January 12th, 2010
Snorkeling and Scuba Diving… info please?
Okay so this may seem a little unusual to ask but if i cannot swim, wouldnt it be a good idea to go snorkeling or scuba diving? i would have someone with me who knows how to swim but i would have though it would be easier as you wear you have an oxygen tank on your bank therefore you wouldnt panic causing yourself to drown? or am i wrong in thinking this?
Speaking as a former lifeguard, and SCUBA instructor, I would strongly recommend you learn to swim properly first, before trying either of these two activities. Both require one to be comfortable about being in the water, including getting one’s face wet, which is not the case for most non-swimmers (and even doggy-paddlers are pushing it).
Although no certification is needed to go snorkelling, and wearing a life vest will stop you from sinking, that may not be enough to enable you to enjoy it. And since that is the whole point of any recreational activity, there is little to be gained from doing so, apart from stress (both for you and anyone who goes with you).
This applies to an even greater extent in SCUBA diving, which has a far higher risk index, including factors that non-divers (and even some entry-level divers, in my experience) have difficulty comprehending. Any diver without a supervisional diving qualification (e.g. PADI Divemaster equivalent or better), who would nonetheless take his non-swimmer friend diving, is destined at best for a stressful experience (for both parties) and at worst, a serious accident, with the accompanying guilt and/or lawsuits (or even criminal prosecution, if the accident is fatal).
One of the prerequisites for becoming certified as a scuba diver is being able to swim, and under PADI standards one of the ‘medical contraindications’ (i.e. absolute no-nos) to starting a course is ‘to overcome a fear e.g. of the water’. No professional instructor (professionalism being defined in terms of ability, knowledge, responsibility, and ethics, rather than simply ‘paid’), regardless of agency, would certify a total non-swimmer to dive.
Having said all that, subject to successful tryouts in standing depth first, I have taken non-swimmers for shallow intro-dives (no certifications issued) in sheltered open water. I had to do everything for them except breathe, but that’s OK, because they enjoyed the experience. However, this very much depends on the individual (both diver and instructor).
January 13th, 2010
Sweetcheeks1990 Says :
I think you have thought way too much into this….anyone who enters water should be able to swim as there is a very high chance you could drown. I went scuba diving on holiday last month and let me tell you it aint all that its cracked up to be. I did enjoy it although i panicked quite a bit as the oxygen tank is a very strange thing to breathe with. You also have to make sure that you learn everything you need to know such as all of the hand signals to other people with you so you don’t get into danger. I would recommend getting some swimming lessons in and then considering going snorkelling first rather than scuba diving. But please do learn how to swim first.
References :
Experience
January 13th, 2010
Mitchell Says :
to be able to snorkel, you must swim around to see different things, and you will want to submerge to get a closer look. as for scuba, don’t even try it. although you have a device that lets you float, and air to breath, to pass the certification tests, you must swim 8 laps in a pool. DO NOT even attempt scuba just because your buddy can swim. most scuba related deaths come from people just like you who are un certified, but dive anyway and trust someone to help them. if you do want to try scuba, learn to swim!!!!! THEN join a certification class for scuba. it is highly dangerous, and often fatal to dive without being certified. you may get bent( nitrogen bubbles pop in your blood, very deadly), experience nitrogen narcosis, or drown, especially the latter if you can’t swim. just because you have an AIR, not oxygen, tank on your back, does not make it easier. if anything, this makes swimming harder, as it makes movements somewhat awkward, and means you must calculate decompression times underwater to avoid DYING a slow and painful death. In other words DO NOT SCUBA OR SNORKEL UNTIL YOU ARE A VERY GOOD SWIMMER, AND GET CERTIFIED BEFORE EVEN THINKING ABOUT GOING DOWN UNDERWATER WITH SCUBA GEAR!!!!!!!
References :
certified open water scuba diver,
swimmer for 8 years (im 13)
snorkeler for 5 years
January 13th, 2010
Tam Says :
As a dive instructor I can say that I’ve taught people to be quite good divers who previously did not know how to swim. What is important is to become comfortable in the water. Your dive instructor can show you correct kicking techniques. If the only thing that scares you about swimming is not being able to breath then you might feel more comfortable with your own tank of air, but it still takes lessons. If you are not comfortable in the water you will have problems learning to dive. I’d suggest playing around in the pool or ocean where you can still touch get used to getting water on your face and try to float a little bit before trying to learn to dive or snorkel. Most places that offer snorkeling trips make you wear a life jacket so you float anyways you just have to learn to fin.
References :
January 13th, 2010
peek Says :
You don’t need to be a great swimmer to dive, but good courses will expect you to have a reasonable level of swimming. I had to swim 200 mtrs on my front, 200mtrs on my back, 25mtrs underwater and an assortment of other water confidence bits within an hour before I was considered to even start dive training. It’s more just about being comfortable in the water and someone that can’t swim is never really going to be comfortable.
And it’s not an Oxygen tank folks, it’s just normal run-of-the-mill air. The same stuff you’re breathing just now(I’ll assume you are all breathing)
References :
2000+dives
January 13th, 2010
tjs282 Says :
Speaking as a former lifeguard, and SCUBA instructor, I would strongly recommend you learn to swim properly first, before trying either of these two activities. Both require one to be comfortable about being in the water, including getting one’s face wet, which is not the case for most non-swimmers (and even doggy-paddlers are pushing it).
Although no certification is needed to go snorkelling, and wearing a life vest will stop you from sinking, that may not be enough to enable you to enjoy it. And since that is the whole point of any recreational activity, there is little to be gained from doing so, apart from stress (both for you and anyone who goes with you).
This applies to an even greater extent in SCUBA diving, which has a far higher risk index, including factors that non-divers (and even some entry-level divers, in my experience) have difficulty comprehending. Any diver without a supervisional diving qualification (e.g. PADI Divemaster equivalent or better), who would nonetheless take his non-swimmer friend diving, is destined at best for a stressful experience (for both parties) and at worst, a serious accident, with the accompanying guilt and/or lawsuits (or even criminal prosecution, if the accident is fatal).
One of the prerequisites for becoming certified as a scuba diver is being able to swim, and under PADI standards one of the ‘medical contraindications’ (i.e. absolute no-nos) to starting a course is ‘to overcome a fear e.g. of the water’. No professional instructor (professionalism being defined in terms of ability, knowledge, responsibility, and ethics, rather than simply ‘paid’), regardless of agency, would certify a total non-swimmer to dive.
Having said all that, subject to successful tryouts in standing depth first, I have taken non-swimmers for shallow intro-dives (no certifications issued) in sheltered open water. I had to do everything for them except breathe, but that’s OK, because they enjoyed the experience. However, this very much depends on the individual (both diver and instructor).
References :
PADI instructor # 609394