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scuba diving gear Question about diving certification
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I can't swim 500m, or even 100m, in fresh water or in choppy seas without any equipment, because my natural buoyancy is lousy and I have to spend too much effort keeping my head above the water. If this disqualifies me from scuba diving, then it certainly should've disqualified me from snorkelling, but nobody told me about it. When snorkelling, I had a deflated vest on me, and I would inflated it had I lost the mask and fins, or snorkel and fins. I would not survive if I lost all the equipment, including the vest. But this seems to me like requiring a sailor to be able to swim to a shore from any place in the ocean... Not from any place in the ocean. But if he/she can see land, why not? That would be like getting stuck in a desert within crawling reach of an oasis and not knowing how to crawl. Doesn't everyone know how to crawl?
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scuba diving gear Question about diving certification
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Yes, I do live in Bay Area, 30 miles from SF and 80 from Monterey. We'll try not to hold it against you ... *too* much...
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scuba diving gear Question about diving certification
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Not from any place in the ocean. But if he/she can see land, why not? Because the ocean currents are faster than you can swim? Sometimes all you can do is remain afloat and sit back and enjoy the ride...
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scuba diving gear Question about diving certification
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Consider why you could not do a 500 yard swim. I can't swim 500m, or even 100m, in fresh water or in choppy seas without any equipment, because my natural buoyancy is lousy and I have to spend too much effort keeping my head above the water. If this disqualifies me from scuba diving, then it certainly should've disqualified me from snorkelling, but nobody told me about it. When snorkelling, I had a deflated vest on me, and I would inflated it had I lost the mask and fins, or snorkel and fins. I would not survive if I lost all the equipment, including the vest. But this seems to me like requiring a sailor to be able to swim to a shore from any place in the ocean... Yes, I do live in Bay Area, 30 miles from SF and 80 from Monterey.
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The administrator has disabled public write access. |
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scuba diving gear Question about diving certification
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Yes, I do live in Bay Area, 30 miles from SF and 80 from Monterey. We'll try not to hold it against you ... *too* much... Belay that Texas envy, sailor. gc
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The administrator has disabled public write access. |
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scuba diving gear Question about diving certification
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I can't swim 500m, or even 100m, in fresh water or in choppy seas without any equipment, because my natural buoyancy is lousy and I have to spend too much effort keeping my head above the water. For most agencies the test is 200 yards, but the only way to be sure is to ask the shops that you are considering to find out what their instructors do. The test isn't timed, and you can swim any way you want to, including taking breaks floating on your back. The point is not to see how perfectly you can swim 200 yards; it is to determine how comfortable and confident you are in the water. If you using all of your energy keeping your head above water, I would suggest taking a few swimming lessons and learning how to rotation breathe . You're much slicker in the water with your face down. Anyone who can walk and chew gum and who isn't terrified of the water can learn do it. You might also talk to your chosen instructor - he might make some sort of arrangement to have a DM work with you a bit before your class.
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