Swim Test

 C077/K051 Feb 21 - Apr 25, 1990

So, you join the Navy. Guess what, you have to know how to swim. That day has come for us to prove we can all swim. The pool in Orlando was outside. We did our swim test in probably early March, so it was a little chilly. We march over to the pool, followed by our Sister Company.

The guys all had Navy issued suits. The girls could bring a “modest” one-piece suit.

We all get changed and head outside to sit in the cold cool air. If I recall, it was a cold day, not a cool day too.

We sit there and are given the rundown of what is going to happen by the instructor. He asks if anyone cannot swim or is bad at it. A few guys and girls raise their hands. Now, as expected, the language is rather rough from the instructors.

“Then, if you can’t swim, get the F over at the shallow end of the pool now!”

He looks around and sees this one kid who is a bean pole. “What the F, you can swim?”

"Yes, sir, I can.”

“BS, you’re gonna sink like a rock, get over to the shallow end.”

“No, sir, I can swim.”

“You Fing better be able to damnit.”

“OK, my instructors in the pool are here to help. If you have a problem, they will get you out. If they touch you stop moving, they will get you.”

We all yell back, “Yes, Sir!”

We had to jump in the pool from a 10-foot platform, tread water, and then swim the length of the pool without touching the bottom.

Groups go jump in and complete the requirements.

That really skinny kid gets up on the platform and, at first, won’t jump, but finally does. Then he starts to flail around because he cannot float.

The instructor in the pool swims to him, “I got ya, son.”

The kid won’t stop, so under the water, he goes. That happens three times. On the third time, we all think the kid drowned. They drag him to the side, and he climbs out. The head instructor comes over and starts to chew that kid a new one. “What the F. You said you can swim. You caused a total shit storm. Get the F to the shallow end now, asshole.”

I get up and take my turn in the pool. Jump in, no issue. Tread water, piece of cake. I start my swim. Things are going good until I hit the shallow end. This one instructor comes over to me and starts yelling.

“Hey, tall man don’t touch the bottom.”

“I’m watching ya, tall guy. Don’t f’ing mess up now.”

“I can see you're gonna touch the bottom.”

He keeps riding me the whole shallow end. I get to the wall and touch with both hands.
“I knew you could do it, good job!”

We also had to put on a pair of oversized pants and float using those. Jump in the pool, take them off, and use them as a float. Trust me, it does work. But, I knew that since doing the same thing was part of the Boy Scouts Swimming merit badge. 

The other benefit we got to sit in closer proximity with the girls than we had previously. A couple of us even got up the nerve to say "Hi." Since the swim test was pretty early on in training we were still a little "scared" to break the rule of not talking to the girls. 
It was a fun day, well part of the day. I am sure we had a class after that. One qualification down, many more to go.