Swimming

L

lednyda

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May 16, 2016
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I've started visiting swimming pool and I'm a little bit concerned. I'm a poor swimmer and I'm trying to work on my style. I've heard that I need 3:30 on 200m to get B and validate swimming at the beginning. I've done 4:38 with breaststroke today and after few minutes I've swum 600m in 14:55 which is 4:59 per every 200m. So I can't swim any faster. I remember doing 1km in 24:40 in February so it's the same pace and I haven't been to swimming pool since then. I know I should be faster in crawl stroke but I still need to work a lot on my technique. I'm a runner so I've got endurance. I'm going to take some swimming lessons for the month remaining.

My question is what happens when I don't make it in 3:30? Is there a time limit for a C grade? I'm worried that I could have troubles with swimming through whole four years.
 
Swim lessons can be a huge help, so much of freestyle (front crawl) is about technique, both breathing and form in the water. Speed comes more from form than from effort (gliding is actually good). There are also some very good online technique videos.
 
You know how to swim and won't drown... You are fine for I Day. You will have time to train and learn the nuances as a Plebe. Don't worry so much about this. Plenty of Mids who agree strong swimmers will help you out.
 
Work on your form and your technique, and don't swim sprints, swim long distance and build your shoulder muscles, work on your streamline (pushing off the wall with your arms extended to a point) and dolphin kick. Don't breathe every stroke, which is a fault of many swimmers, try to breathe every 6 or 7 for forward crawl, or 2-3 for fly, and every two for breast. Just don't pass out, and don't pull anything. Eat lots of bananas and sour cream and onion chips (lots of potassium, strong bones and no more cramps) just, push, and try harder!!
Best of Luck, remember upperclassmen are there to help you succeed, no matter how grumpy they seem. ;)
 
Consider joining a summer swim club at a local park district, community pool, country club. There are quite a few that range from recreational summer fun to elite. The reason I suggest this is for the training regime. The benefit is having coaches who can correctly teach you the technique plus give you a training regime that is reasonable and will balance leg work with strokes. Possibly start with the swim coach at your school and work from there or ask any lifeguard... they've likely participated in club or summer recreational swim. Good luck.
 
Practice while you can, but don't sweat it. Plenty of people do not validate the swim. They then take the swimming class for 12 weeks. To validate with an 80 is a 3:30, to validate with a 90 is right around 3:00, and to validate with a 100 is a 2:46 (all if I remember correctly).

People are more than willing to get in the pool with you and help with technique, and there is extra midshipman run swim instruction every Sunday.
 
When we visited the USNA last summer, there were 5 to 10 plebes who couldn't swim a lick at one end of the pool getting instruction. I know they must pass a test at some point or they are dropped. It made me wonder why swimming isn't part of the NAVY CFA?
 
Hockeydad said:
When we visited the USNA last summer, there were 5 to 10 plebes who couldn't swim a lick at one end of the pool getting instruction. I know they must pass a test at some point or they are dropped. It made me wonder why swimming isn't part of the NAVY CFA?
Click to expand...

The CFA assesses basic fitness and strength in a very general way. Think of it as an initial gateway. If candidates can pass that and DODMERB, then they are deemed teachable and capable for swimming and other required activities. Swimming is a skill that takes either a very large piece of non-portable sports equipment or a handy, clean, safe and human temp-friendly body of water, which not everyone has access to, either geographically or financially. The Navy has been teaching people to swim a long, long time.

We had a USNA sponsor son, recruited track athlete with a great academic and leadership profile, who had never been in anything bigger than a bath tub. No one in his family swam. He struggled, partially because of very low body fat and little natural buoyancy. He took one of his summer leave blocks, got a program from the swim coach, and worked with a Navy SEAL lieutenant on the staff who volunteered to mentor him. He did two-a-days and also went to the Midshipman Counseling Center to get help with visualizing success and conquering the anxiety that affected his breathing. He passed all his swim tests with room to spare, and often remarked that learning to swim - and enjoy it - as well as learning the value of mentorship - was one of his most memorable learning experiences at USNA. He paid it forward by helping plebes in his company with their running, going out with them on their remedials to help with pacing and speed work.

USNA has a long tradition of helping non-swimmers get the skills they need. Most succeed!
 
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