Swimming

[reign]

During my DEP meetings with my Navy Recruiter, it was mentioned that completing the swimming requirement [ 500yd ] is very difficult because you must have excellent form, lacking splashing and such. Is this true? If it is, I'll contact someone who can teach me the proper form, otherwise my current swimming ability should be good enough.

Thanks again.

reign

[angry-yak]

Unlike other exercises, when you are swimming the smoother you swim the faster you will be. For the PFT you need to use an underwater recovery stroke, ie. sidestroke, CSS sidestroke or breaststroke. If you do those strokes properly the only part of your body to break the surface will be your head to breath, so you wont make many splashes. If you can find somebody to teach you the CSS you will have a leg up on the other guys who don't yet know it.

Ed (not a SEAL)

[Wetwash]

Learning the "CSS" prior to training is not a good idea... Learn the proper Red Cross strokes prior to training.
The Instructors at BUD/S will teach you what they want you to use on top of that. Whern i was an instructor we hated to see the guys that THOUGHT they were experts on what we had to teach come in.. we had to break the bad habits they had developed.