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How long to reach Navy diver fitness

Former Member
Former Member over 8 years ago
Hi all.

I'm looking to join the New Zealand Navy as a diver. Divers are often regarded as some of the fittest in our military besides special forces. There isn't much information on the swim tests involved but the level of fitness I want to get to is similar to what would be expected of a US Navy SEAL going into BUD/S with a decent chance of success.

I have a decent level of fitness on land - I can do 20+ pull ups, 50+ push ups, run 5km in less than 20 minutes, would probably get 12-13 on a beep test, and can run 15km without too much effort but wouldn't want to run much further.

However, I have not done a whole lot of swimming before. I can swim 1000m continuously in a pool freestyle without getting too tired but not at a very fast pace. My workouts currently go until I have done 1000-1200m.

If I were to train most days of the week, plus some land training, how long should I expect to take to reach my goal? I know it is highly variable between people etc. but I am just looking for a general indicator.

Note: They say to be competitive at BUD/S you should be able to do the combat swimmer sidestroke or breaststroke 500 yard swim in less than 8 minutes.
It is also noteworthy that I'm 19, about 66kg, 176cm tall.
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  • Former Member
    Former Member over 8 years ago
    Hello Dylan, I was a US Navy diver for 9 years (3 years in a Navy Special Warfare (SEAL) unit). I don't know much about the NZ Navy Divers but my understanding is that they are very similar to the Australian Clearance Divers. I worked with both AU Clearance divers and SAS teams and have to say that they have the same physical condition (and skills) as any US Navy Special Operator; therefore, training as if you were going to attend BUD/s is a great idea. Regarding training, you're right about the PT scores (swim times, pull-ups, push-ups, and run). You mentioned 50+ push ups, is that in one minute? Candidates at BUD/s are averaging 110+ in 2 minutes. In regards to the run, I suggest you get used to longer distances, we ran a lot when I went through Dive School and I don't think NZ Dive training is much different. Now, this is a swimming forum so let's just stick to that. You MUST dominate the combat sidestroke, they really won't care much about your 1000m freestyle time and breaststroke isn't going to work when you're doing a long swim with the teams. To answer your question, like Steve said above, becoming a good swimmer takes time. If you're not a good swimmer I suggest you start focusing on that, maybe work some drills for sidestroke and make sure you have a smooth stroke by the time you show up for training. They will NOT teach you the stroke during training and you could run the chance of being dropped from the program. As of combat sidestroke being just a rotated breaststroke, I disagree. The pull is one arm at a time and the kick is entirely different. Feel free to ask any questions and good luck!
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  • Former Member
    Former Member over 8 years ago
    Hello Dylan, I was a US Navy diver for 9 years (3 years in a Navy Special Warfare (SEAL) unit). I don't know much about the NZ Navy Divers but my understanding is that they are very similar to the Australian Clearance Divers. I worked with both AU Clearance divers and SAS teams and have to say that they have the same physical condition (and skills) as any US Navy Special Operator; therefore, training as if you were going to attend BUD/s is a great idea. Regarding training, you're right about the PT scores (swim times, pull-ups, push-ups, and run). You mentioned 50+ push ups, is that in one minute? Candidates at BUD/s are averaging 110+ in 2 minutes. In regards to the run, I suggest you get used to longer distances, we ran a lot when I went through Dive School and I don't think NZ Dive training is much different. Now, this is a swimming forum so let's just stick to that. You MUST dominate the combat sidestroke, they really won't care much about your 1000m freestyle time and breaststroke isn't going to work when you're doing a long swim with the teams. To answer your question, like Steve said above, becoming a good swimmer takes time. If you're not a good swimmer I suggest you start focusing on that, maybe work some drills for sidestroke and make sure you have a smooth stroke by the time you show up for training. They will NOT teach you the stroke during training and you could run the chance of being dropped from the program. As of combat sidestroke being just a rotated breaststroke, I disagree. The pull is one arm at a time and the kick is entirely different. Feel free to ask any questions and good luck!
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