When in recruit training will the usmc teach you to swim?

September 29th, 2009 | by MakingMarines |
USMC training
Tony asked:


I’m wondering if they’ll teach you or just push you in the water.

Getting In Shape For The Marines

  1. 8 Responses to “When in recruit training will the usmc teach you to swim?”

  2. By Best Prez Ever on Sep 30, 2009 | Reply

    they’ll teach you

  3. By nathan-frye@sbcglobal.net on Oct 3, 2009 | Reply

    There is not training going on now. A friend of mines son enlisted and he was in Iraq 7 days later.

  4. By HighlyMad on Oct 5, 2009 | Reply

    1. Not everybody in Marine boot camp goes through the water course.

    2. The water isn’t deep at all.

    3. Not to my knowledge they will teach you.

  5. By paul diamond on Oct 7, 2009 | Reply

    i think you cover combat in water, but only like knee deep. other than that i dont think so.

  6. By Erudite on Oct 10, 2009 | Reply

    You better know how to swim before you join.

  7. By Ghias and Beagles on Oct 10, 2009 | Reply

    Well way back when I was in boot camp they didn’t teach you how to swim, they taught you how to stay afloat, no need to know how to swim. You had to stay in the pool for one hour doing a dead man’s float. They also went over how to take your clothing off in the water and remove your items that would weigh you down while in the water. For all practical reasoning you are trained to stay afloat for days if needed providing the water isn’t to cold or the sharks don’t eat you.

  8. By LadyLeatherneck on Oct 11, 2009 | Reply

    Now it has been a long time for me since boot camp as well (shout out and Semper Fi to ya, Ghias and Beagles) but from what I can remember it is in Phase One. Boot camp is separated into Phases (or at least it used to be) and when you go to the Water Safety Survival course they start out in the shallow end of a pool and teach you several different survival techniques and progressively lead you through different exercises. It is (was) all carefully monitored and relatively safe. My advice to you is to always remain calm and keep focused on your task. Just listen to what the instructors tell you and do exactly what they say and you will be fine. The techniques they teach you really do work and if you just relax (as much as you can in boot camp) and do what they teach, it will work out fine. From what I can remember, teh water levels were between 3-4 feet and up to 11-15 feet. Good luck and thank you so much for your willingness to serve in the Armed Forces, particularly the Marine Corps. I appreciate your dedication and service to our country.

  9. By guns155mm on Oct 14, 2009 | Reply

    The instructors will take all the non swimmers to the shallow end and work with them. They will not push you in with full gear if you cant swim. All Marine recruites must be able to swim qual. It isn’t that hard. When you jump in with all your gear and pack, your pack will float. Your DI will show you how to float it.

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