Swimming: A Somewhat-Mandatory Movement for Scuba Diving<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"Swimming:](\"https:\/\/oceanscubadive.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Scuba-Diver-Fish.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo credit to Ocean Scuba Dive<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nDo you need to know how to swim to scuba dive<\/a>? Perhaps surprisingly, this is a frequently asked question about diving<\/a><\/u>. Shouldn\u2019t it go without saying that knowing how to swim is a prerequisite for scuba diving?<\/p>\nTo scuba dive safely (for yourself, your dive buddy, and everyone else in your group), it’s essential to be a capable swimmer. However, this doesn\u2019t mean expertise or technical know-how. You don\u2019t even need to know a single stroke technique.<\/p>\n
What you do have to know is how to exist in the water. You should be comfortable in the water, have stamina, and possess knowledge not about swimming strokes but about how to move your body through the water.<\/p>\n
In scuba diving, leg motions<\/a> are key, so being able to kick to propel yourself, turn, and adjust speed is an essential skill. When you ascend, you’ll need to rotate in a full circle more than once as you scan your surroundings. Knowing how to do this is essential for scuba diving. Knowing how to front crawl is not.<\/p>\nWhen you\u2019re working toward your mandatory scuba certification, you will be required to pass two basic water skills tests<\/a><\/u>. You must be able to<\/p>\n\n- Tread water or float for 10 minutes in deep water<\/li>\n
- Swim for 200 meters without stopping (any method is acceptable, even if you’re not using formal swim strokes) OR swim for 300 meters without stopping wearing a mask, fins, and snorkel; these are untimed tests<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Swimming skills are necessary, but only to a point. The sport of swimming is done at the water’s surface and involves precise strokes and movements. Scuba diving is a motion under the water.<\/p>\n
While you don\u2019t use swimming strokes while diving, your movements will be intentional. In scuba diving, how to ascend and descend are the skills you need, and these don’t involve swimming know-how.<\/p>\n
Getting to Point B: The Descent<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/VH0HA7ST65A\/maxresdefault.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo credit to YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nBefore diving into the information about your ascent to the surface, let\u2019s take a quick look at the descent. Getting down to your stopping point is relatively simple.<\/p>\n
In your certification\u00a0classes, you\u2019ll learn about the equipment and how to use it. For now, it\u2019s sufficient to know that you’ll begin breathing through your regulator before you start to descend, and along the way, you’ll equalize the pressure as well as adjust the air in your buoyancy control device (BCD).<\/p>\n
The goal for descending, other than to reach your destination and enjoy exploring, is to control your speed. You don’t want to move so fast that you can’t correctly equalize the pressure<\/a>.<\/p>\nAs important as the descent speed is, it isn\u2019t as vital to health and safety as is the rate of ascent. When your dive is over, it\u2019s imperative that you return to point A properly. The following information and precautions will teach you the basics of ascending and resurfacing.<\/p>\n
Resurfacing the Right Way<\/strong><\/h2>\nKnowing how to ascend is a scuba diving must. Returning to the surface is a purposeful process that must be done with care. Finning your way back to the surface and popping out of the water will have dire results. A gradual rise:<\/p>\n
\n- Decreases the very real risk of developing decompression sickness<\/li>\n
- Allows you to scan for grave surface dangers like boats and their propellers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
You Don\u2019t Want the Bends<\/strong><\/h3>\nMany people, even non-divers, have heard of the bends<\/a><\/u>. Formally known as decompression sickness, it\u2019s an illness that occurs when we are immersed in situations of extremely low or high pressure. Scuba diving is just one situation that can cause the Bends.<\/p>\nIn this otherwise-fun activity, one of the ways decompression sickness can develop is from an improper ascension. Here\u2019s what happens within the body:<\/p>\n
\n- In normal pressure conditions, we exhale nitrogen and other gasses<\/li>\n
- Underwater, where the pressure is higher, breathing is slightly altered<\/li>\n
- A diver inhales compressed air<\/li>\n
- The nitrogen inhaled isn\u2019t exhaled but instead remains in the bloodstream and fatty tissues<\/li>\n
- The longer and deeper the dive, the more nitrogen accumulates in the body<\/li>\n
- When it\u2019s time to return to the surface, a diver experiences pressure changes\u2014the pressure decreases as he ascends<\/li>\n
- As the pressure decreases, all of the nitrogen in the blood and tissues starts forming gas bubbles<\/li>\n
- The bubbles can affect and damage any area, any system within, the body<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Take Your Time When Going Up <\/strong><\/h3>\nTo safely enjoy scuba diving, learning how to ascend is crucial. The first principle to learn is that ascending to the surface takes time. It\u2019s a process that can\u2019t be rushed. That means that a bit of advanced awareness and planning is in order.<\/p>\n
\n- Be aware of your dive time and how long you\u2019ve been down<\/li>\n
- Know your depth and take care to respect the depth boundary you established<\/li>\n
- Tune in to your body, including fatigue and temperature<\/li>\n
- Monitor how much air you have left<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Begin your ascent before you are tired and while you still have plenty of oxygen. Remember that the deeper you are, the longer it will take to get back to the top. You\u2019ll have more distance to cover, and you will have to go more slowly and possibly make more stops along the way.<\/p>\n
The generally accepted ascent rate is 30 feet (9 meters) per minute. Older guidelines, which some organizations still support, were twice that speed, but at 60 feet (18 meters) per minute, a higher number of divers develop decompression sickness.<\/p>\n![\"Take](\"https:\/\/southeastasiabackpacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Learn-to-Dive.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo credit to South East Asia Backpacker<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe Safety Stop<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Do you need to know how to swim to scuba dive<\/a>? Perhaps surprisingly, this is a frequently asked question about diving<\/a><\/u>. Shouldn\u2019t it go without saying that knowing how to swim is a prerequisite for scuba diving?<\/p>\n To scuba dive safely (for yourself, your dive buddy, and everyone else in your group), it’s essential to be a capable swimmer. However, this doesn\u2019t mean expertise or technical know-how. You don\u2019t even need to know a single stroke technique.<\/p>\n What you do have to know is how to exist in the water. You should be comfortable in the water, have stamina, and possess knowledge not about swimming strokes but about how to move your body through the water.<\/p>\n In scuba diving, leg motions<\/a> are key, so being able to kick to propel yourself, turn, and adjust speed is an essential skill. When you ascend, you’ll need to rotate in a full circle more than once as you scan your surroundings. Knowing how to do this is essential for scuba diving. Knowing how to front crawl is not.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re working toward your mandatory scuba certification, you will be required to pass two basic water skills tests<\/a><\/u>. You must be able to<\/p>\n Swimming skills are necessary, but only to a point. The sport of swimming is done at the water’s surface and involves precise strokes and movements. Scuba diving is a motion under the water.<\/p>\n While you don\u2019t use swimming strokes while diving, your movements will be intentional. In scuba diving, how to ascend and descend are the skills you need, and these don’t involve swimming know-how.<\/p>\n Before diving into the information about your ascent to the surface, let\u2019s take a quick look at the descent. Getting down to your stopping point is relatively simple.<\/p>\n In your certification\u00a0classes, you\u2019ll learn about the equipment and how to use it. For now, it\u2019s sufficient to know that you’ll begin breathing through your regulator before you start to descend, and along the way, you’ll equalize the pressure as well as adjust the air in your buoyancy control device (BCD).<\/p>\n The goal for descending, other than to reach your destination and enjoy exploring, is to control your speed. You don’t want to move so fast that you can’t correctly equalize the pressure<\/a>.<\/p>\n As important as the descent speed is, it isn\u2019t as vital to health and safety as is the rate of ascent. When your dive is over, it\u2019s imperative that you return to point A properly. The following information and precautions will teach you the basics of ascending and resurfacing.<\/p>\n Knowing how to ascend is a scuba diving must. Returning to the surface is a purposeful process that must be done with care. Finning your way back to the surface and popping out of the water will have dire results. A gradual rise:<\/p>\n Many people, even non-divers, have heard of the bends<\/a><\/u>. Formally known as decompression sickness, it\u2019s an illness that occurs when we are immersed in situations of extremely low or high pressure. Scuba diving is just one situation that can cause the Bends.<\/p>\n In this otherwise-fun activity, one of the ways decompression sickness can develop is from an improper ascension. Here\u2019s what happens within the body:<\/p>\n To safely enjoy scuba diving, learning how to ascend is crucial. The first principle to learn is that ascending to the surface takes time. It\u2019s a process that can\u2019t be rushed. That means that a bit of advanced awareness and planning is in order.<\/p>\n Begin your ascent before you are tired and while you still have plenty of oxygen. Remember that the deeper you are, the longer it will take to get back to the top. You\u2019ll have more distance to cover, and you will have to go more slowly and possibly make more stops along the way.<\/p>\n The generally accepted ascent rate is 30 feet (9 meters) per minute. Older guidelines, which some organizations still support, were twice that speed, but at 60 feet (18 meters) per minute, a higher number of divers develop decompression sickness.<\/p>\n\n
Getting to Point B: The Descent<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Resurfacing the Right Way<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
You Don\u2019t Want the Bends<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
Take Your Time When Going Up <\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
<\/a>The Safety Stop<\/strong><\/h3>\n