Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Henry
You had to be strong swimmer when I took my cert. We had to dive in and swim the length of an Olympic size pool underwater. On my open water we had jump off of a 30' high bridge in full gear.
I was only 13yrs old, I was the first NAUI Junior scuba diver in Ontario. I had the 2nd highest mark in the class, at least 4-5 maybe more out of (aprox) 25 people failed. I believe it was a 36 hour course, written exam and 2 open water dives. I had to have a parent with me (not in the water) to dive or get air fills. My moms boss (dentist) had written permission to be my guardian and would take me on dives.
I had my scuba bronze medallion at 15 or 16. I had to perform artificial respiration on an old guy, yuck.
|
Like I said I dont consider myself to be a strong swimmer I could swim the length of an olympic sized pool underwater didn't mean I was a strong swimmer it meant I could hold my breath a long time I was the slowest in my group when I took the qual test for UDT it was a 1 mile open water swim and I barely made it. On my final divemaster cert dive we were doing a rough water cliff entry at Holona blow hole anybody from HI knows the cove its dangerous at best noticed a diver face down in the water (for real not part of the class) me and my buddy jumped from 30 feet or more the swell was out when we went to get to him I once swam against a 4-5 knot current to get a guy in a class that had drifted away from the group I could do that because I had huge fins not because I was a good swimmer. I dont have alot of awards I do have alot of dives logged in logbooks and I still have trouble doing a lap in a big pool. Swimming and diving are apples and oranges I know of folks that cant swim a lick that are great divers.