NIFE Water Survival

[x_Juya_x]

It's a failure in your training record. Whatever event it was (academic, athletic, other/doing something really dumb out in town/being a dirtbag on duty/etc.), it gets documented on a pink piece of paper. That makes it easier to pick out from the stack of plain pieces of paper in the stack. Better yet, if somebody has a lot of them then it makes their training jacket really stands out at a glance (training jacket ~ hardcopies of everything). There are a couple other color-coded things (if _ happens then use a _ colored piece of paper) that have come and gone over the years in naval air training, but the old pink sheet has stood the test of time.

Obviously nobody wishes to have any pink sheets in your training record. Get too many and you'll be provided an opportunity to pursue success elsewhere, but if you end up one or even two from start to wings then you're be in good company. Just take it in stride, fix yourself (means work hard and ask for help), and most important prove all those curmudgeons wrong about your generation when they say disparaging things about how kids these days deal with adversity.

Good to know, thanks again. I’m heading to OCS this September. So, when I arrive at NIFE on Day1 can I volunteer for remedial swim? I never learned how to swim properly. While I am working at it, it is still a worry.

 

[hlg6016]

Good to know, thanks again. I’m heading to OCS this September. So, when I arrive at NIFE on Day1 can I volunteer for remedial swim? I never learned how to swim properly. While I am working at it, it is still a worry.

I cant remember if they asked for remedial volunteers, but I did get volunteered when the instructors noticed me struggling during the evaluation.

 

[Meyerkord]

Good to know, thanks again. I’m heading to OCS this September. So, when I arrive at NIFE on Day1 can I volunteer for remedial swim? I never learned how to swim properly. While I am working at it, it is still a worry.

I’d suggest volunteering as soon as you show up. You’ll probably have a bunch of time waiting around before you actually class up. Talk with you class officer and see if they can get you going early.

The pool also has rec/lap swim hours, so it might be worth checking those out and just getting more comfortable in the water without taking formal lessons.

 

[RoarkJr.]

Good to know, thanks again. I’m heading to OCS this September. So, when I arrive at NIFE on Day1 can I volunteer for remedial swim? I never learned how to swim properly. While I am working at it, it is still a worry.

Do not do this. If you fail an event after remedial it’s a pink sheet. Just take the time now to figure it out. I thought they were going to teach the strokes but they don’t. You watch a video then go to the pool.

There are only 4 strokes, no reason you can’t have them down by then. Watch the YouTube videos on them. Jump off a diving board a few times. Whatever you need to do to mentally prepare as well.

 

[TyKing]

Good to know, thanks again. I’m heading to OCS this September. So, when I arrive at NIFE on Day1 can I volunteer for remedial swim? I never learned how to swim properly. While I am working at it, it is still a worry.

Do not do this. If you fail an event after remedial it’s a pink sheet. Just take the time now to figure it out. I thought they were going to teach the strokes but they don’t. You watch a video then go to the pool.

There are only 4 strokes, no reason you can’t have them down by then. Watch the YouTube videos on them. Jump off a diving board a few times. Whatever you need to do to mentally prepare as well.

Also, I HIGHLY recommend you practice treading, specifically the frog kick treading method. The tread and float with a flight suit, boots, and gear on gets a lot of people.

Once you get to NAS Pensacola you'll have a couple of months of wait before you class up for swim, take that time to get down the strokes and become very good at treading.

 

[cfam]

Also, I HIGHLY recommend you practice treading, specifically the frog kick treading method. The tread and float with a flight suit, boots, and gear on gets a lot of people.

Once you get to NAS Pensacola you'll have a couple of months of wait before you class up for swim, take that time to get down the strokes and become very good at treading.

^^What he said. While you won’t tread again in full gear after Pensacola, you will do a gear swim and float/inflate your gear every four years if you go jets.

 

[x_Juya_x]

Copy all and thanks for the advice Gents!

 

[Pags]

Good to know, thanks again. I’m heading to OCS this September. So, when I arrive at NIFE on Day1 can I volunteer for remedial swim? I never learned how to swim properly. While I am working at it, it is still a worry.

Go get swim lessons / coached practice so you're doing it right. Go to a local pool and ask about private lessons. Some pools formally do them but many lifeguards/swim coaches will do them on the side for a reasonable price.

 

[Gatordev]

...you will do a gear swim and float/inflate your gear every four years if you go jets.

Well, let's be honest, you'll still do a full gear tread when you're trying to inflate, no matter how much they want you to just drown-proof. Depending on how shitty the gear condition is, the time to inflate can vary.

 

[Ventus]

Full gear swim in boots sounds pretty intimidating. I've done some training in full Marine cammies with boots and kicking with those suckers on is hard. Very inefficient. For me it was almost all arms. I'm comfortable in the water but adding gear is no joke. Does it weigh you down a lot or is it just a lot more drag? Are you neutrally buoyant?

So after having gone through water survival I can confirm that I worked myself up for nothing. The full gear float was honestly the hardest thing and the boots and helmet float a little, like everyone said. The hardest part was just trying to catch your breath after the tread and just float.

The mile swim is literally "just keep swimming." It's all about that glide, energy conservation. I did the combat breast stroke almost the entire time. You get in a rhythm and just chill. It's not a race. I wasn't even going that fast and I finished in like 42:26. They give you 80 minutes to complete it.
My Protip for the breast stroke is: Keep your breathing even. When you go underwater, dont hold your breath, just blow it out slowly. You'll get less tired that way and you'll feel more like you're breathing like during an exercise. Ever try holding your breath weightlifting or doing sprints? Same deal. It's not fun. Just exhale normally out your nose when you go underwater during the mile swim.

Throughout the week the work you up to the mile by doing increasingly longer endurance swims. Very manageable. I will say though, bring goggles. I didn't wear them the first day and the chlorine really stung my eyes. I'm fine in salt water but for some reason the chlorine really messed with mine.

Also if you have cool instructors (most of them are) they'll play music during the mile swim through underwater speakers.

 

[Meyerkord]

they'll play music during the mile swim through underwater speakers

The underwater speakers were honestly my favorite part about API swimming. They played a lot of good music under there ?

 

[HSMPBR]

The instructors played music, but it was nickelback. Not very cool. ?

 

[Ventus]

The instructors played music, but it was nickelback. Not very cool. ?

We had Big Booty Mix 13?

 

[Jim123]

You guys are really gonna love SERE.


(No spoilers now, don't want to ruin any surprises!)

 

[Griz882]

You guys are really gonna love SERE.


(No spoilers now, don't want to ruin any surprises!)

They had good music there as well.