I'm not much of a swimmer, yet I feel I would have more confidence with an oxygen tank on my back . Do you have to be an expert swimmer in order to dive?

No you dont have to be an expert swimmer! I think you have to be able to swim something like 200m or less to get on the course! The main issue is you have to be comfortable in the water!

200m in the sea, unaided by fins/floatation device and then tread water for 10minutes is the basic PADI requirement.

Most accidents happen on the surface, so as tropical rightly says the most important thing is to be comfortable and calm when in the drink!

Gees you guys get off light! For mine i had to do 200m, length of the pool with just a snorkel, treading water for 3mins while holding a 3kg weight above the water, holding my breath underwater for 30seconds and i cant remember what else lol and a sports medical by a doctor not a self-declared one lol!

tropical_shark wrote:


Soo.. How is the Marine Corps?

i am starting to feel that way lol! A lot of my instructors at the mo are ex-military so maybe they have just brought it all through into there training style! Definitely good training though!

You need to be a good enough swimmer that you can maintain your safety. There may be instances where you need to swim to the surface, to the boat, to shore, etc.

thetafferboy wrote:


Ok, 200m w/o a floatation device?...think I may need to go through hypnosis before attempting certification then ...or perhaps dive with just kids .

Thanks, everybody for the info.

I love reading all these, you'd have to be in good shape for any of those.

I took swimming classes in junior high, but it's been over 5 years and I will have much practice to do. ^^

i would say you had to be in good shape! I passed what i had to do not being in shape, i'm in better shape now though lol!

Jee wizz! That seems way too hardcore, what type of qualification did you have to do that for "tropical_shark"?!

It was for HSE professional diver. It was through uni and they get a lot of interest so i think they make it a little harder to cut down the numbers.

Actually all the agency's in the states only require you to be able to tread water for 5 minutes, swim the length of an olympic pool 4 times no time limit and using any style or combination of styles you want and a pyshical. Actually it is very easy. I may be wrong about the distances as its been along time. I will say this, almost anyone can accomplish the swim part of the test without any problems as long as you are comfortable in the water. As far as treading water with a wieght over your head, the only people I know of who train that way are C.G. rescue swimmers. Most will even let you do the pool part of your course with a wetsuit on.
Go for it, it will probably open up a new world to you that many will never know. The 2 most important things are being comfortable in the water and not being claustrophobic.