Asking for tips on swimming/treading water.

[Dustin Griffith]

The only main worry I have going into boot camp is treading water. I can swim okay. But treading water ive never really became good at. Any tips will help. Im going to practice more before I go but I leave on the 30th. Thanks!

[sparkie]

Floating is simply a matter of body density. Some people are sinkers, period. Your only fix is to get stronger at it.

[Tmac73]

I'm a sinker once i get tired...my muscle mass makes me a sinker :P

[Dustin Griffith]

I sink once i stay in one place for more than a few seconds. Im getting better. But staying a float takes alot of energy

[Dillon]

I always have an easier time staying afloat when I had a full chest of air inside me, so control your breathing, and don't panic if you start to sink a bit.

[Hummel]

I sink once i stay in one place for more than a few seconds. Im getting better. But staying a float takes alot of energy

I've been working on swimming too, figure swim week will be easier if I'm a decent swimmer.

Before I swim laps a I tread water for a period of time. Started off at 5 minutes then moved it up to 10...15... Just do the same thing and your good to go.

[Steve018]

I need to work on my swimming. I can swim but I'm just not an Olympic swimmer lol

[Cellinheim]

The only way to fix this is to get in the water...

Stay calm, take DEEP breaths, kick & wave. Your body just has to become acclimated to the water. Once that happens it will be just as natural as anything else.

[berts78]

i dont know if i can be of any assistance but maybe try moving your legs in a circlear motion and your arms in the same way Cellinheim is right just stay calm and you could thread water all day.

[DBrown]

My buddy who played water polo told me to move my legs in a circular motion, feels awkward as hell but uses less energy and keeps you afloat.

[Cellinheim]

My buddy who played water polo told me to move my legs in a circular motion, feels awkward as hell but uses less energy and keeps you afloat.

Odd, I may have to get in the pond this afternoon myself to try this. I usually kick, but hell if it uses less energy...

Just like the combat sidestroke the seals use. It looks and feel awkward as hell but it save way more energy when swimming.

[BassPro0007]

When you have to stay aflout can you move around? I can stay aflout if I move around, just not when I stay still.

[xfusex]

What is your contracted MOS and the CWS level required for it? You might want to ask that first as it's more pertinent to your problem.

CWS (Combat Water Survival) is pretty ridiculously easy. I stressed it before I shipped real bad. I can swim, but I can't tread water AT ALL. I can't even float. If you tell me to get to one side of the pool from the other, I'm there. No problem.

CWS at MCRD has multiple levels of qualification. During "Swim Week" at boot camp, the first day is Iron Duck day. If you can't swim, AT ALL, you can ask to get sent to this. Your Senior DI or Heavy DI will ask the night before or a few days in advance.

After Iron Duck day is CWS-4. This is the most basic swim qual offered in the Corps and is the only requirement of most MOSs. Each subsequent day is another level of qual. The final day is CWS-2 and 1. These are considered somewhat "difficult" in that, if you aren't a strong swimmer, or at the very least, a very strong individual period, you probably won't qual. Nothing happens to you if you can't.

Even if your job REQUIRES that qual, you will have the chance beyond boot camp to re-qual, so don't sweat it.

Treading water isn't even necessary if you follow the incredibly simple directions given by the swim instructors. There is a portion where you use your blouse as a floatation device, if you **** it up, you'll have to tread water. You get more than one shot at it, just do it right the first time and you'll be fine.

[DevilDogsSon269]

The only main worry I have going into boot camp is treading water. I can swim okay. But treading water ive never really became good at. Any tips will help. Im going to practice more before I go but I leave on the 30th. Thanks!

one tip I have for you is this. Now there are safety protocals to take if you do the full extent of this.

Safety: Swim with a Buddy. Particularly one who IS excellent at swimming and can hold something 30 lbs while swimming. YOU SHOULD NEVER SWIM ALONE REGARDLESS of YOUR swimming experience.

never swim with strapped weight you do not have experience enough yet. In this situation while SEALs, Navy Divers etc do this DO NOT TRY AT HOME!

Drown Proofing

Requirements: at least a 8 foot pool or deeper
A buddy to help assist you
yourself
a guide rope(one end tied oabove the edge of the pool line other to your waist)

In drown proofing you learn to maintain calm on limited to no oxygen while submerged. The physical challenge is to extend the time you can hold you breath by 30 seconds to several minutes while submerged. When submerging you take a deep breath hands normally are bound but in this case hold your trunks to immobilize hand usage. After taking breath(take into chest not cheeks) you will float better. In this case you will sink your self. Release enough breath to sink to the bottom with feet touching hold 30 seconds. Push up to surface take breath and repeat. After getting used to this hold breath to limited use each time after. After timing your limit and getting used to this try doing this and then extending your time by 5 more seconds each day you try this. DO NOT LET YOUR VISION EVER BLACK OUT! ALSO DO NOT try to do your limit time days after practice unless you have consistant results as you may not alwasys make it.

Next, now that you dont have a drowning problem and have experienced oxygen deprivation you can tread no problem. In this you will utilize deep breaths to float. When you get in the pool what will help you not tire when treading water will be breathing assistance, you can float better. Get in the pool breath in and tread water using both your hands and feet(calm yourself this is practice use it to practice calm swimming as you can train yourself to get better water qual). Next get back in and tread with your hands out of water for one minute using just your feet. When you do this, if you use your hands or your hands fall below the water START the time over. Now do the same but with out your feet just your hands. After that take deep breaths and float on your back. Breath easy and when taking those breaths hold it in it will float you well. Try to calmly swim using just small paddles of your feet to move around. When you complete all of this you are ready to do the hard one.

Combine no hands treading with the easy breathing method and tread water calmly as long as possible. Your goal is five minutes. Once you complete this you have managed to match the water treading evolution of the US NAVY SEALS. This I do believe is many minutes longer than that of the Marines water treading test. While this is not the method the SEALs use to train their sailors how to tread I have found this 100% to work. I can tread without weight for 10 minutes, with 50 lbs for 8 minutes, hold my breath for 4 minutes 43 seconds and swim much better and calmly. best of luck to any one who uses this.
Once you master this, use a backpack and add 10 lbs to it. Continue this weekly after master each level of 10 lbs until you reach 50 lbs of weight.

[Tony Fleri]

Odd, I may have to get in the pond this afternoon myself to try this. I usually kick, but hell if it uses less energy...

Just like the combat sidestroke the seals use. It looks and feel awkward as hell but it save way more energy when swimming.

Yup that right...its called the EGGBEATER. I kno because I played polo and swim alot. you are basically alternating legs in inward circles. some people say you either get it or you dont but thats absolutley wrong. Practice this and you will do fine treading water and eventually at weight for extended periods of time. look on you tube and you will see how to do it much better than i can explain. Have fun with it and good luck