Can't swim or float! :(

Entorres · 12-22-2013, 02:46 PM

So I'm shipping out next month and I still do to know how to swim or even float. I know someone teaches you at boot camp, but I have a few friends who have taught me, and failed. It was for hours as well and I didn't learn how to do anything. I feel like the people at RTC will loose patience and kick me out. How is the swim and floating test done? I'm worried as hell right now...

LT Guppy · 12-22-2013, 03:18 PM

Your best bet is to spend as much time as you can in the pool between now and when you ship.

Floating is a matter of relaxing and not fighting against the water.
The instruction they give during the initial test is very minimal. They may give more detailed instructions during remedial swim, but it can't speak to that.

savphoto · 12-22-2013, 03:30 PM

The swimmers over at RTC do it for a living, vice your friends. You will not be kicked out unless you reach the maximum time allowed for graduating boot. When I went through boot, my division had numerous amounts of people that did not know how to swim or were not confident in their abilities. It seemed like almost half of my division. Your RDC's will make you go to swim qual once or twice a week I believe. You have all the way up to your last few days to pass swim qual, or else you get held back and put in a new division. I would not worry so much if I were you. While there, you will be doing plenty of athletic activities, so it should get easier for you to do. Either way, you should be boosting your confidence, you will run into plenty of situations in the fleet that are more important than the swim qual. Remember, this is a one time qualification. It's not required to requal once you are in the fleet. That's something to think about.

Entorres · 12-22-2013, 03:40 PM

I'm just worried about it because it's not something that I can do as of now. I'm just being stressed about not being able to do something that is needed to graduate. What is the max time you can be in RTC?

savphoto · 12-22-2013, 04:08 PM

I know what you mean. Don't worry too much though, plenty of people in the Navy can't even swim. I believe the max is 6 months, if I'm not mistaken.

FutureSailor316 · 12-22-2013, 04:48 PM

I do not ship until June 2014 and I currently can not really swim or float either. I will be taking swim classes soon and plan on swimming virtually every night after work!

Temen · 12-22-2013, 11:50 PM

Guys, don't worry about the swim qual. I NEVER in my life swam until about 2 months before I shipped out to RTC. And I only practiced a handful of times, my abilities were pushed just floating on my back and swimming in a semi-straight line. As long as you can stay calm and do the back stroke, then the first part of the test is easy.

The 5 minute prone float felt like forever for me, again I am not used to being in water and I panicked badly my first try. You just have to learn to trust your body and the life guards around you. They won't let you drown, as hard as that is to believe at the time. It's all about learning to calm your breathing and heart, you are given plenty of chances to take a breath so just remind yourself that you can come up for air at any time.
It took me about 5 tries to pass the prone float, but I know a lot of people in my division were still going to swim classes up until the last week of boot camp.

You'll all do fine and you'll quickly learn that they will do all that they can to NOT kick you out of the navy. Even if it means being pushed back a few times, you will graduate.

FutureSailor316 · 12-24-2013, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Temen

Guys, don't worry about the swim qual. I NEVER in my life swam until about 2 months before I shipped out to RTC. And I only practiced a handful of times, my abilities were pushed just floating on my back and swimming in a semi-straight line. As long as you can stay calm and do the back stroke, then the first part of the test is easy.

The 5 minute prone float felt like forever for me, again I am not used to being in water and I panicked badly my first try. You just have to learn to trust your body and the life guards around you. They won't let you drown, as hard as that is to believe at the time. It's all about learning to calm your breathing and heart, you are given plenty of chances to take a breath so just remind yourself that you can come up for air at any time.
It took me about 5 tries to pass the prone float, but I know a lot of people in my division were still going to swim classes up until the last week of boot camp.

You'll all do fine and you'll quickly learn that they will do all that they can to NOT kick you out of the navy. Even if it means being pushed back a few times, you will graduate.

Good to hear! I will be starting swim classes hopefully next week. I intend on swimming 4 or 5 nights a week after work.

LT Guppy · 12-24-2013, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FutureSailor316

Good to hear! I will be starting swim classes hopefully next week. I intend on swimming 4 or 5 nights a week after work.

They really just want to see that you won't panic in the water.

Entorres · 12-28-2013, 02:01 PM

Another question that just popped up, for those who already graduated and didn't knew how to swim before bootcamp, I know you were asked if you knew how to swim or not, did you get separated and put in a division with others who doesn't know how to swim as well?

savphoto · 12-28-2013, 07:25 PM

You will stay with your division all the way until you can't pass a test, get injured, etc. At the start of swim qual, you get separated from your division and get taught how to swim, along with all of the other non-swimmers in your brother division. Brother division is the division across the hall from you that has the same training schedule as yours. Even if you do not pass qual, you stay with the division, all the way until it is time to graduate and haven't passed qual yet.

mlroehl · 12-28-2013, 09:28 PM

You'll get opportunities to swim if you don't pass your initial qualification....but you'll miss training time. I think we asmo'd 7 people just cause they couldn't swim. And you'll irritate your yeoman cause he/she will always be writing you inter-station passes to go find Nemo (j/k)

Auridan · 12-29-2013, 03:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlroehl

You'll get opportunities to swim if you don't pass your initial qualification....but you'll miss training time. I think we asmo'd 7 people just cause they couldn't swim. And you'll irritate your yeoman cause he/she will always be writing you inter-station passes to go find Nemo (j/k)

You're not going to miss any mandatory training (live fire, marlinspike, firefighting, etc.), but you will be swimming while the division does almost everything else. Mostly that means you'll likely be behind the curve on drill. Missing PT won't hurt you much, since swimming's such a good workout.

We had one guy who failed every single swim qual because he was too dense to float. At the very end, after he got ASMO'd, they finally gave him some personalized attention, and he ended up graduating on time with a different division. So unless you really are genetically 7/8ths rock, you'll pass eventually.

John213AV · 01-07-2014, 10:44 AM

Yea like others say if you don't pass the initial swim, you will be swimming like 4 days a week, or whenever possible. You will miss classes and training for drills, but it is what it is.

You will have to up about the last week ( right before battlestations ). I believe we had guys go for the swim test the DAY before battlestations to see if they could pass and do battlestations with us.

Most didn't, and at that point they immediately get sent to a different ship ( berting compartment) where they live with people who have failed their swim/pt quals.

You only have an hour a day at swim practice if you haven't passed. It kind of hurt because people were not making much progress...imagine being in a pool with 35 people trying to learn to swim for 55 minutes?

Just do your best to make sure you can swim and float BEFORE boot. Want some encouragement!? I knew guys who got set back for swim, and when the finally passed and went to graduate, they weren't involved in the ceremony, they just sat in the stands on the balcony and watched every other division...

Moral of the story. Make sure you can pass it before you leave for boot!!

12-22-2013, 02:46 PM	#1
Entorres Newbie Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Yonkers, NY Posts: 11 Rep Power: 7	Can't swim or float! :( So I'm shipping out next month and I still do to know how to swim or even float. I know someone teaches you at boot camp, but I have a few friends who have taught me, and failed. It was for hours as well and I didn't learn how to do anything. I feel like the people at RTC will loose patience and kick me out. How is the swim and floating test done? I'm worried as hell right now...

12-22-2013, 03:18 PM	#2
LT Guppy Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 2,858 Rep Power: 343	Your best bet is to spend as much time as you can in the pool between now and when you ship. Floating is a matter of relaxing and not fighting against the water. The instruction they give during the initial test is very minimal. They may give more detailed instructions during remedial swim, but it can't speak to that. __________________ Officers: making simple stuff hard since 1775 ACTIVE DUTY SAILORS - Click here to have your account verified

12-22-2013, 11:50 PM	#7
Temen Active Duty Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: NAS Lemoore Posts: 145 Rep Power: 23	Guys, don't worry about the swim qual. I NEVER in my life swam until about 2 months before I shipped out to RTC. And I only practiced a handful of times, my abilities were pushed just floating on my back and swimming in a semi-straight line. As long as you can stay calm and do the back stroke, then the first part of the test is easy. The 5 minute prone float felt like forever for me, again I am not used to being in water and I panicked badly my first try. You just have to learn to trust your body and the life guards around you. They won't let you drown, as hard as that is to believe at the time. It's all about learning to calm your breathing and heart, you are given plenty of chances to take a breath so just remind yourself that you can come up for air at any time. It took me about 5 tries to pass the prone float, but I know a lot of people in my division were still going to swim classes up until the last week of boot camp. You'll all do fine and you'll quickly learn that they will do all that they can to NOT kick you out of the navy. Even if it means being pushed back a few times, you will graduate. __________________ AE2 (AW) Temen, USN Active Duty. F/A-18 A-F O-Level Maintainer Auxiliary Security Force

12-22-2013, 03:30 PM	#3
savphoto Newbie Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 15 Rep Power: 8	The swimmers over at RTC do it for a living, vice your friends. You will not be kicked out unless you reach the maximum time allowed for graduating boot. When I went through boot, my division had numerous amounts of people that did not know how to swim or were not confident in their abilities. It seemed like almost half of my division. Your RDC's will make you go to swim qual once or twice a week I believe. You have all the way up to your last few days to pass swim qual, or else you get held back and put in a new division. I would not worry so much if I were you. While there, you will be doing plenty of athletic activities, so it should get easier for you to do. Either way, you should be boosting your confidence, you will run into plenty of situations in the fleet that are more important than the swim qual. Remember, this is a one time qualification. It's not required to requal once you are in the fleet. That's something to think about.

12-22-2013, 03:40 PM	#4
Entorres Newbie Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Yonkers, NY Posts: 11 Rep Power: 7	I'm just worried about it because it's not something that I can do as of now. I'm just being stressed about not being able to do something that is needed to graduate. What is the max time you can be in RTC?

12-22-2013, 04:08 PM	#5
savphoto Newbie Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 15 Rep Power: 8	I know what you mean. Don't worry too much though, plenty of people in the Navy can't even swim. I believe the max is 6 months, if I'm not mistaken.

12-22-2013, 04:48 PM	#6
FutureSailor316 Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 38 Rep Power: 9	I do not ship until June 2014 and I currently can not really swim or float either. I will be taking swim classes soon and plan on swimming virtually every night after work!

12-28-2013, 02:01 PM	#10
Entorres Newbie Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Yonkers, NY Posts: 11 Rep Power: 7	Another question that just popped up, for those who already graduated and didn't knew how to swim before bootcamp, I know you were asked if you knew how to swim or not, did you get separated and put in a division with others who doesn't know how to swim as well?

12-28-2013, 07:25 PM	#11
savphoto Newbie Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 15 Rep Power: 8	You will stay with your division all the way until you can't pass a test, get injured, etc. At the start of swim qual, you get separated from your division and get taught how to swim, along with all of the other non-swimmers in your brother division. Brother division is the division across the hall from you that has the same training schedule as yours. Even if you do not pass qual, you stay with the division, all the way until it is time to graduate and haven't passed qual yet.

12-28-2013, 09:28 PM	#12
mlroehl Newbie Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 9 Rep Power: 7	You'll get opportunities to swim if you don't pass your initial qualification....but you'll miss training time. I think we asmo'd 7 people just cause they couldn't swim. And you'll irritate your yeoman cause he/she will always be writing you inter-station passes to go find Nemo (j/k)

01-07-2014, 10:44 AM	#14
John213AV Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Virginia Beach, VA. Posts: 119 Rep Power: 18	Yea like others say if you don't pass the initial swim, you will be swimming like 4 days a week, or whenever possible. You will miss classes and training for drills, but it is what it is. You will have to up about the last week ( right before battlestations ). I believe we had guys go for the swim test the DAY before battlestations to see if they could pass and do battlestations with us. Most didn't, and at that point they immediately get sent to a different ship ( berting compartment) where they live with people who have failed their swim/pt quals. You only have an hour a day at swim practice if you haven't passed. It kind of hurt because people were not making much progress...imagine being in a pool with 35 people trying to learn to swim for 55 minutes? Just do your best to make sure you can swim and float BEFORE boot. Want some encouragement!? I knew guys who got set back for swim, and when the finally passed and went to graduate, they weren't involved in the ceremony, they just sat in the stands on the balcony and watched every other division... Moral of the story. Make sure you can pass it before you leave for boot!!