For those of you who watch this and think its easy, try again. I was an All State swimmer and still hard a few difficult times during swim quals. (Qualed 1st Class)THIS IS NOT SWIMMIMG, ITS WATER SURVIVAL! Between all the wet and heavy gear, boots 4 sizes too big its different. FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT SWIM: Your time in the Corps is going to be about facing fears, believing in yourself, and doing things you never thought you could.(jump qual, scuba qual, sere training for me personally once I got out into the fleet). That's what makes us Marines. The instructors will not let you drown. Don't be afraid. If your like me, I wasn't going to let ANYTHING stand between me and that title, those Dress Blues, and the honor of being a United States Marine. The time in the pool was great, almost a break from the craziness of regular training. If you go in and can swim, come out knowing HOW to survive in the water. If you cant swim, come out and know you DID survive the water. Stay hard future Marines, and to my brothers and sisters, Semper Fi.
@@ATLien4life its already defeating you go find a pool and well just jump in what i did i sank like a rock but i just held my breath and pushed my self up over and over again like a kangaroo in the water
How long does this portion of the training last? My right ear is fucked as a kid from 11 failed tube surgeries and one failed reconstruction surgery. I can still hear out of it okay but it doesn’t pop right and water makes it hurt like a bitch. Although I feel like I can deal with it if the training is condensed into a week or so.
@@aaronkozelii8300 It's a week long event but if you pass swim qual the first day, you go back to the squad bay, so I wouldn't be too worried. I'd be more worried about getting that through MEPS without any problems
***** Your comment just proves that trolls like you who are too scared to say what they feel in real life exist. Listen liberal, Just go play minecraft and leave these men who protect your butt everyday alone, now these men have skill, real skill like I know you must have call of Duty skill but these people have real marksman ship skill, and can 1 up you any day. People like you make me lose faith in humanity.
***** Why? What's the reason? Did you not pass boot camp and now you're salty? I'm serious, it's like offending your mother, like all she does is protect and help/love you just like the military and what's wrong with being gay or fat?
***** the only real coward is you, these people are fighting because of Obama, you don't know why these people joined. Maybe they joined for free college, who knows? You are entitled to your own opinion, but I just don't think it's fair to judge them like that.
This is not water survival as I was taught at MCRD San Diego in'69. To pass we had to stay afloat in the tank for 1 hr. The 1st try, many guys panicked and tried to grab the sides of the pool, and were forced back by DI's. They were still in panic mode, so would grab on to other people, making it dangerous for both. We were all pulled from the tank. An instructor got into the tank and demonstrated the best water survival there is, other than don't go in the water,HA! One simply relaxes and floats with his face down in the water without moving. When you need to breathe, you kick your legs and arm like a frog,raise your head, take a deep breath, and go back to the relaxing position. We found that we could hold our breath for about 3 minutes, so it was no problem surviving in the tank for an hour.
rj kraut .... Semper Fi bro I was there as well 1968 MCRD and Camp Pendleton. I ended up in Phu Bai and The Gulf of Tonkin Vietnam. And yeah you’re exactly correct, to pass the pool Survival Float we had to float at least one full hour. During WW2 there were Marines who survived using this technique many died from shark attacks. This is why this technique is still used. But today’s float technique training has been toned down in recent years. The Corps has gotten a bit soft mainly because lawsuits from injuries
Haha this is one day...you got 3 months of getting slayed ahead of you. Swim qual is one of the easiest days cus your drill instructors can't fuck you up before qual and you'll be their for a while with black shirts which are not drill instructors. Personally I had a good time getting to swim for a change instead of getting fucked up all damn day.
This was of my favorite thing we did in Bootcamp! I was in a swim team from the age of 9 to 18. It was so easy for me, and fun! I went through bootcamp way back in Oct 1989
me too, it was one of the best times in boot. 1978. ever make it to Pickle Meadows for mountain warfare. did that crazy shite in February. lived in tents and floundered around in snowshoes
Hey brother we chewed the same sand , you guys probably saved our ass in awafwa Forest during the 1st 16 hours of the ground war...you guys made it rain from above!!!!!
people mistake clothing for light when they are dry, most clothing can way up to 5 to 10 pounds more depending on what they are made of. normal clothing dry can weigh 2 to 5 pounds.
In Finland during the mandatory military service we have to dive without gear under ice and the Finnish winter being what it is chances are the conditions are anything from heavy twilight to complete darkness. But this looks kinda fun too.
If your in your 30s maybe 30 or 29 you can still apply for the marines it might be harder if your like 35 or so because of your age. But you still can you just need your diploma and be healthy. But i won't ask you your age cause its personal
***** I have a vague idea of the motivation of your posts, but overall it seems you're mocking those who join the military. Maybe you're a bitter Marine who left the service? I'll let you explain yourself.
***** Then what are your motivations? What does cartoons have to with anything because you're the one acting like the child with your incredibly passive aggressive style of trolling on a video, let alone treating me in a condescending manner. You give no context whatsoever in any of your posts. You just insult and spew out bitterness. So, be the adult and explain yourself on why you're acting this way and why you hold such views on those who are in the military, its supporters and wannabes.
Things have changed a lot. I went through boot camp in 1976. When I went through one of the tactics was tie yer pant legs in a knot at the end by the cuff then swing them in the air to fill them with as much air as you could. When they were wet they would hold enough air to keep you afloat and you just kept doing that to create any kind of floatation device you can. I did not think it worked very well but I was not going to tell Sergeant German that! Lol
I went to MCRDSD in 2020, hotel company platoon 2163. Hour instructors at the time taught us the same method. Inflate your blouse with as much air as you can and it provides a semi stable floatation platform to keep your head above water until help arrives. I personally wasn't able to master this and ended up practically doggy paddling the whole time but great observation, They do still train this, some companies made differ however.
I loved swim week well its swim day for those that passed the first day and wait until all the failures pass but it was a nice little break from the crazy environment we were in i loved the jump high dive and was allowed to do it twice just simply asking one of the itc instructors who was super chill
The Army doesn't have a swim qual during basic, but when I got to my first unit in South Korea my company went to water survival training where we had to swim the length of the pool in uniform, and wearing our ruck sacks, helmet, and dummy M16 rifles. As well as underwater egress drills if we would be in a vehicle that crashed in water. Swimming outside of having fun can be tough
What took me 18 years the Marine Corps taught me in just 45 minutes. Trust me these guys know how to do their job. After you get done with the tower, you feel invincible. All you need to pass this is confidence an a little moto.
i think the worse thing people joining the military can do is enlisting fresh out highschool just because when you get out you will feel so lost almost like a person out of prison
Brad Hughes haha that’s what I’m expecting. I’m lost myself. Dropped out. Got my GED, now I work a boring ass job at a supermarket. Just counting the days until I turn 18 at this point p
@@TK-ib2vu Well your going to need a Letter from your Governor then, the Marines don't except GED graduates unless you have a letter from the Governor or his office. Academically the Marines is the hardest to join since 2000
I'm so fucking nervous and excited for boot camp. I don't think I have a problem swimming. Its the height obstacles that is going to challenge me. I'm terrified of heights.
I spent many days in this swim tank working to qual thousands of recruits, it was the best duty of my career. This pool has been demolished and has been replaced with a much larger (50m) state of the art swim facility.
Thank you for working with all those recruits during your time. When was this pool demolished because it doesn’t look the same as I was there in 1999-2000
@@seamac7564 hey I just enlisted I leave in June next year but I’m nervous about swimming I’ve never been a good swimmer and I freak out what do I fail the swim qual ?!
@@aregularperson9725 Trust the instructors at the pool. You have one week of swim qual, if you are identified as a weak swimmer and don't pass the screening, you will be seperated and given more personal instruction the next day. It's not hard, as I said, do what is asked of you, swim using the tools they give you, "Trace up, knife out, pull down" (you will understand after swim week) and you will be good.
Not gonna lie this was terrifying for me, but I got passed it so for anyone leaving for Parris island that can’t swim don’t quit on yourself you can do it
@@anelleyva2181 hell learn or become a drop. Believe in him and make sure to keep sending endless support. When he gets done tell him welcome to the corps 💪🏾
@@anelleyva2181 it just means he’ll get dropped from his platoon and company if he can’t pass onto the clear company within his training cycle. Example: if he’s alpha company on swim week maybe he’ll get dropped to bravo who just entered swim week
Went through it in 97. I was a good swimmer so it was not an issue. Hardest part for me was staying awake and staying in step. Initially I could not stay in step for the life of me. So I was getting smoked like 24/7 but eventually I got some rythm.
Same here. Swim was the easiest time on the depot. Drill kicked my butt learning it but I fell in love with it. Nothing sounds better the cadence being called and boots striking the deck of the grinder.
When I did this in 2001, I was required to perform 3 different swim strokes, rescue 2 struggling victims, (DIs whom are waiting to grab you and take you to the bottom of the pool like a real victim in a panic would do) and swim 500m with full fighting load, weapon, and a cinder block elevated above the water in order to achieve the highest swim qual level. There were 3 of us that did it in the almost 800 man company, to give you an idea how hard that is. All 3 of us were assigned 0321 during ITB
Most of us weren’t allowed to because we weren’t grunts. I was second class though but 1st class was hard no lie. I had a chance after recruit training and was able to get 1st class but that’s only because I would always train for it.
First class was a beat down. 2nd class was not difficult at all back in the 90s and early 2000’s. It always amazed wm how so many people who joined the Marine Corps didn’t think about needing water skills. It’s called Marine for a reason.
They will teach you how to swim. When I was in boot camp in 2004, they taught a lot of recruits how to swim. You only had to pass the first or second phase of swim qual. No one in my platoon was held back for not qualifying. I recommend learning to swim before you go to boot though. It'll make life a lot easier!
I couldn’t swim going in. Swim quail was a struggle failing the first time was devastating. I qual’d the very next day. As soon as I swam my very first 20 meters ever they had me immediately go to the diving platform! I walked away with such a crazy high that day
I'm kind of amazed that nobody was blowing their blouses up during the floating portion. They taught us to blow air into your blouse because while it's wet It can hold air. Inflating the blouse basically gives you a flotation device. The instructors taught my platoon (hotel plt 2163) this and it worked for most of us. I on the other hand could not get my blouse to hold air and by the time it was, my head was underwater. The instructor told me just to land my back as some of the recruits in this footage did Either way I'm surprised they didn't have anyone blowing their blouses up, would have been a great confidence booster and training session for the gear
this was my favorite part of boot camp. helped a lot that was i on my high school swim team and had been in teh water most of my life, started swimming when i was really young. made it all the way through to qual 4
Be able to swim atleast 50m, theres not much more to it after that. The trickiest part is staying afloat for the 4min or so. Theyve taken all the parts where you used to swim with flak, kevlar and rifle. Its easier now. Most people fail the 4min float
I remember doing this in the early 80s,platoon 1016 at P.I. , and a drill instructor was pointing to people when they got out of the pool,and directed us as to where to go stand. About 80% of the recruits were told to go to the left, me ,my friend I went in with,and the other 20% were directed to the right. We thought for sure we did something wrong,and it turned out that we were the best swimmers of bunch,and didn’t have to do it again. (It helps when growing up on a lake,and swimming at a very early age… Semper Fi
In the middle of choppy Pacific waters floating like this a whole day waiting for rescue is difficult especially when panic sets in, not to mention threats of sharks. Prior to 1972 we were trained to float at least one hour in this particular pool at Camp Pendleton. Very important survival training
This pool is at MCRD SD. I swear I can smell the chemicals again The tower and dropping all your equipment we're probably my favorite portions of swim quals
Nothing in this world ever irked me more than when a recruit wouldn't respond. Do you understand "Yes sir No sir Aye Aye sir" Speed, volume, and intensity at all times and boot camp is no problem.
You learn how to swim. They actually make it kind of easy for you. You can blow into your uniform while in the water and create a balloon. Your backpack is also bouyant. They will teach you how to swim whether you like it or not. They will hold you back a few cycles until you get it right.
I am surprised how many people find swimming a challenge. I've never taken any formal swimming lessons in my life, but i can still swim and tread water with zero problems. I guess it's because i've always loved playing in the water as a child.
The cammies that they wear for swim quals aren't their issued cammies. Recruits arrive to the pool in PT gear and wear old and worn-down cammies and boots stored at the pool location. The recruits just grab the first set of cammies that they see.
Ooorah! Marine Corps, Every day's a Holiday and Every Meals a Feast. Semper Fi! For so long we've done so much with so little that now we do the impossible with nothing at all. It's a mind set for those who wear the Eagle, Globe and Anchor and have earned the title United States Marine. This is not a statement to knock those patriotic Americans serving in other branches of our military. I appreciate all who have chosen to serve, it's simply the Marine Corps way. GOD Bless America and especially those who have decided to serve. GOD Bless the United States Marines.
Holy crap that's easy to me I even carried a person from a lake in my clothing I carried heavier stuff longer distances Except I live in florida I have lakes, oceans, springs, and smaller spring rivers I love the water I can hold my breath for 3 min stationary while moving 2min all under water Best part about this is I'm black so I prove stereotypes wrong
Make no mistake about it. If you’re thinking about joining the most elite fighting force on the face of the planet, understand what the word “MARINE” means. Note that the United States Marine Corps is indeed a branch of the U.S NAVY. TL;DR: You gone git wet. Fun fact: The instructors make recruits face the wall so they don’t have to watch their buddies (who can’t swim) damn near drown, bc they outright refuse to qualify. They also don’t advance in training until they do qualify. So, several recruits are always left behind. There simply isn’t any time in the training schedule to spare. Those who can’t qualify, or refuse to train, will be picked up by another platoon, and they will attempt to qualify again the very next week…on top of the mental game required to adapt to their completely new and different platoon, where they have zero acquaintance and have never heard the Senior call Drill, let alone figure out who the Heavy Hat is and who the Punisher is. It’s brutal shit being a Marine. It’s not all as hard as SWIM, but there’s a lot of shit harder. If you can’t swim, you’re gonna have a bad time. We’re Amphibious, ladies and gentlemen. Hope this helps someone make the right decision. Serving your country in any branch is admirable, and it is also beneficial to your future. Semper Fidelis
Son Gohan i guess that is why they have them swim across a shallow pool at first just to weed out weak swimmers. Basically If you can swim across a shallow pool it still does not mean you are comfortable in deep Water.
Larry v. I went to parris island. 13 weeks of hell. Not bad after boot camp. Drill instructor's treated me well after they found out I had prior military with the u.s. Navy.
I am gonna join he Marines no matter what they tell me, unless its like a full out WW. This swimming looks like fun, but i could already imagine its gonna be hard. i still got 4-6 more years before i could join. been dreamin since i was 4 to join. this is me a decade later with the same dream, never backing down. i dont care what im gonna have in joining. im gonna join. Semper Fidelis
easiest/fastest way to end this crap is to pretend u're sinking/drowning.. instructors will throw u a life saver n tell u to get the fk out of the pool, send u back to squad bay in most cases.. doubt u'll be swimming in iraq/stan anyway.. didn't experience any swimming in 3 tours
Yes, the cammies are old cammies that were just given to them at the pool. What you don't see is the daypacks that they brought with them where you have a clean dry pair of skivies to change into. Thats how we did it at PI at least
downtownlife It's the Marine Corps system to identify your swimming ability. 4th class is the easiest level. It goes 4th class, 3rd class, 2nd class, 1st class and Water Survival Qualified (WSQ) If you are thinking about joining the Marines I would contact your local recruiting office and have them address any concerns you have regarding swimming. If I am not mistaken to qualify 4th class you have to tread water for 4 or 5 minutes, swim one length of the pool and jump off a ten foot tower (abandon ship). If you aren't comfortable in water I would probably take an adult swim lesson class before you go just so you are more relaxed.
Ok this is what goes on.... Reason why people wearing deserts and others wearing woodlands is because your not wearing your own. They make you get some out this room that is not yours and put them on. You have to pass 4 sections ... Swimming across.. Floating.. Jumping off tower... And taking off gear.. What i had to do when i went to boot camp.... Its like the 4th week of training near the time you go to gas chamber. Just never give up on yourself and keep on no matter how much you think you cant do it
i appreciate the service these men and women have gave us. they work hard everyday and serve everyday for us .have to take the time to stay away from there wife, kids ,parents, and ECT to serve our country thank you the US army and Marin millitary.
Don't worry about that, we had 4 guys in my platoon who sunk like a rock as soon as they hit the water. You get 3 days to try and qualify, on the 3rd day (if you haven't passed) you basically get swimming lessons from what I heard the other guys say. Plus you wanna be a marine? Fear is gonna fuck you if you let it, I started boot camp and freaked the fuck out on the dirty name, but by phase 3 I was climbing the stairway to heaven and dropping down the rappel tower without a second thought.
The trick is to not panic. You won't drown in 30 seconds of submersion. Let them push you down, and pull them down with you. Keep your eyes open and look the DI in the eye, so he will see that you are calm, and may not complicate things further due to your fear. As soon as your feet touch the bottom, perform the grip breaking technique, change your grip and turn them around backwards, pull them down hard so their feet plant, and then kick of the bottom hard as you can, dragging them upwards.
I don't know if you're keeping tabs on this comment but here is one - learn to tread water. You're going to have to tread water in full camo like you see here, boots and all, for at least 5 minutes. And when I did it, it wasn't peaceful like this. we had to tread water, not just float, and if you got near the edge the swim instructors would push you off. Don't even think about putting your hands on the edge - saw a guy get his fingers smashed by a DI's boot that way.
You guys really need to think these stupid comments through... 1) This is a qualification. They aren't teaching them anything. You're supposed to know how to swim before you join the "Marine" Corps. They've just got a few simple water exercises that they test them on to ensure they can swim and don't freak out in water. 2) I highly doubt you throw 3 year olds off of a high dive in combat boots. Not many parents of 3 year olds even possess combat boots for their children.
MrHenk588 not to be rude but you never want to push anyone when they are learning to swim. Out of all a marine recruit goes thru learning at boot camp, the swim portion is where they will get the most understanding and patients from their training instructors.
After being frozen stiff for aprox 15min, I finally stepped off the Platform...did a 180deg turn in mid-air, and found myself holding on to the side. My head didn't even get wet!!!
@James Hedlock I have had an EXTREME fear of water all my life and still do and I am 65. I have not been in a pool in 50 years!!! I could never relax in the water with my big fear of drowning.
All this training is for the most part is basic water techniques and confidence building. There are some other things they teach you. But its mainly a stamina thing.
If you want to pass beginner and intermediate swim in boot camp, all I can tell you is to backstroke, its the easiest one and its one of the approved ways to actually swim. Besides that just listen to the instructors. They'll teach you.
in 1984 the guys that couldnt swim had to qualify by taking a step off the high dive and tread water for 3 minutes. You take that step and hit the water, then come up and panic and quickly realize youre floating .then youre qualified and i didnt know how to swim ..period . Nobody worries about not qualifying on the swimming, youre gonna qualify eventually...guys cried when they thought theyd go UNQ on the rifle range though ."BRASS".
I hate to mention this, but does anyone remember the Jason Tharp incident? This is the part where he told them he could not swim and would not get into the water. They made him, and he drowned. -And died. This is not the only incident. So take the time and learn how to swim.
Best advice if you cant swim is goto the pool during the summer and learn before your shipped off to boot camp i taught myself how to swim at a young age