Masks and fins

[heron]

Im starting to amp up my swimming and i want the right gear. What type of masks do they use in BCT? I want to get as close to the real thing as possible.

[Kinnikinik]

Just make sure it is one that covers your eyes and your nose. Personally I would get used to using a mask, but don't focus your training on it. The key is getting good form in the water and being smooth and streamlined.

Also, if you breathe out your nose when you are swimming you will always keep your mask clear. Yes, even do it with the nose piece.

K

[ddssdv]

Just make sure it is one that covers your eyes and your nose. Personally I would get used to using a mask, but don't focus your training on it. The key is getting good form in the water and being smooth and streamlined.

Also, if you breathe out your nose when you are swimming you will always keep your mask clear. Yes, even do it with the nose piece.

K

Bad idea. Stay a nose breather you will fail any diving phase. When you are born, you are a mouth breather. By age 1 you become a nose breather. After military dive school, you become a mouth breather again. How can you tell? You have to take breaths to drink water from a fountain. DO NOT exhale thru your nose. Bad habit.

The mouth exhales much more built up CO2 and the nasal passages, being smaller, can't exhale as much. It will slow you down on long swims. Your body builds up CO2 and hinders your performance. Good complete exhales, thru the mouth with a good rythum. The reverse on inhale. More O2 to the blood thru the mouth than the nose.

[Kinnikinik]

I respectfully disagree. For diving, mouth breating may be better (something I will take into account next time I dive), for surface swimming, the method I described above is better. If you breath out of your nose you ensure a clear mask, maintain pressure in your nasal passages which prevents water from going up you nose (for those times without a mask.

The most important thing is it correctly regulates your breathing rhythm and prevents you from attempting to exhale and inhale in the small time you get to take a breath.

So, I would say, be aware of the breathing method that works best for diving, but breathing out through your nose is essential for proper technique in surface swimming, which is all you will be doing at SWCC school.

K

[ddssdv]

I respectfully disagree. For diving, mouth breating may be better (something I will take into account next time I dive), for surface swimming, the method I described above is better. If you breath out of your nose you ensure a clear mask, maintain pressure in your nasal passages which prevents water from going up you nose (for those times without a mask.

The most important thing is it correctly regulates your breathing rhythm and prevents you from attempting to exhale and inhale in the small time you get to take a breath.

So, I would say, be aware of the breathing method that works best for diving, but breathing out through your nose is essential for proper technique in surface swimming, which is all you will be doing at SWCC school.

K

I know you are SWCC but how much swimming with a mask do you do? I have done milers for PT and retired diver USN. Its taught that way. Exhale into your mask it will fog. Especially in warm water. Water souldn't be going into your nose anyways if you have the proper technique down. Its taught that way in dive school. At SDVT-1 we did surface swims in excess of 1800 yards 2-3 times a week with or without a mask. Mouth exhale is the proper technique. Simple. More O2 flow thru the mouth. Nasal passages smaller, less O2. On a long swim, you would see the difference.

BTW if there is water in your mask you need a new mask. Unless you are working, water should never enter your mask unless un seated.

[bm2bob]

I was a boat guy at 20 from 98-04, we swam in the Ches bay weekly 1-2 miles. I swam with the KSK in Germany in excess of 2 miles. I've done plenty of open water surface swims I breathe out my nose AND mouth and can clear my mask when it gets displaced using air from my nose. I spit in my mask and it never fogs. That's how it was trained at SWCC, if you do it differently as a diver, great, but the question was concerning BCT, NOT mud diver school.

[heron]

well thanks to everyone. i will just have to practice with both ways and see which one works for me. this proves how great this site is. nothing more than a bank of information from those who have been there. thank you.

[ddssdv]

I was a boat guy at 20 from 98-04, we swam in the Ches bay weekly 1-2 miles. I swam with the KSK in Germany in excess of 2 miles. I've done plenty of open water surface swims I breathe out my nose AND mouth and can clear my mask when it gets displaced using air from my nose. I spit in my mask and it never fogs. That's how it was trained at SWCC, if you do it differently as a diver, great, but the question was concerning BCT, NOT mud diver school.


Basiclly I have never "mud diver" as you say. I drove my own damn boat. You have no idea nor have you swam anything after your "school". Stay in the boat. Anyways, what works for you is G2G.

[bm2bob]

Basiclly I have never "mud diver" as you say. I drove my own damn boat. You have no idea nor have you swam anything after your "school". Stay in the boat. Anyways, what works for you is G2G.

We both obviously have no idea about the other's capabilities, driving the boat is not the only thing that makes someone a SWCC operator, I did that as a fleet BM. As I stated, I swam regularly at 20, for PT, during training, and to perform on water repairs. My experiences with Navy Divers indicate to me that they stop being special when they finish school. If this does not apply to you, you have my sincere apologies and I really mean no offense.

[oldswabbie]

And thats why we have "Profiles" so we can see where we have been, what all of us have done. Otherwise its like taking a shotgun out and shooting into the darkness ~ doesnt accomplish anything but ruffles the chickens feathers.... not calling you a chicken DDSSDV! :)


OldSwabbie

[ddssdv]

We both obviously have no idea about the other's capabilities, driving the boat is not the only thing that makes someone a SWCC operator, I did that as a fleet BM. As I stated, I swam regularly at 20, for PT, during training, and to perform on water repairs. My experiences with Navy Divers indicate to me that they stop being special when they finish school. If this does not apply to you, you have my sincere apologies and I really mean no offense.

Agreed but not offended. Divers role in the Navy has somewhat changed and is still changing. Right now EOD is absorbing alot of the diver billets and soon may be one command with a metamorphed diver/EOD sorta deal. Divers are attached to SEAL Teams as well for diving and SDV support. Being at a SEAL command you will be doing the SEAL PT regiments. Swimming is a major part of this. Surface and underwater swims plus calistenics and running combined at the will of the XO on whatever day. You can swim with or without masks, fins or whatever. No real requirement except to finish. I have worked as well with SBU guys and know their missions now are different and changing everyday. I can say that if in fact SBU was tasked to drive the boat, they never entered the water. I am glad to hear that now the SWCC gurus have instilled that concept of watermanship. This allows the divers, frogs, whoever to concentrate on what they need to be doing. In 8 ft. seas keeping track of yourself is a task let alone worring about the boatguys. Hence the reason we drove our own boats.

[NavyMA1221]

as far as swimming in the right gear... get a mask that covers your nose as stated, and also swim in a uniform of some sort (cammies if you got them)
Also dont worry about going out and blowing $90 on a mask like i did, just buy a decent one that covers your nose...

[ddssdv]

as far as swimming in the right gear... get a mask that covers your nose as stated, and also swim in a uniform of some sort (cammies if you got them)
Also dont worry about going out and blowing $90 on a mask like i did, just buy a decent one that covers your nose...

Cost doesn't matter. Fit does. Get the one that fits you. Nothing like a quart of water in your mask for a 1800 yd swim. SUCKS

[sk8m99]

I'm glad someone told him that a mask and fins is the least of his concerns. You need to work up to swimming in full uniform and boots. Over the boot fins are used, but def expensive. I'd swim 4 times a week. 2 without uniform and one with it. Get a dive brick so that you can tread water also. You will do this in training and is done to strengthen your kick. In the CSS the kick is the power house. When you swim with your uniform on it is even more important. By the way..I teach the CSS and other swim strokes for a living. I would not recommend breathing out the nose. If that works for you great. I Teach the mouth, and I have never had anyone get over a 9:30 on their swim with that technique.

[Kinnikinik]

I also suggest swimming without clothes (I will suspend my opinion on breathing, do what feels comfortable), you need to be able to feel what it is like to be streamlined. The more streamlined you are in the water the better you will do in BDU's.

K