30' I would figure it's not too dangerous to exceed the "safe" ascent rate a little. If deep and OOA you're probably gunna go up a bit too fast anyway since getting to the surface is most important. I will say that practicing from 20-30' at the safe ascent rate has never been a problem for me, and I'm not great at holding my breath either (well, not holding one's breath on scuba of course, but still, you can't inhale on the way up).
When I practice it I start with lungs half full, figuring if I had enough air to take a full breath I probably could start a normal ascent instead. I know some people have done a CESA from like 100' or deeper.
 
In OW course, the student has the reg in the mouth, and the air is on. So no risk there. Instructor is supposed to act as a "brake" in case of rapid ascent. Grab student BC, leg around ascent rope. So that hazard is addressed. If student takes a breath, repeat.

My biggest concern is my own ears, depending on how many students and how many repeats.
 
The other one that I am slightly worried about is the CESA on the open water. I simply cannot hold my breath very long.

Rule #1: don't hold your breath. Most emphatically don't hold your breath anywhere near CESA, even in a separate sentence next to "CESA".
 
Are you done with your pool work, or is there still another session or two to go?
I am done with the pool and classroom work.

Rule #1: don't hold your breath. Most emphatically don't hold your breath anywhere near CESA, even in a separate sentence next to "CESA".
I know not to hold my breath but in general I mean it's hard for me to "not inhale" for 30 seconds, whether I'm holding it or blowing bubbles. I feel I run out of air faster when I let a little air out of my mouth so maybe I need to work on that too.

And yes as someone mentioned, you do it in the OW but you have your regulator in so there's no chance or not making it.

I was also told that in the OW checkout dives for this skill, they expect you to make some kind of high pitched noise so they can hear that you aren't taking any air in and cheating. I tried that last night and it was very awkward and I was having trouble making a constant noise out of my mouth while simulating it.

Then on my drive home from work now I was trying it in my car and then realized how easy it is to make that high pitched noise when I have my mouth shut and am blowing the air out of my nose. I also find that easier to move air slower out of my nose in that fashion than out of my mouth. So perhaps I can just do that while I am doing the CESA skill? I made it like 40 seconds while testing this out in my car but again, I was just sitting down driving lol.

Oh and one more thing. I had seen videos of the free flow skill and I simply did not understand it. I didn't even really understand it when my instructor told me about it and was explaining it to me. But when I actually did it, wow, that is really weird lol.
 
I've always seen that it is making the "Ahhhhh" sound. Never heard of requiring a high pitched sound.This is so the instructor is sure you're airway is open. You can do the CESA without the sound as long as your airway is not closed off. When I practice it I still make the Ahhhh sound just to be absolutely sure my airway isn't even partially closed (if that's even possible).
I've seen and done 5 different ways to breathe from a free flow.
 
I am done with the pool and classroom work.


I know not to hold my breath but in general I mean it's hard for me to "not inhale" for 30 seconds, whether I'm holding it or blowing bubbles. I feel I run out of air faster when I let a little air out of my mouth so maybe I need to work on that too.

And yes as someone mentioned, you do it in the OW but you have your regulator in so there's no chance or not making it.

I was also told that in the OW checkout dives for this skill, they expect you to make some kind of high pitched noise so they can hear that you aren't taking any air in and cheating. I tried that last night and it was very awkward and I was having trouble making a constant noise out of my mouth while simulating it.

Then on my drive home from work now I was trying it in my car and then realized how easy it is to make that high pitched noise when I have my mouth shut and am blowing the air out of my nose. I also find that easier to move air slower out of my nose in that fashion than out of my mouth. So perhaps I can just do that while I am doing the CESA skill? I made it like 40 seconds while testing this out in my car but again, I was just sitting down driving lol.

Oh and one more thing. I had seen videos of the free flow skill and I simply did not understand it. I didn't even really understand it when my instructor told me about it and was explaining it to me. But when I actually did it, wow, that is really weird lol.
If you are done, and this is a PADI course, something may have been missed. Aside from the 30 second LP inflator hover, (formerly fin pivot) there is also a 60 second oral inflation hover. Unless you are doing Scuba Diver and not Open Water diver.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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