Swimming experience for beginners scuba

[charotarguy]

Hi there,

 

We would love to do the beginners scuba in Roatan, but my wife is not a very competent swimmer, how much swimming experience does one need to do scuba? Any inputs would help us plan this excursion.

 

Thank you in advance.

 

Charotarguy

[xSandman3`]

As long as she's comfortable and safe in the water, she should be ok. To be PADI certified, you have to swim 200 yards and tread water for 10 minutes. I've never had a student fail because of this.

 

Dale

PADI OWSI

[Tn Travelers]

As long as she's comfortable and safe in the water, she should be ok. To be PADI certified, you have to swim 200 yards and tread water for 10 minutes. I've never had a student fail because of this.

 

Dale

PADI OWSI

 

I think you can also swim 300 yards using Mask, Fins and Snorkel - plus treading water for 10 minutes. Not at all hard.

[xSandman3`]

I think you can also swim 300 yards using Mask, Fins and Snorkel - plus treading water for 10 minutes. Not at all hard.

 

True, although no one ever does for some reason.

[Tn Travelers]

True, although no one ever does for some reason.

 

Everyone around here does - guess it depends on what the instructor suggests. ;)

 

I actually prefer it - nothing more than a snorkel excursion - without the pretty fish :D

[charotarguy]

Thank you all for the replies.

 

Charotarguy

[MrSchwump]

I am a lousy swimmer and I've been diving for 20 years. As long as you're comfortable in the water and not given to panic when your face goes underwater, you'll be fine.

[mailbroad]

Could you do the sidestroke for 200 yards? I am a terrible swimmer... but I could tread water for a looooooong time for some reason!

[BuzzF117]

Could you do the sidestroke for 200 yards? I am a terrible swimmer... but I could tread water for a looooooong time for some reason!

 

 

yes you can since there wasn't a time limit on the swim. Personally in my class I had a guy that was a runner with very low body fat that blew everybody away on the swim but struggled on the treading water and I laughed at him as I reminded him that "fat floats"

[Middleager]

I'm not a good swimmer. When I went to a Beaches resort several years ago, it included Scuba. I struggled at the swim test, and went to backstroke quickly. It was a small swim pool and I had to go around 8 times. By the 5th time I thought I won't make it, but eventually did.

 

That was the toughest part of my learning scuba.

 

 

Too bad my wife is an even worse swimmer. I've got her to try snorkeling and now she enjoys. But she'd have a hard time treading water and won't make it. Otherwise I really hoped she can learn scuba and become by dive buddy.

[cruzegirl]

In 2005 when I did my scuba class, I had to do the 200 yard swim test and tread water for 10 minutes. I was never offered a mask/snorkel. lol Would have loved that. I love the water but did have some issues when I first wanted to get cert.

I'm fine in a pool. I'm fine in the ocean, close to shore. But didn't know how I would be in the ocean and not knowing where the bottom was. I can swim but couldn't keep a rhythm to help me feel better. And had never learned to properly tread water. So I took some swim lessons to feel more competent. It worked very well. Swim test, no big deal. Still didn't care of treading water for 10 minutes but ce la vie.

I'm great in the water while diving. I don't mind my face underwater but every once in awhile, I'm not fond of being on the surface when it's rough and water splashing me. It's my thing and a work in progress. Yet, I can snorkel off boats in 60 feet without issue. I don't get it. But my point is that have your wife take some swim lessons. It will make her more comfortable and competent when she don's the gear and gets in the water. :D

[Loves_Dogs]

While I love to scuba dive, I barely passed the swim portion of my test. xSandman3 is right, as long as she is comfortable in the water she will be fine.

 

Let me warn you, scuba is as addicting as cruising. I signed up for certification classes at my local dive shop shortly after I did the discover scuba. Used my next cruise to complete my certification dives. You will love scuba and have a great cruise!

[adk0425]

As others have mentioned, being a strong swimmer is not as important as being absolutely comfortable in the water, while wearing a mask, weights, scuba tanks, etc. However, if someone gets panicky around water or feels claustrophobic while wearing a mask (which I hear some folks do) then scuba may not be the best thing. Two major rules to scuba, 1. always breath, 2. don't panic.