Muzz wrote:

Do I need to get into swimming first ?

Up to a point, but not necessarily more than that. You need to be
able to /deal/ with being in the water with reasonable confidence
and calmness, even in potentially nasty situations.

Swimming in a BA and wetsuit (or even more so in a drysuit) isn't
much like swimming like you'd learn in a swimming class. On the
one hand the extra buoyancy means you can't sink but on the other
it makes any sort of rapid progress bloody awkward! But you could
well need to tow a boat while you're in the water and if it's sea
paddling you're looking at then you'll need to maneuver around in
the water in order to get rescue techniques carried out. This
doesn't require much swimming technique, but it does require you to
be able to keep your head and do what you're told while being cold,
wet and possibly scared. If you can swim 50m in clothes you're
more likley to have this level of basic confidence.

Aside from that, any extra level of swimming ability certainly
won't /hurt/ if you spend your time around nice water areas,
especially if they have strong rip tides. Plus the arm exercise
probably won't do your paddling any harm.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

I have another twist for a dry suit and those wearing it. Information
gleaned from am MED ( Marine Emergency Duties ) Course showed that if
you don't bleed off the air it can pool at the feet and legs if you
enter the water head first. ( Exiting an overturned kayak may be the
recipe for that ) you can be suspended upside down , feet in the air
head under water. Should this happen the answer is to go into a fetal
possition , hug your legs squeezing air out to other parts of the suit
and make a vicious breast stroke for the surface. It works.
Learning to swim is always an asset, I am a poor swimmer. I would never
disuade anyone from kayaking because they can't swim. Having a cool
head is important, knowing how to swim may help here but it is harfdly
nessesary.
Peter is of course right in that it can't hurt and will improve other
aspects of life.