Military Swim Test - When, Where, and How- Merged

[Strike]

Hey Jack, keep up with the lessons.  They can only help.  When you start working on treading water I'd suggest that you try and use the floatie belts that go around your waist.  It will keep your head above water and won't hinder your arms when you're practicing.  They also require a little more work to stay upright. which will really help in getting the "feel" of your body and what you need to do when you're swimming.

Keep us updated.  It's always good to hear how people are progressing while working towards their goals.

 

[jacksparrow]

Hey Jack, keep up with the lessons.  They can only help.  When you start working on treading water I'd suggest that you try and use the floatie belts that go around your waist.  It will keep your head above water and won't hinder your arms when you're practicing.  They also require a little more work to stay upright. which will really help in getting the "feel" of your body and what you need to do when you're swimming.

Keep us updated.  It's always good to hear how people are progressing while working towards their goals.

Funny you should mention the belt, my wife suggested that on Saturday when she was teaching me, but 1 of the lifeguards there was suggesting otherwise

 

[jacksparrow]

Well folks....as well the group beginners class am taking, I met up with a personal swim coach yesterday. She asked to see what have learned so far, and it seems that have gone from not knowing how to swim at all in under 1 month to going halfway of 25m pool that comes right up to my neck, doing breaststroke without breathing and a life jacket.

I have also jumped in with a life jacket 4 times in the deep end, just to assure myself that I can jump into the deep, but it's once am in there that seems to be the hardest. The personal coach corrected the frog movement with my legs, but it looks like I have one weak leg.

I still can't tread water, seem to be finding it hard to just stay vertical whilst doing the bicycle kicks or the frog kicks. I printed out what is expected of me and gave it to the coach just so she can know what am going to be taking on. I am enjoying it, I just hope I can get the treading bit perfected before st jean

 

[jacksparrow]

I did good at swimming today, with the help of a life jacket, I swam on my back the length of the pool ( 25m ) and back, which is one of the test we are going to have to do for the forces basic training. So am confident that I can swim the 50m part of the test, and for the 20m somersault, I'll just do breaststroke.


I am jumping from the 3m board on Monday, and am yet to get a grip on treading. The instructor said I should be proud of myself, but am my own worst critic. I guess looking back at 3 weeks ago, I couldn't even swim 1 iota, and now am moving

 

[Timex]

And three weeks from now you'll be treading water, and sure It won't be pretty, but you'll look back at this week and think the same thing.

You know I bet Ronaldo can't tread water either!

 

[jacksparrow]

And three weeks from now you'll be treading water, and sure It won't be pretty, but you'll look back at this week and think the same thing.

You know I bet Ronaldo can't tread water either!

Thanks for the encouragement. As an Arsenal fan true and true, I despise Ronaldo  ;D One week he is in Italy lapping it up and then the following week he is in crutches.

I guess you can't dive in crutches.

 

[point59]

Being a former lifeguard myself, my advice to you is to take basic lessons for a couple of weeks so you get the proper knowledge of how to float, thread water and swim. This will boost your confidence of being in the water and will show you the proper techniques. You don't need to be a pro at this. All you need to know is the basics and it's something you never forget after years of not swimming. So it's a 'win-win' situation for you. Also, best of luck

 

[jacksparrow]

I'll like to thank everyone that made an input into my saga of not being able to swim. I can't thank you all enough for all the encouragement and pointers you had for me, I couldn't have come this far without you lot! 

As of today July 30th 2008, I can now jump from the 3m board with life jacket on and swim on my back the 50m, somesault into the pool and swim 20m doing breast stroke. I did the 3m board jump twice this past monday and somesaulted twice in from the side.

My only achilles hill now is the treading, but I have private lesson booked for next week, which is when I'll be done at my current job. I need the private lessons and I think it's going to be money well spent.

For those that haven't followed my plight, when I first posted in this thread, I couldn't swim at all, I have come a long way since with weeks.

Thanks again....back to my running for the 20m shuttle run now  ;D

 

[forza_milan]

I am yet another potential member of the CF family who is taking steps to be a competent swimmer before training. It is definitely embarrassing because I am competitive by nature but being in a pool where everyone is swimming and I am struggling to tread water is a blow to the ego But it's a learning experience and I should use it to encourage me and not discourage me.

I was wondering if anyone has tried the Total Immersion technique of swimming?

http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/08/13/total-immersion-how-i-learned-to-swim-effortlessly-in-10-days-and-you-can-too/

There are a few books and DVD's by the developer of this style Terry Laughlin (a quick search on Amazon will find them), and according to that blog post, it seems to help people who are not the best swimmers become fairly competent. If anyone has experience with this, I would love to hear some feedback. Thanks  

 

[R. Jorgensen]

I rarely go swimming, I have a self-inflicted fear of deep water; the thought of drowning - the thought of gurgling and gasping for air but only to inhale water makes me panic.

I took Army Cadet Leader Instructor - Drill and Ceremonial and we did the part of the test where the person(s) somersaults into the pool, treads water for (1 min or 2?) and then swim from Deep end to Shallow; the Platoon WO observes and grades swimming strength.

Our Platoon had the following grading system:

Fail (jump in and touches side wall or does not attempt), Weak (if 50% was Pass, this would be 49.5, rounded to a pass), Weak to Moderate (55%), Moderate (65%), Moderate to Strong (75%), and Strong (85%+)

I passed with Weak to Moderate however I was told that I was very close to Weak or even a Fail. I think it my be hereditary, my father did the swim test back in the 80's and barely passed - they put him in RSI (Remedial Swimming Instruction). The scary part is - I took lessons and I'm still petrified.

 

[Biathloneil]

Total Immersion is a fine group to work with. Their information and pedagogy is sound (challenged by some) but generally yields the best results if you can take a TI clinic. TI is geared toward Triathlon and Hi-Performance swimming so it may or may not be your thing based on athletic ability and personal goals. It takes at least a year of swimming twice a week to feel comfortable in open water and two years to be competent. Work on being a good floater with sleek vessel shape and a relaxed and regular breathing (remember running+breathing) pattern. You'll swim just as well in 3 ft of water as 33 ft so log a lot of pool time and practice perfect technique every time (taught by a competent-certified instructor/coach). Get in a group or a lesson and swim, swim , swim, and smile while you're doing it as you'll me the most helpful of people at the pool.

-Neil in Lunenburg

 

[namal24]

My two older siblings are in the army, and they told me not to worry about the swim test, because they didnt have to do it??  ???
and i suck at swimming  :-[

 

[danchapps]

My two older siblings are in the army, and they told me not to worry about the swim test, because they didnt have to do it??  ???
and i suck at swimming  :-[

Where were they that they didn't have to do it? It's mandatory to be able to complete it while in BMQ in St-Jean, unless your siblings are in the reserves. I'm not sure how they work, however I believe they may have to do it. Swimming, it's a great skill to have.

 

[namal24]

yes, that's probably because they were in the reserves  :
;D

 

[stealthylizard]

Had to do it when I was in the Reserves back in '96.  Have to do it in BMQ for Reg Force.  However, the last I heard, you didn't have to pass the swim test to finish BMQ, but you did have to for SQ/BIQ.  Clarify any recent changes.

 

[R. Jorgensen]

Had to do it when I was in the Reserves back in '96.  Have to do it in BMQ for Reg Force.  However, the last I heard, you didn't have to pass the swim test to finish BMQ, but you did have to for SQ/BIQ.  Clarify any recent changes.

I do realize the importance of having the swimming skills that are tested (bailing out from a troop carrier in the middle of the ocean, jumping out from an assault boat, etc.) however regardless of the importance, I don't think I would be able to pass it.

Is there any chance that it would differ for Armoured Crewman (00005 - Primary Reserve)? Maybe I'll just have to suck it up and do the best I can.

 

[stealthylizard]

For the Reg Force, they do give those that fail the test, swimming lessons wiht another re-test later on towards the end of BMQ.  I don't know how it works on PRes anymore.  While you have the chance, if possible, go to your local pool and enroll in swimming classes.  The test really doesn't involve a lot of skill, as long as you can keep calm and level headed.  Most of it is done with a life jacket on, so as long as you can tread water for a couple minutes you shouldn't have a problem. 

Most important, listen to the instructions they give you for the test, and follow them to the letter.  PSP staff run it, and they can be real SOB's at times.  They failed a few people for the swim test on my battle school course for not doing a flip/somersault into the water as instructed, and they weren't allowed to redo it.  Despite an interesting jacking up from our CSM, and other officers present, PSP staff don't have to follow military orders as they are civilians.

 

[R. Jorgensen]

For the Reg Force, they do give those that fail the test, swimming lessons wiht another re-test later on towards the end of BMQ.  I don't know how it works on PRes anymore.  While you have the chance, if possible, go to your local pool and enroll in swimming classes.  The test really doesn't involve a lot of skill, as long as you can keep calm and level headed.  Most of it is done with a life jacket on, so as long as you can tread water for a couple minutes you shouldn't have a problem. 

Most important, listen to the instructions they give you for the test, and follow them to the letter.  PSP staff run it, and they can be real SOB's at times.  They failed a few people for the swim test on my battle school course for not doing a flip/somersault into the water as instructed, and they weren't allowed to redo it.  Despite an interesting jacking up from our CSM, and other officers present, PSP staff don't have to follow military orders as they are civilians.

To be honest, it's really only the flip/somersault that really hits me hard. When I did the tread and swim to end of pool portion as a cadet at the Vernon Army Cadet Summer Training Centre I was able to tread and swim, I was a little panicky and nervous but nothing too serious, but I did not flip/somersault into the pool like instructed. All I did was jump straight in, nobody really cared (then again it seems like everybody [cadets] in Cadets doesn't take anything seriously).

 

[Azizti]

About the swimming test... You have your jumping with a life jacket and swimming, and the summersault + staying up in water for 2 minutes.
If you pass those 2 tests, is that the only time you go swimming during your BQM ? Or you go swimming as PT also ?
It's not never clear, could someome let me know ? 
Cheers

 

[danchapps]

About the swimming test... You have your jumping with a life jacket and swimming, and the summersault + staying up in water for 2 minutes.
If you pass those 2 tests, is that the only time you go swimming during your BQM ? Or you go swimming as PT also ?
It's not never clear, could someome let me know ? 
Cheers

It is clear if you read back a few pages. There is quite some chat about it in the thread. Take apeek and let me know if you can't find it.