What type of water skills do I already need to have before getting certified for scuba diving?
ie do I need to learn how to swim underwater (without mask) for a certain amount of time, know how to dive, etc. What do they make you practice during the open water test AND in the heated pool test? Thanks for your help!!!
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You need to be able to swim 200 meters without stopping and float / tread water for 10 minutes. The 200 meter swim is not timed.
Once you get into the pool, you will be required to perform several skills underwater without a mask. These include breathing through a regulator while stationary and while swimming, partially and fully flooding and clearing the mask, and removing and replacing the mask.
There are other skills that you will be performing both in the pool and in open water, and you can ask your instructor about these. The skills are also listed in your logbook for each of the training dives. If you have already received your logbook, take a look at the first several pages to see if you can’t find the specifics for each dive.
FInally, remember that SCUBA diving is a swimming activity that takes place underwater. If you are unable to swim, or if you feel panicked by having to put your face in the water, you might want to reconsider learning to dive.
Good luck.