40 replies to this topic

[annasea]

I'm curious as to how many people here learned to swim specifically in order to SCUBA dive and how many were swimmers to start with. (The impression I get is most divers were swimmers to begin with.)

Also, how did you fulfill your swimming prerequisite? (I thought I had to do a bona fide stroke eg. front crawl, so imagine my delight when I was told I was able to merely glide back and forth on my side with the occasional relaxing roll onto my back! )

[Walter]

I'm a self taught swimmer and not very good at all. It was a chore for me to complete the swimming requirement for the OW course. I mixed up every stroke I could to make it through 300 yds witout drowning. The 15 minute tred/float was torture. I'm a sinker, so no natural buoyancy to help me with the swim. Today, I float a tad easier than a couple of decades ago. The underwater swim, OTOH, was a snap. Having been very thin (at 18, I was 5' 8" and weighed 115 lbs), staying underwater was always easy, so I learned to swim underwater years before I learned to swim on top.

[gcbryan]

My situation was similar to Walter's. I was always comfortable in the water and could swim underwater but didn't really have the crawl/breathing thing down. After I knew that I wanted to learn to scuba I took a few swimming lessons and picked it up right away. Now I'm a pretty decent swimmer.

Edited by gcbryan, 09 January 2006 - 08:57 PM.

[finley]

I've always been a swimmer so it was no problem and I had good company during the tread water..so I didn;t get bored...never thought of it..but I guess my natural buoyancy helps out in that matter.

[ScubaDadMiami]

My situation was similar to Walter's. I was always comfortable in the water and could swim underwater but didn't really have the crawl/breathing thing down. After I knew that I wanted to learn to scuba I took a few swimming lessons and picked it up right away. Now I'm a pretty decent swimmer.

I could swim underwater as an infant, and I have always been comfortable in the water. I have been told that I could swim before I could walk.

In Europe, it is my understanding that they teach the breast stroke as the primary stroke instead of the crawl. It is pretty fast (though not as fast as the crawl), one can keep it up for a long time before tiring (compared the the crawl stroke), and it is easier to see where one is going by looking ahead when the head comes out of the water to take a breath. Makes sense to me.

I can't quote the standards of any agency other than NAUI since I am still hold a professional rating with NAUI only. NAUI Standards require the Scuba Diver student to "[d]emonstrate novice level swim stroke proficiency" in any of the major swim strokes. (Does that make these students a bunch of strokes? ) Underwater, one must only swim 50 feet "on one breath with no push-off or dive." No stroke is specified.

It does require progressively advanced strokes as one moves through the levels. However, you will have plenty of time to practice, and you should already know whether you are ready to meet this requirement before taking each level of training by inquiring and practicing in advance of that particular training.

Edited by ScubaDadMiami, 09 January 2006 - 09:09 PM.

[blacklatexozdiver]

Most Australian children are taught to swim in primary school. I knew how to swim before doing my OW and used primarily Australian Crawl (freestyle) to cover the course. I did use other strokes at times just for a bit of variety. I'm not a great swimmer or floater.

[finGrabber]

I learned how to swim at age 2...so I guess I wasn't totally proficient at walking yet!

I used a variety of strokes during my OW class...crawl, breast stroke, side stroke...since I wear contacts, I used mostly breast stroke and side stroke...and underwater, I use primarily the breast stroke, it just seems to work better for me

[BeachBunny]

I have always been an early bloomer. I was born on the coast so my parents were taking me in the ocean by the time I was 2 weeks old. They were hippies in case you are wondering! Of course my mom was stung on the belly by a jellyfish the day before I was born but that is not really the point of the story! Walking by 9 months, potty trained at 18 months. Maybe I am just an over acheiver. Back on point, I am not sure how old I was when I started actually swimming but I know it was very young, never did the whole preschool swim class thing, I already knew how. I forgot about the treading water part, I don't really think we had to do it for 15 minutes, if it was it went by really fast.

[drbill]

Having lived on the ocean as a child, I was a swimmer long before I was a SCUBA diver (although I did a lot of childish "free diving" while still young). It was as a consequence of swim team practice my first year of high school that I was introduced to SCUBA diving.

In my high school daze I was a pretty fair swimmer... pool records and personally undefeated one year. Of course I was 6' and 180# back then. Now I'm slightly taller and a "few" pounds heavier (thanks to Caetllonn's chocolates, maple sugar candy and honey!). So I'm a floater. Takes more weight on my belt to take me under now. New Year's resolution time...

Edited by drbill, 09 January 2006 - 11:37 PM.

[Walter]

I forgot about the treading water part, I don't really think we had to do it for 15 minutes, if it was it went by really fast.

Most agencies require 10 minutes.

[Mitch0129]

I had swam every since I was a kid so it was not a problem to me. Also, at the time of my OW class, I was competing on the triathlon circuit here in Texas and was used to swimming 3,000 yards every other morning so swiming 300 yards was a snap.

[WillDiveForBeer]

I forgot about the treading water part, I don't really think we had to do it for 15 minutes, if it was it went by really fast.

Most agencies require 10 minutes.

I don't remember any of this...but then again, I've been swimming since forever and probably didn't think twice when I had to do a swimming requirement. It's been a long, long time since I have taken lessons, swim all the time and do the butterfly, side, back and all those other fun strokes. Now, if only swimming underwater was as easy as swimming on top .

[annasea]

Now, if only swimming underwater was as easy as swimming on top .

Ah hah!!!

[Latitude Adjustment]

I was always better at swimming across the bottom of the pool than on the surface and would drive the lifeguards crazy by exploring for change in the deep end and under the supports for the slide so it was only natural that I try scuba when the USAF sent me to Bermuda.

[TraceMalin]

Dr. Bill wrote:

In my high school daze I was a pretty fair swimmer... pool records and personally undefeated one year. Of course I was 6' and 180# back then. Now I'm slightly taller and a "few" pounds heavier (thanks to Caetllonn's chocolates, maple sugar candy and honey!). So I'm a floater. Takes more weight on my belt to take me under now. New Year's resolution time...

Here's an easy get back into shape workout my head coach made:

Warm Up: 200 swim, 100 kickboard, 200 pull buoy

Drills: 4 X 50 choice

Swim/Stroke Set: (repeat 2 X)

3 X 100's on a .30 rest
3 X 75's on a .20 rest
3 X 50's on a .20 rest
2 X 50's kickboard

Easy 50 swim

250 pull buoy

6 X 50's on a 1:15 (each 50 gets faster)

10 X 25's (alternate easy & fast)

Cool down: 250 easy swim

Total: 3200 yards/meters (depending on pool length)

Enjoy!

Trace

Edited by TraceMalin, 11 January 2006 - 05:21 AM.