Skills and Endurance

Watermanship Skills:

You must demonstrate the following:

A. Swimming skills:
-Swim 450 yards (407 m) nonstop, any stroke(s), within 10 minutes.
-Swim underwater 25 yards (23 m) on one breath -- no dive-in or push off.
-Transport another person of similar size 50 yards (46 m).
-Demonstrate survival swimming for 20 minutes (tread water, float, "drownproof", etc.)

B. Skin Diving Skills:
-- Using snorkeling equipment, swim 900 yards (823 m) nonstop, within 18 minutes.
-- Skin Diving Ditch and Recovery: Surface dive to the bottom in at least 8 feet (2.5 m) of water; remove and place on the bottom mask/snorkel and fins; surface and rest briefly; surface dive, recover and don all gear, surface with the mask and snorkel clear of water upon surfacing.
-- Skin Diving Rescue: Enter the water; swim 50 yards (46 m); retrieve a diver simulating unconsciousness from a depth of at least 8 feet (2.5 m); stabilize the victim on the surface; initiate and continue simulated in-water rescue breathing while transporting the diver 50 yards (46 m) to an exit.

C. Scuba Skills:
-- Scuba Lifesaving Transport: Transport an inert scuba diver 100 yards (91 m) on the surface within four minutes. The airway of the diver being transported should be maintained clear and protected at all times.-- Buddy breathe (sharing a single regulator) with another diver while swimming horizontally underwater for four minutes. Each buddy (in turn) is to be without a mask and the donor of air for two minutes during the swim. The receiver of air retains their mask on their face.
-- Scuba Ditch and Recovery: Descend to the bottom in at least 8 feet (2.5 m) of water; remove and place on the bottom mask/snorkel and scuba unit. Shut off air, swim 25 feet (7.6 m) horizontally; ascend exhaling; rest briefly; dive and swim horizontally to the equipment; recover and don the equipment; ascend breathing normally. The total exercise is to be completed within five minutes.
-- Scuba Bailout: Enter water at least 8 feet (2.5 m) deep carrying mask/snorkel, fins, weight belt, and scuba unit (air shut off and regulator purged); settle to the bottom; assume a stationary location, and don equipment. Throughout, maintain control and possession of all gear. After donning all gear, surface normally and tread water at the surface for five minutes without using the BC floatation, snorkel, or scuba.
-- Scuba Equipment Exchange: First diver submerges in at least 8 feet (2.5 m) of water wearing complete diving equipment. Second diver submerges wearing only wetsuit and weight belt. While buddy-breathing, the second diver receives and dons mask/snorkel, fins, and scuba/BC unit from first diver, and the pair make a buddy-breathing horizontal swim of 25 yards (23 m). Both buddies are to remain submerged until the final ascent, which is to be made after switching to alternate air source air sharing. The exercise is to be completed with all equipment in place within five minutes.