Alright, im new to this site, Im not a usual swimmer but i recently got in the pool and feel in love. I quickly made friends at the local pool on-base. Im a United States Marine with hopes and dreams in Becoming a Reconnaissaince Marine. In other words Marines with Gills. They are like the SEAL's from the Navy and Pararescue from the Air Force. The guys at the pool quickly tought me how to swim "the right way" cross-over and *** stroke as well as the Side-stroke and other technics. i go to the pool everyday. My biggest problem is dealing with the underwater 25 meter swim. To become a Recon Marine i have to accomplish the following....
1) 500 meter swim with out touching the floor in under 17min.
2) 30 min. tread
3) Deep end Rifle retreaval and then treading water for 5 sec.
4) 5 min. water float by using trousers as floating devise
5) 25 Meter underwater swim (my problem)
I have no problem with any of the others but the 25 meter kills me only because i feel like my lungs are going to explode. is there any tips of any kind out there that can prepare me for my "indoc" or evaluation to see if im sea worthy and serve as a Recon Marine. Thanks for hearing me out. :banana:
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Former Member
Lots of good advice here - especially the point about CO2 buildup. Experienced swimmers know that their body signals the need to breathe earlier than you actually have to.
Although I was just a decent high school swimmer, I was very good at swimming underwater. The summer before my freshman year of college (1976) I swam 100 meters underwater - two laps of a 50 M pool turning underwater. I used to practice swimming underwater because I enjoyed it and it was a fun challenge. The next several summers I was a lifeguard and regularly swam 75 yds underwater (but didn't make it to 100 yds - too many turns).
I found the following helped:
1. swim efficient full breastroke at a measured pace. You may feel a desire to accelerate at the end to reach the wall when you feel like dying. That's OK - but don't start out so fast that you consume vast amounts of oxygen. Flutter kick is way too INefficient underwater and will burn up oxygen. I assume you have a workable breaststroke kick.
2. When I attempted my 75 yd. swims, I'd swim 25 yds first. I'd rest a bit, then do it again. The second swim was always easier than the first. Then I'd do a fifty and rest. Then I'd go for 75 yds. I think the warmup swims help you smooth out your stroke, stretch your lung cavity slightly, and get your confidence level up that you survived (and will be able to go further the next time). For your 25M goal, practice by starting with 10M. Pop up and relax. Next time go 15M and relax. Then go for 25M.
3. You must begin exhaling somewhere around halfway to get rid of the CO2.
4. practice in a 25 yd. or 25 meter pool where you can stand up.
My two teenage sons absolutely kick my ass in the pool now, but I can snorkel underwater quite a bit better than they can now.
As a related note - I met Tanya Streeter - multiple world record holder in breathhold diving. Google her and see what she has done. One of my son's friends hired her for some training tips (swimming). Tanya told him to prepare for races by slowly filling his lungs with deep breaths and exhaling slowly. She said this builds up a bit of oxygen that would not be present with normal breathing.
Lots of good advice here - especially the point about CO2 buildup. Experienced swimmers know that their body signals the need to breathe earlier than you actually have to.
Although I was just a decent high school swimmer, I was very good at swimming underwater. The summer before my freshman year of college (1976) I swam 100 meters underwater - two laps of a 50 M pool turning underwater. I used to practice swimming underwater because I enjoyed it and it was a fun challenge. The next several summers I was a lifeguard and regularly swam 75 yds underwater (but didn't make it to 100 yds - too many turns).
I found the following helped:
1. swim efficient full breastroke at a measured pace. You may feel a desire to accelerate at the end to reach the wall when you feel like dying. That's OK - but don't start out so fast that you consume vast amounts of oxygen. Flutter kick is way too INefficient underwater and will burn up oxygen. I assume you have a workable breaststroke kick.
2. When I attempted my 75 yd. swims, I'd swim 25 yds first. I'd rest a bit, then do it again. The second swim was always easier than the first. Then I'd do a fifty and rest. Then I'd go for 75 yds. I think the warmup swims help you smooth out your stroke, stretch your lung cavity slightly, and get your confidence level up that you survived (and will be able to go further the next time). For your 25M goal, practice by starting with 10M. Pop up and relax. Next time go 15M and relax. Then go for 25M.
3. You must begin exhaling somewhere around halfway to get rid of the CO2.
4. practice in a 25 yd. or 25 meter pool where you can stand up.
My two teenage sons absolutely kick my ass in the pool now, but I can snorkel underwater quite a bit better than they can now.
As a related note - I met Tanya Streeter - multiple world record holder in breathhold diving. Google her and see what she has done. One of my son's friends hired her for some training tips (swimming). Tanya told him to prepare for races by slowly filling his lungs with deep breaths and exhaling slowly. She said this builds up a bit of oxygen that would not be present with normal breathing.
