My SCUBA Diary

A SCUBA Diving fitness test? Well how hard could it be? I run miles every week, circuit train and even do a bit of Pilates now and again, this was going to be a doddle… I hoped!

Swim 12 lengths of the pool… 4 lengths breast stroke, 4 lengths front crawl, 4 lengths backstroke… easy… why am I so knackered after doing it then?

I reckon it’s the change of discipline, no matter how good you are at running you still have to work hard to get your swimming right if you don’t do it regularly.

Recover 3 objects from the bottom of the pool… Now I just felt like someones pet dog! My instructor hurls a rubber brick into the pool… I dive down and fetch it… She throws it back in again… Anyway, all done, easy if you’re happy underwater.

Tread water for one minute… Suddenly I was right back in my school days, treading water in Brierley Hill Swimming Baths doing my Gold Survival Award!!

That’s it. It’s not really a hard test and if you’re serious about learning to SCUBA dive then it’s important that you’re fit enough to pass it. It’s not a macho thing, it’s about being fit enough to save your own life or someone else’s in an emergency situation.