Divemaster swim test

[Kirstie]

Originally Posted by SeaStar

Rescue assessment - selected the heaviest person in the group for everyone to rescue and lift out of the pool (poor women was really upset that she had to be rescued by 6 other DM who nearly all dropped her).

Can you do the rescue assessment in a pool? I thought it had to be in the sea, but if that's not the case I can get that done on Sunday as well.

[SeaStar]

The rescue can be either CW or OW, but the 4 stamina exercise, 20 skills and equipment exchange have to be CW.

[Kirstie]

Originally Posted by SeaStar

The rescue can be either CW or OW, but the 4 stamina exercise, 20 skills and equipment exchange have to be CW.

That's interesting. I did my tow in the sea and intend doing my swims there as well, because I can't stand indoor pools.

Having said that, my swim will be done inside an oval stone harbour which measures 100m from end to end, so does that count as confined, I wonder?

The 20 skills and kit swap will be done in an outdoor pool (which is too small for the swim tests).

[Scubee]

Originally Posted by Tazzie

I thought one of the requirements was all 4 swim / tread water tests were carried out within a certain timescale? How come people are spreading it out over different days / countries? Can an instructor who has their standards to hand confirm please or were we had??!! We did all ours in one pool session one after the other (After all it is a stamina / fitness assessment) followed by the stress test / kit exchange

Nope, they don't have to be done all in one go.

Originally Posted by Sooty Stoo

Personally I think they're all done at once to get it over with.

We will get the DIT to have a go. they can decide if they think their timings are good enough to be scored in their paperwork. If they are prepared to gigve it a go, it demonstrates better DM attitude than not even trying.

Originally Posted by SeaStar

At the risk that others will be given ideas here are some of the things I've seen instructors do to DMs if they think it's all getting a bit too easy on the swim test, kit exchange and rescue assessments:

float - during the last 2 minutes with the hands out of the water they were given a 1kg weight to hold in each hand
Tows - although this is done in CW - they were made to kit up as for OW - extra weight and all the gear
Swims - made them swim around the pool so they couldn't kick off from the ends
Kit exchange
- where there were 4 doing the test, after allowing them 2 minutes to plan, they then swapped the pairs once in the water.
- gave them different kit i.e. school bcds and masks
- made them kit up completely with computers, knives on legs, torches and anything else hanging off that could be found, that would then get in the way
- paired up the tallest/smallest or largest/thinnest (the largest couldn't get the small BCD on and the tallest could fit the small full foot fins)
- marked them down if they do not smile enough
Rescue assessment - selected the heaviest person in the group for everyone to rescue and lift out of the pool (poor women was really upset that she had to be rescued by 6 other DM who nearly all dropped her).

PADI standards are just that... standard. To add additional, unneccessary things to make life more difficult is a violation of standards. Nowhere does it say that the final part of the float is to hold weights.
The idea is to test stamina, not see if they have superhuman strength.
If you treat trainee divemasters with respect, and help them through the course rather than make it, quite frankly, like a boot camp, they will enjoy it more and be more likely to become better divemasters.

i have to say that adding things on to make life difficult pisses me right off. You wouldn't do it to an open water student, so why to someone you are training to be a pro.

[Sooty Stoo]

I'm a happy sociopath.

Finished my stamina swim thingies and passed,

Even with a knackered hand with made the tired diver tow a bit harder, but now I apparantly have got some good bragging rights.

Just hope it's better for the rescue or I'll be yelling so loud the entire of YD will hear it when I lift the body out of the water!

[SeaStar]

Originally Posted by Scubee

PADI standards are just that... standard. To add additional, unneccessary things to make life more difficult is a violation of standards. Nowhere does it say that the final part of the float is to hold weights.
The idea is to test stamina, not see if they have superhuman strength.
If you treat trainee divemasters with respect, and help them through the course rather than make it, quite frankly, like a boot camp, they will enjoy it more and be more likely to become better divemasters.

i have to say that adding things on to make life difficult pisses me right off. You wouldn't do it to an open water student, so why to someone you are training to be a pro.

That felt a bit like a telling off, and reminded me why I don't post comments.

These were things I have seen others do over the last 8 years I didn't say I agree or that I have done any of them, I'm quite sure that my DMTs who know that I lurk on YD will tell you that I have never done anything like this to them and treat them with the utmost respect.
Giving weights during the float was done to me, I was told I could drop them at any time, it was done in the spirit of fun, and added a little bit of competitiveness to those of us doing it at the time.

Adding small difficulties to the stress test I do agree with in some cases. I had no idea what to expect when I did mine many years ago, and given that the goal of the exercise is problem solving and performance under stress, providing a DMT with advice (this thread), giving them more than the 5 minutes to plan and in one case I know of they had practiced, is hardly likely to put them in a position to deal with the unexpected or see how they perform under stress.
Right off to hide again

[Scubee]

Originally Posted by SeaStar

That felt a bit like a telling off, and reminded me why I don't post comments.

These were things I have seen others do over the last 8 years I didn't say I agree or that I have done any of them, I'm quite sure that my DMTs who know that I lurk on YD will tell you that I have never done anything like this to them and treat them with the utmost respect.
Giving weights during the float was done to me, I was told I could drop them at any time, it was done in the spirit of fun, and added a little bit of competitiveness to those of us doing it at the time.

Adding small difficulties to the stress test I do agree with in some cases. I had no idea what to expect when I did mine many years ago, and given that the goal of the exercise is problem solving and performance under stress, providing a DMT with advice (this thread), giving them more than the 5 minutes to plan and in one case I know of they had practiced, is hardly likely to put them in a position to deal with the unexpected or see how they perform under stress.
Right off to hide again

Sorry. i didn't mean it to sound as tough i was telling you off. And you did say it was stuff you had seen done, not that you had done.
I have seen some pretty awful things done in the name of DM training which takes away form the course, rather than adding to it.

[Tazzie]

Originally Posted by SeaStar

Adding small difficulties to the stress test I do agree with in some cases. I had no idea what to expect when I did mine many years ago, and given that the goal of the exercise is problem solving and performance under stress, providing a DMT with advice (this thread), giving them more than the 5 minutes to plan and in one case I know of they had practiced, is hardly likely to put them in a position to deal with the unexpected or see how they perform under stress.
Right off to hide again

I agree with this, we had 5 minutes to prepare (it's a great big DM secret not to tell the DMTs what the stress test is about) and we managed to do it successfully, even deciding to swap kit prior to jumping in.

I'm looking forward to when the next lot of DMTs come around to do their test and I can join the DMs in "our" big secret!


I found out last night from my instructor about the swim tests - they did have me good and proper!! At least it let me know I had the stamina and fitness to be happy to continue with my training without problems