Seal combat swimmer stroke

[Maggot]

I did some competitive swimming in high school, the workouts were a bitch, but we never learned this. Good talk by Admiral McRaven at the end.

Here's the technique Navy SEALs use to swim for miles without getting tired
With the beginning of summer, pools all over the US are opening for recreational swimming - but in the Navy, recruits are getting ready for the brutal Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training, or BUD/S, that will turn some of them into Navy SE

 

[_Windrider_]

the ol side stroke. one of the best tools i learned in the Navy.

 

[Slowfire]

I can’t even imagine swimming for “miles”. Some bad asses and thank God for them!

 

[natdscott]

the ol side stroke. one of the best tools i learned in the Navy.

That's similar, but it's not really the same sidestroke.

 

[Maggot]

That's similar, but it's not really the same sidestroke.

A modified sidestroke. I swam mostly free but its not really for distance. The breast stroke or side si much less energy consuming. Dont know about this, looks like it could be problematic in heavy surf.

 

[shootist2004]

there is only one way to swim for miles and not get tired................
be in shape first.

 

[FS1]

You have to be dedicated to swim for miles with a thermometer up your ass.

 

[pmclaine]

Swimming is the best all over body exercise out there.

It will work everything to include the muscles that keep your toenails attached.

It will do it without destroying your tendons and joints.

It will raise your metabolism to the point you could eat anything and not gain weight provided you actually work when you swim.

Its as boring as hell though.

My problem is I have no rythm and swim like a retard (no offense to the physically/mentally challenged).

I think I fail to use my legs correctly while swimming and there is nothing "smooth" about what Ill do while in the pool.

There is nothing nicer to view than someone that is graceful in the pool and it looks like they just glide across the top of the water.

Ive never seen myself swim but to me it feels like a struggle to keep from drowning.

I dont kick and rely too much on upper body pull to get me through the water.

That modified side stroke looks like something I could do as it seems to divide the two body parts motion into seperate acts instead of being like trying to pat your belly and rub your head at the same time.

but that said when I swim, I swim to work out and with my "struggling" it is a workout.
If I can get back into it when the kids become more independent my swim routine was.

1. 15 minutes of flutter kick laps using a board for warm up/leg workout
2. 15 minutes of breast stroke
3. 15 minutes of
a. sidestroke right side
b. sidestroke left side
c. up and back freestyle
d. repeat
4. 15 minutes of "crabs"
a. "Sit" in the water with legs bent/crossed in front of you than pull your self backwards up and down the pool. Its like doing butterflies with dumbells on the weight bench.

An hour of that I was done. Three or four times a week I had good aerobic ability and could eat whatever I wanted.

Ahhhh kids, They are killing me.

They are at the pool right now actually while I sit in a car dealership getting the family ride serviced. They know not how fortunate they are.

 

[Strykervet]

the ol side stroke. one of the best tools i learned in the Navy.

I thought everyone knew this! Maybe it's because I took lifeguard training and advanced swimming courses at a college when I was pretty young.

Didn't do SEALs but did do "drownproofing" and flew through it. Some of them were laughing at me because I was changing to multiple strokes throughout --but I passed with plenty of energy left over, many failed and the others that passed were SMOKED at the end. They were the ones doing the basic breast stroke the whole way. You have all your gear, a weapon and full canteens, BDU's and boots and helmet so it's not the easiest exactly.

Side stroke and back stroke got me through most of it. At one point I was spitting water like a fountain for shits and giggles.

Swimming for miles, and it's a five mile ocean swim, timed, with and without fins. You HAVE to have multiple strokes to do that I'd imagine.

 

[...]

The problem is yall are too fit.....not enough fat

Fat floats, muscle sinks.....need to build in some flotation and increase your buoyancy....then you wont have to work so hard to move in water.

see im chunky enough that im naturally buoyant......ill just bob around the water all day without breaking a sweat.....perfectly suited for extended water ops


also ive found the back stroke is the easiest when im swimming hard.....seeing as my face isnt down in the fucking water, i can actually breath normally.

 

[powdahound76]

I paddled safety for a good friend for a 10k open water swim a couple times. No gear to haul and they can only wear a standard swimsuit and cap. Sara is crazy tough and I would not want to fight with her.

From the north ramp at Horsetooth Reservoir to the south ramp in 2 hrs 20 min........

Friggin crazy the amount of people that showed up to swim it.

 

[Clearlight]

Yeah that works ok . If you are geared up and not in heavy ocean conditions , sometimes the best way is
actually on your back , doing a sort of frog kick with your legs . With minimal floatation device/s , you
can make very efficient , if slower progress . Most kids in Aus who live anywhere near the coast , swim
like fishes by the time they are 5 or 6 years old . We are fortunate in that respect .

 

[Maggot]

Swimming is the best all over body exercise out there.

It will work everything to include the muscles that keep your toenails attached.

It will do it without destroying your tendons and joints.

It will raise your metabolism to the point you could eat anything and not gain weight provided you actually work when you swim.

Its as boring as hell though.

My problem is I have no rythm and swim like a retard (no offense to the physically/mentally challenged).

I think I fail to use my legs correctly while swimming and there is nothing "smooth" about what Ill do while in the pool.

There is nothing nicer to view than someone that is graceful in the pool and it looks like they just glide across the top of the water.

Ive never seen myself swim but to me it feels like a struggle to keep from drowning.

I dont kick and rely too much on upper body pull to get me through the water.

That modified side stroke looks like something I could do as it seems to divide the two body parts motion into seperate acts instead of being like trying to pat your belly and rub your head at the same time.

but that said when I swim, I swim to work out and with my "struggling" it is a workout.
If I can get back into it when the kids become more independent my swim routine was.

1. 15 minutes of flutter kick laps using a board for warm up/leg workout
2. 15 minutes of breast stroke
3. 15 minutes of
a. sidestroke right side
b. sidestroke left side
c. up and back freestyle
d. repeat
4. 15 minutes of "crabs"
a. "Sit" in the water with legs bent/crossed in front of you than pull your self backwards up and down the pool. Its like doing butterflies with dumbells on the weight bench.

An hour of that I was done. Three or four times a week I had good aerobic ability and could eat whatever I wanted.

Ahhhh kids, They are killing me.

They are at the pool right now actually while I sit in a car dealership getting the family ride serviced. They know not how fortunate they are.

Theres a cure for that. 1/2 an hour with an instructor several times until he says youre good to go. Its worth it, you wont regret the investment.

Youre right, its the best exercise around, but it DOES NOT exercise every muscle...by that I mean the dick muscle. You need wifey or 'lefty' for that.

 

[pmclaine]

Theres a cure for that. 1/2 an hour with an instructor several times until he says youre good to go. Its worth it, you wont regret the investment.

Youre right, its the best exercise around, but it DOES NOT exercise every muscle...by that I mean the dick muscle. You need wifey or 'lefty' for that.

Obviously you are not properly "keeling" your swim....

 

[bogeybrown]

I use a modified version of that stroke to swim while I smoke a cig and/or carry a beer, similar to the "swim a brick" test in the mil. I've won some fun bets while out canoeing and being able to swim across a river with a lit cigarette, then doubling down that I could do it with a cig in one hand and a beer in the other.

It's probably fitting that I'm typing this from my pool. Last night I was so disgustingly sweaty after welding class that I just shucked my boots and jumped in with my clothes on, sort of a pre-wash before laundry and did a few minutes of cool down exercise.

 

[c1steve]

I have done some long distance swimming, including an Alcatraz to S.F. race. I used to use side stroke when tired, but eventually converted to all freestyle. If I relax, let my body stretch out over the water, and use medium intensity I can do two miles without a rest. This low energy stroke has more to do with proper form than strength.

 

[TheBigCountry]

Classic “iron duck”; I go in a pool/water and sink like a rock. Found the only thing I ever did well in water training was the damn blouse inflate; I could inflate and sit there forever and all the other guys, instructors included, got a kick out of it as I bobbed around wondering when the hell I can get out of the water.

 

[oneshot86]

I have done some long distance swimming, including an Alcatraz to S.F. race. I used to use side stroke when tired, but eventually converted to all freestyle. If I relax, let my body stretch out over the water, and use medium intensity I can do two miles without a rest. This low energy stroke has more to do with proper form than strength.

very cool

 

[ShtrRdy]

I paddled safety for a good friend for a 10k open water swim a couple times. No gear to haul and they can only wear a standard swimsuit and cap. Sara is crazy tough and I would not want to fight with her.

From the north ramp at Horsetooth Reservoir to the south ramp in 2 hrs 20 min........

Horsetooth is 6 mile long?

 

[powdahound76]

Apparently. Its an well known and recognized open water 10K swim. I wore a Garmin GPS watch but couldnt state for sure it was exactly 6.2 miles without looking at downloaded logs.

I can tell you its way too long to swim!

 

[flyer]

In my youth I was a sprinter and swam butterfly. As I aged and spent a few years out of the water, I lost my butterfly stroke. I could probably get it back but I just do freestyle and backstroke for exercise and paddle board when I'm concentrating on my kick.

I've never swam with a bunch of gear but for long workouts I altrenate from freestyle to back stroke and I focus on technique instead of mostly power which got me by back in my swim team days.

I could swim for hours if I had to and I only really tire myself out when I sprint which I do several times if I swim an hour. Swimming freestyle does fatigue my arms a bit so back stroke lets me coast a little bit and rely on my kick more than my arms.

What c1steve said is true, that gliding, efficient freestyle happens when you stretch out from the tips of your fingers to the tips of your toes and slow down your arm stroke.

Once you can do a half decent freestyle sprint, you can just pay attention in the water, forget about speed and focus on technique. If you do that, you will find efficiency and a bit of speed will come with it. Once you have efficiency you can add power which is easier than having power and trying to add efficiency.

 

[Snipe260]

I did some competitive swimming in high school, the workouts were a bitch, but we never learned this. Good talk by Admiral McRaven at the end.

Here's the technique Navy SEALs use to swim for miles without getting tired
With the beginning of summer, pools all over the US are opening for recreational swimming - but in the Navy, recruits are getting ready for the brutal Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training, or BUD/S, that will turn some of them into Navy SE

That's the same stroke jerry used to swim the Yukon the other day!

 

[WATERWALKER]

Classic “iron duck”; I go in a pool/water and sink like a rock. Found the only thing I ever did well in water training was the damn blouse inflate; I could inflate and sit there forever and all the other guys, instructors included, got a kick out of it as I bobbed around wondering when the hell I can get out of the water.

Years ago I was at a school & this was one of several boxes to check. I’m a pretty strong swimmer & I’d learned all these different self-preservation skills in the military.

I had a buddy who wasn’t a strong swimmer & for kicks I swam over to him & mashed his air pocket. Of course he sunk like a rock. He recovered & we laughed about it (a lot) afterwards. Good times.

 

[sharac]

Just at sea doing that and as has been said until you master it its more of a “dont drown get that air in” instead of “me feels like a great fish just cruising along” but its a great workout

 

[TheBigCountry]

Years ago I was at a school & this was one of several boxes to check. I’m a pretty strong swimmer & I’d learned all these different self-preservation skills in the military.

I had a buddy who wasn’t a strong swimmer & for kicks I swam over to him & mashed his air pocket. Of course he sunk like a rock. He recovered & we laughed about it (a lot) afterwards. Good times.

Lol total dick move.

I had a SSGT totally afraid of water, and couldn’t swim to boot. He did the abandon ship technique and when he finally came up it looked like a cat thrown into a pool, clawing and whatnot trying to stay afloat. Safety swimmers had to go get his behind.

Swimming is something I keep telling myself to get better at, especially for the fitness aspect of it. I used to scuba dive and had no issues at all playing underwater, but when it came to swimming....nope. Not today, not now, not ever unless I HAVE TO for some reason.

 

[pmclaine]

Lol total dick move.

I had a SSGT totally afraid of water, and couldn’t swim to boot. He did the abandon ship technique and when he finally came up it looked like a cat thrown into a pool, clawing and whatnot trying to stay afloat. Safety swimmers had to go get his behind.

Swimming is something I keep telling myself to get better at, especially for the fitness aspect of it. I used to scuba dive and had no issues at all playing underwater, but when it came to swimming....nope. Not today, not now, not ever unless I HAVE TO for some reason.

At NTA Okinawa we did some training on a big ass zip line.

Jump off a cliff, ride the wire bail out into a pool of muddy water.

If you failed to bail out there was a big hemp rope scaling net to catch you. It also looked like in catching it would fuck you up because there was some speed involved as you traveled the zip line.

What do you think the non water comfortable chose - hitting the water or hit the net?

Cant believe no one got fucked up.

Under todays mindset Im kind of shocked we even did that training. No safety lines, slipping off that zip line over dirt would have been an issue.

Ahhh the good old days.

 

[Maggot]

In my youth I was a sprinter and swam butterfly. As I aged and spent a few years out of the water, I lost my butterfly stroke. I could probably get it back but I just do freestyle and backstroke for exercise and paddle board when I'm concentrating on my kick.

I've never swam with a bunch of gear but for long workouts I altrenate from freestyle to back stroke and I focus on technique instead of mostly power which got me by back in my swim team days.

I could swim for hours if I had to and I only really tire myself out when I sprint which I do several times if I swim an hour. Swimming freestyle does fatigue my arms a bit so back stroke lets me coast a little bit and rely on my kick more than my arms.

What c1steve said is true, that gliding, efficient freestyle happens when you stretch out from the tips of your fingers to the tips of your toes and slow down your arm stroke.

Once you can do a half decent freestyle sprint, you can just pay attention in the water, forget about speed and focus on technique. If you do that, you will find efficiency and a bit of speed will come with it. Once you have efficiency you can add power which is easier than having power and trying to add efficiency.

A few times when swimming distance Id have this weird experience of my mind leaving my body and watching me swim. Ever have that happen...or similar?

 

[sharac]

yeah after about 200m when my breathing is seriously lagging my oxygen consumption i think its called leaving this earthly place . Seriously though nah never been really comfortable swimming the distance, i can dive, spearfish, hold my breath for a while but swimming with rhytm is something that escapes me - though im trying now to learn to relax.

 

[WATERWALKER]

Another time three buddies & I were on “libbo” in the Seychelles Islands. We went snorkeling & one guy, Mac wasn’t a very good swimmer. The locals had warned us to get rid of all jewelry or other items that may reflect light, etc. The locals had said they get a lot of Mako shark & while they’re badass I have no interest in being trapped in its mouth. Fuck that shit.

The water was crystal clear. You walk on the rocks, coral, etc & in one place it’s knee deep & you swim 30 feet over 100 ft of water to another rock. Y’all get the idea.

So, we three were quite a ways out in the water when Mac decides to yell “Shark, shark!” Needless to say we’re less than pleased at this news. We get back in & Mac is laughing & telling us “Just kidding.”

One of my buddy’s & I formed our plan of attack. We coerced Mac into deeper water & we swam under him. We raked our fingernails from his thighs down & pulled him under water. Mac freaked the fuck out. The dude straight up panicked. He finally made it back to shore. He was fucking pissed. I explained that turnabout is fair play & he shut up & played the “pouty pants” role. Good times.

 

[Maggot]

Another time three buddies & I were on “libbo” in the Seychelles Islands. We went snorkeling & one guy, Mac wasn’t a very good swimmer. The locals had warned us to get rid of all jewelry or other items that may reflect light, etc.

The water was crystal clear. You walk on the rocks, coral, etc & in one place it’s knee deep & you swim 30 feet over 100 ft of water to another rock. Y’all get the idea.

So, we three were quite a ways out in the water when Mac decides to yell “Shark, shark!” Needless to say we’re less than pleased at this news. We get back in & Mac is laughing & telling us “Just kidding.”

One of my buddy’s & I formed our plan of attack. We coerced Mac into deeper water & we swam under him. We raked our fingernails from his thighs down & pulled him under water. Mac freaked the fuck out. The dude straight up panicked. He finally made it back to shore. He was fucking pissed. I explained that turnabout is fair play & he shut up & played the “pouty pants” role. Good times.

Yeah, down in the Caribbean Ive been at about 100' and it was so clear you could have read a newspaper. We saw a few nurse sharks but they didnt seem hungry.

I hear the Seychelles are absolutely stunning. Got any photos?

 

[WATERWALKER]

We took a disposable underwater camera w/ us but no idea what happened to it or the pics. I couldn’t believe how colorful the fish were. The colors were so bright & so many.

I grew up on the Great Lakes & the fish looked nothing the tropical fish in the Seychelles. No shark in the Great Lakes either!

 

[JMGlasgow]

I paddled safety for a good friend for a 10k open water swim a couple times. No gear to haul and they can only wear a standard swimsuit and cap. Sara is crazy tough and I would not want to fight with her.

From the north ramp at Horsetooth Reservoir to the south ramp in 2 hrs 20 min........

Friggin crazy the amount of people that showed up to swim it.

Horsetooth Res. in Ft Collins?

 

[Dirty D]

(no offense to the mentally challenged).

None taken

 

[Dirty D]

The problem is yall are too fit.....not enough fat

Fat floats, muscle sinks.....need to build in some flotation and increase your buoyancy....then you wont have to work so hard to move in water.

I got held out of “A” school for medical and was scrubbing shitters on base until the OCS staff found out that I had been a rescue swimmer out in the fleet, the next thing I knew I was the water survival instructor for the 90 day wonders. One class came thru and a guy tried to use the “I have no body fat so I can’t swim” excuse with me, in front of the entire OCS class, their DI’s and my senior Chief I jumped in the pool and promptly sank right to the bottom and laid there for about 30 seconds, when I came to the surface I said “I sink faster than you do now get your ass in the pool!” Neither the trainee nor his DI’s looked very fucking amused but I made my point and no one ever said a word about it again. ?

 

[flyer]

A few times when swimming distance Id have this weird experience of my mind leaving my body and watching me swim. Ever have that happen...or similar?

Nope, never got "runner's high" either.

 

[Redmanss]

At NTA Okinawa we did some training on a big ass zip line.

Jump off a cliff, ride the wire bail out into a pool of muddy water.

If you failed to bail out there was a big hemp rope scaling net to catch you. It also looked like in catching it would fuck you up because there was some speed involved as you traveled the zip line.

What do you think the non water comfortable chose - hitting the water or hit the net?

Cant believe no one got fucked up.

Under todays mindset Im kind of shocked we even did that training. No safety lines, slipping off that zip line over dirt would have been an issue.

Ahhh the good old days.

That zip line was awesome! I don't know if it was the cold water or the rapid impact, but every last cubic inch of air vacated our lungs when we hit the water and we raced back to the surface. We didn't have anyone drop into the net, the NTA instructors made it clear that was the less desirable of the two options.

 

[uffduh]

Rescued a six pack of Hinano bieres yesterday in Bora Bora. Egg beater stroke with legs is very efficient for drinking and smoking...though lighting a cig in the water can be a pain.

 

[pmclaine]

That zip line was awesome! I don't know if it was the cold water or the rapid impact, but every last cubic inch of air vacated our lungs when we hit the water and we raced back to the surface. We didn't have anyone drop into the net, the NTA instructors made it clear that was the less desirable of the two options.

The NTA guys were great.

Lots of guys went in that brown cloudy water and had to be "rescued".

One save in particular sticks out in my mind .......

The Marine that was in the water needing saving was beating away at the top of the water with eyes as big as dinner plates when the NTA trainer jumped in and went to the bottom.

Next thing the drowning pannicker went horizontal and as stiff as a board with total calm restored to his being.

Than he levitated across the water toward the side of the pit exposing a hand at the collar of his shirt and the other hand full of camouflage ass.

The two hands walked beneath the water exposing the head of the NTA instructor carrying the Marine in a dead lift and depositing him still horizontal on the edge of the pit.

The Marines Reality went from certain death to total calm in fractions of a second, you could see it in his eyes.

He'd probably blow that NTA guy if he had a asked.

 

[pmclaine]

We took a disposable underwater camera w/ us but no idea what happened to it or the pics. I couldn’t believe how colorful the fish were. The colors were so bright & so many.

I grew up on the Great Lakes & the fish looked nothing the tropical fish in the Seychelles. No shark in the Great Lakes either!

First thing I bought after ITS was a Canon Aquasnappy 35 mm, roll film back before their was digital. Worked great above and below the water as well it was tough enough for the field.

It cost a shit ton more in 1986 on L/Cpl pay.....

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Ca...appy+35+mm&_from=R40&rt=nc&_trksid=m570.l1313

 

[pmclaine]

Another time three buddies & I were on “libbo” in the Seychelles Islands. We went snorkeling & one guy, Mac wasn’t a very good swimmer. The locals had warned us to get rid of all jewelry or other items that may reflect light, etc. The locals had said they get a lot of Mako shark & while they’re badass I have no interest in being trapped in its mouth. Fuck that shit.

The water was crystal clear. You walk on the rocks, coral, etc & in one place it’s knee deep & you swim 30 feet over 100 ft of water to another rock. Y’all get the idea.

So, we three were quite a ways out in the water when Mac decides to yell “Shark, shark!” Needless to say we’re less than pleased at this news. We get back in & Mac is laughing & telling us “Just kidding.”

One of my buddy’s & I formed our plan of attack. We coerced Mac into deeper water & we swam under him. We raked our fingernails from his thighs down & pulled him under water. Mac freaked the fuck out. The dude straight up panicked. He finally made it back to shore. He was fucking pissed. I explained that turnabout is fair play & he shut up & played the “pouty pants” role. Good times.

Okay another Oki water story this one not so good.

We were at Schwab for our deployment and if it weren't a Marine base it would have been one of the nicest places Id ever been so far in life.

Our barracks were right on the edge of the seawall one story slab on grade - all windows - that required cleaning sea spray every Thursday night.

When we ere not training or cleaning we went off the seawall to the beach and swam among the rocks.

One weekend a few of us were out there taking pictures underwater with he AquaSnappy.

We had one mask three or four of us were sharing and I had the mask with me. The water was unusually cloudy from a rain storm the night before.

One of the Marines hit something in the water and told me to check out what was down below. water probably 8-12 feet deep right off the rocks.

I ducked and started to circle the area he was concerned about as I went deeper I started to make out the 10 million Budweiser cans Marines had tossed into the ocean.

Than through the haze I saw a white sneaker.

As I got closer I saw a white sock, with a calf and instant freak out swim to shore.

I had sea snakes in mind.

When I got on land the other Marines came out of the water asking "WTF?"

I said "Hey this is what I saw but I 'm not sure I saw what I saw" and explained what I saw.

One of the guys was a Corporal grabbed the mask and hopped in circling around but not finding anything in the haze.

We decided I didnt see anything.

Later that day the JP came to shore another swimming Marine had pulled out a Marine that slipped off the high cliff the night before into the water.

When my First Sgt heard about what we saw that AM he called me in front of him.

He asked "WTF?" and I told him "Hey I never saw a dead body and not expecting one while Im swimming I kind of freaked out?"

He cocked his head and said he had never seen a whole dead body and could understand. The First Sgt was Terry Bennington and was likely the last Marine to leave the Embassy compound in Saigon.

It was like the movies "Stand by Me" and "Full Metal Jacket " combined.

Kind of funny in a way but the dead Marine had a wife and kids.

 

[powdahound76]

Horsetooth Res. in Ft Collins?

Yes, Horsetooth in Ft Collins. Swim is usually the first part or August.
There is also a short swim sprint, 2.1 miles, that you can wear a wetsuit for.

 

[Dirty D]

Okay another Oki water story this one not so good.

We were at Schwab for our deployment and if it weren't a Marine base it would have been one of the nicest places Id ever been so far in life.

Our barracks were right on the edge of the seawall one story slab on grade - all windows - that required cleaning sea spray every Thursday night.

When we ere not training or cleaning we went off the seawall to the beach and swam among the rocks.

One weekend a few of us were out there taking pictures underwater with he AquaSnappy.

We had one mask three or four of us were sharing and I had the mask with me. The water was unusually cloudy from a rain storm the night before.

One of the Marines hit something in the water and told me to check out what was down below. water probably 8-12 feet deep right off the rocks.

I ducked and started to circle the area he was concerned about as I went deeper I started to make out the 10 million Budweiser cans Marines had tossed into the ocean.

Than through the haze I saw a white sneaker.

As I got closer I saw a white sock, with a calf and instant freak out swim to shore.

I had sea snakes in mind.

When I got on land the other Marines came out of the water asking "WTF?"

I said "Hey this is what I saw but I 'm not sure I saw what I saw" and explained what I saw.

One of the guys was a Corporal grabbed the mask and hopped in circling around but not finding anything in the haze.

We decided I didnt see anything.

Later that day the JP came to shore another swimming Marine had pulled out a Marine that slipped off the high cliff the night before into the water.

When my First Sgt heard about what we saw that AM he called me in front of him.

He asked "WTF?" and I told him "Hey I never saw a dead body and not expecting one while Im swimming I kind of freaked out?"

He cocked his head and said he had never seen a whole dead body and could understand. The First Sgt was Terry Bennington and was likely the last Marine to leave the Embassy compound in Saigon.

It was like the movies "Stand by Me" and "Full Metal Jacket " combined.

Kind of funny in a way but the dead Marine had a wife and kids.

One of the Mar

I recovered bodies for a living, the first one really sucked and it got easier but never got easy.

 

[Sean the Nailer]

I recovered bodies for a living, the first one really sucked and it got easier but never got easy.

You're a better man than I, Gunga-Din!

 

[Diver160651]

Sorry, could not read through the entire thread.

Not wanting to bust people’s bubbles but; You DO NOT need to be super fit to swim for miles. Your need to be efficient.

I’ve seen studs be f’n retards in the water, and fat old ladies swimming effortlessly for hours on end.

Sure fitness is key, if two equally effective swimmers are side by side..

Yes, I too have seen dead bodies, but that has little to do with swimming for miles.

 

[MosesTheTank]

Sorry, could not read through the entire thread.

Not wanting to bust people’s bubbles but; You DO NOT need to be super fit to swim for miles. Your need to be efficient.

I’ve seen studs be f’n retards in the water, and fat old ladies swimming effortlessly for hours on end.

Sure fitness is key, if two equally effective swimmers are side by side..

Yes, I too have seen dead bodies, but that has little to do with swimming for miles.

Like a few others here my hurdle to swimming distance is boredom. I don't do tris greater than olympic distance because well before the end of the swim all I can think is, let this be over. I can hike, bike, whatever for days but I have never found a "zone" for swimming. The only time I don't mind being in the water for long periods is open ocean. Battling waves at least keeps my attention.

Anyone can learn to swim fairly well and for decent distances with proper instruction.

Many times I've jumped off a boat with some tubby who couldn't run a 10 minute mile only to struggle to keep pace with them in the water, especially when the swim gets past the 1 or 2 mile mark. It's all about the technique. A guy named Terry Laughlin has branded a technique called Immersion Swimming. It's not really his own as lots of people have used the same thing for a long time but he has packaged it for easy consumption. This is pretty much what I use and I'm totally hip driven. I know my technique is ugly as shit and instructors love to yell at me for it, but when I come out of the water after 1 mile my heart rate is lower than almost anyone elses.

Terry, who is 60+ and has a gut, beats lots of young people in 10K open water swims that would easily kick his ass in a pool.

As for the side stroke, if you have to carry something the side stroke is the way to do it. And I have carried a lot of shit through the water.

 

[shootist2004]

I was blown away when Diana Nyad swam 103 miles from Cuba to Fla.................

 

[pmclaine]

I was blown away when Diana Nyad swam 103 miles from Cuba to Fla.................

She needs to go to Libya and open a swim training school.....or not?

 

[shootist2004]

and put the inflatable raft people out of business?

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Drown proofing was part of boot Camp at PI in 1966. We wore full utilities (fatigues) and boots, and had a dummy (cut out, full weight) M-14 on a loop around our necks (for practice, the qualification was done without it).

They still do it the same way.

Diver is right on correct.

Greg