You guys know we’re headed out to the Naval Amphibious Base at Coronado, California where the Naval Special Warfare Center is for the Superfrog Triathlon is. We’ll be racing at Superfrog. I was a little disappointed to see the *Outside *magazine article on SEALs and triathlon as I thought it was a cool editorial/feature idea for our website. I was excited to read the *Outside *piece which was well written but a somewhat superficial treatment of the topic.
So, in the continued research on the topic for our feature on Navy SEALs, their training and how it relates to triathlon and their current recruiting initiative I’ve done some research and here are a couple snippets:
If you aren’t clear on what the normally sea-faring Navy SEALs are doing operationally in the war on terror, this little feature is an interesting insight. It’s rare since you seldom see media accompany SEALs on an operation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plk8fRSsrgc&mode=related&search= I tried the underwater swim portion of the Navy’s SEAL swim test yesterday in a 50 meter pool. I couldn’t do it.
Anyway. Work in progress and a fascinating project. Also, thank you for all the contact info people have PM’d me.
While you’re down there you could certainly write about the USMC Amphib Recon School (ARS) located on the same base. We did/do the same type of training the SEALs go through and perform many of the same types of missions as other SOCOM forces, but without the glamour or recognition. I’m sure there will be plenty of Marines participating in the SuperFrog race.
I tried the underwater swim portion of the Navy’s SEAL swim test yesterday in a 50 meter pool. I couldn’t do it.
you get a couple tries to figure it out. As long as we touched the wall, conscoius or not, you passed. Lots of people were pulled out and revived to find out they actually made it. All I remember is being about 5 feet away, blacking out, and the next thing I remember is someone pumping water out of my lungs and a huge lump on my head. Apparently I had enough forward momentum to drive myself into the wall.
especially ironic article because of the stereotypical anti-military hippy bullshit you normally find in Outside. (take this month’s sympathetic, non-judgmental coverage of that ELF piece of shit terrorist, for example)
I’ve never read a more duplicitous, conceited, elitist shitrag than Outside.
Bottom line: You guys are doing 100 meters underwater with a comeplete underwater somersault upon enterng the water… right? So two length of a 50 meter pool underwater.
That is correct. and somewhere between 50-75 meters, somebody was jumping on your back trying to stop you.
We had one guy drag two instructors about 25 meters and they got him turned around somehow, so he ended up doing 150 meters under water, but tagged the wrong side and failed.
I do think this was easier than the drown proofing though.
they tie your hands behind your back and tie your legs. Throw you in a 10 foot deep pool and say dont drown, see you in 30 minutes.
you basically slowly let out your air, until you reach the bottom, push yourself off and try to get back to the surface, take in another lungfull of hopefully air and start over again.
in that photo, notice the googles on the pool bottom, that is the instructors messing with you. I see they are no longer tying the feet either. Also the guy laying on his side is about ready to pick up his googles. We used to have to pick up weighted objects.
One of the tests I thought would be the easiest turned out to be one of my hardest to master - treading water while hold a brick out of the water for 2 minutes. At least that’s what it was on the recon side of the pool. Yuhave to figure out this weird bicycling frog kick tpe tread. It was weird, but effective. There was this surfer dude from SD that use to lifeguard the pool who would jump in a show us how to master that skill, all while holding a conversation.
I grew up with a pool in my back yard, started competitive swimming at 12 and basically spend my entire youth as a serious pool rat. All the pool training and tests the SEALS do basically mimic the games we would play. So, the pool stuff does sound pretty easy to me BUT, I had literally have spend a couple thousand hours in the water by the time I was in my early 20’s. (OTOH - once out of the pool I’d have lucky to last 5 minutes as a SEAL wannabe. . .)
I’m sure it is terrifying and super hard for your average guy who took pool class in gym a few years ago and whose idea of an epic swim was to go 2000 yds without stopping to do the pool stuff. The bottom line is you can’t really die from running or doing push ups or lifting heavy logs but you can die in a pool or the ocean in 3 minutes. The less comfortable you are in the water, I imagine you spend more time thinking about that. Hats off to anyone in that category who has the balls to go through that stuff. They must want it bad!
That’s the typical kick used in water polo. We used to have to tread water holding the ball over our heads for extended periods or work our way around the goal exploding to touch the top rail. It’s all technique, but damn tough until you figure out the timing.
Yuhave to figure out this weird bicycling frog kick tpe tread. It was weird, but effective.
It’s called the eggbeater kick. Well loved by those who play water polo. We had to “walk” (move from one side of the pool to the other) the lane lines holding a folding metal chair overhead. Goalies had to do the same with a dive weight belt on as well.