<p>1985,</p>
<p>No doubt it teaches or forces confidence. It also prepares you for a very bad conning officer!</p>
<p>jadler03, thanks for the reply.</p>
<p>I have a few more questions for you--that's it, I promise! :)
If you touch the floor/wall, is that an automatic d/q? I'm assuming you're not being watched all the time.
Also, which strokes are you allowed to use?</p>
<p>You can't touch the floor and it wouldn't be a good idea to do so -- doesn't get you any forward progress.</p>
<p>It's kind of obvious if you push off the wall -- you glide and that can be spotted. If you run into the wall because you couldn't see it (i.e. head under the water) then simply swimming (and not pushing yourself off the wall) is reasonable. You can do any stroke you like. </p>
<p>I can't tell if your question is implying someone to cheat because you might not be seen. Honesty/integrity is of utmost importance at USNA and in the Fleet.</p>
<p>One of my guys who went to Captain's Mast for showing up to duty with a BAC about 3 times the legal limit, completely lied to our Captain about how much he had to drink the previous night (kind of obvious how much someone had to drink to obtain that level) and it affected his punishment in a real negative way.</p>
<p>Point being, lying is the wrong way out of something (and if caught, severely ruins any trust). Plus, if everyone else is being held to the same standard, you should follow it, too! Don't you think you would be cheating your classmates?</p>
<p>No, I wasn't implying cheating. I don't even know how it's possible w/o actually stopping to take a rest, which would be quite obvious. </p>
<p>Take this instace for example: just the other day I was doing a circular swim with ten other people in a 25-yard lane, and apperently the person in the front stopped to fix his goggles. The girl behind him did a flipturn off of him and smashed into the person behind her. I was just taking a final breath after passing the flags when I bumped into that person, swallowed water, and was forced to stand up to catch my breath. Eventually the entire lane was frozen.</p>
<p>Imagine if this would've happened during the 40-year swim. Would all of us be expected to get out of the pool? If I didn't know, I would've stood up for a few seconds and then continued to swim like nothing happened, hoping nobody saw anything in order to avoid an unnecessary fuss.</p>
<p>Some accidents are inevidable. Should people be accountable for them?
In my view the answer is no, but if this means going against my superiors, I would definitely think twice before commiting an action.</p>
<p>Well that is a judgment call. Swimming can be dangerous (i.e. people drowning, kicking each other, etc), it is your obligation that if you see something unsafe, you call a safety time out and/or notify an appropriate instructor, if it warrants. Safety is first and trumps everything else. Instructors at USNA are reasonable.</p>
<p>Heads up, you will have other classmates in your lane and the situation that you described can become reality. With that being said, exercise good judgment. It isn't worth getting your head kicked in for a few more strokes.</p>
<p>Instructors do watch the swim but there are "blind spots" where they might not see everything, thus you will need to be proactive if something happens.</p>
<p>Safety is everyone's business!</p>
<p>I used to have this perception that everyone at the academy gets blamed and flamed for anyone's mishap. Now I'm starting to think that's only the "casual" setting. </p>
<p>Thanks for your replies jadler!</p>
<p>My understanding is that the "forty year swim" and ten meter jump have gone the way of the DoDo. No longer required?? Any currents with up to date information please chime in.</p>
<p>form what my Mid has said - 40 year still alive, Tower jump on hiatus as tower is out of commission - maybe for a long time.</p>
<p>I have heard they will no longer be required. The fleet standards will apply. I have no idea what the fleet standards are.</p>
<p>Prospective Surface Warfare Officers need a Second-Class Swim Test because of the small boat operator requirement. I am pretty sure if USNA is going to relax swimming standards, it would still accomplish a 2nd Class test.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
Third-Class Swim Test - A third class swim test is a test to determine if a person can stay afloat and survive without the use of a personal Floatation Device (PFD) in open water long enough to be rescued in a man-overboard situation. The 3rd class swimmer qualification is the minimum entry-level requirement for all U.S. Navy Personnel.</p>
<p>The third class swim test consists of TWO modules. Module one is composed of three separate events, a deep water jump, a 50-yard swim (using any stroke), and a 5-minute prone float. Swimmers who successfully pass module one may continue on to module two. Module two consists of shirt and trouser or coverall inflation.
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
Second-Class Swim Test - A second class swim test is a test to determine if a person can stay afloat and survive without the use of a personal floatation device (PFD) indefinitely. The second class swimmer qualification is used as an entry-level Requirement for Small Boat Operators, Naval Aircrew, and Rescue Swimmers.</p>
<p>The second class swim test consists of a deep water jump, 100 yard swim demonstrating 25 yards each of the crawl stroke, breast stroke, side stroke, and elementary backstroke. Immediately after the completion of the swim, without leaving the water, students will prone float (face down) for 5 minutes and transition to a back float before exiting the water.
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>No details about new swim standards have passed down. No one said that it was getting easier, either, only that swim classes will be more geared toward skills that will be functional for specific service selections.</p>
<p>As far as I know, the 40-year swim is alive and well, and still required at least for the current 2C's.</p>
<p>Tip to pass along-
have it on good authority (well, as good as it gets from my own Mid!) that the "secret" to the 40-year swim is to wear a uniform a few sizes smaller than what you normally wear. Apparently his first attempt was in his own kahki's, which ended up collecting a lot of water and created a ton of drag...(well, maybe not a "ton" but certainly more volume that had to be "dragged" for sure!) Anyway.... the next time he did it, he wore his roomates stuff.... fit amost like skin.... when wet, however, it expanded enough to let him move, and he said he dragged a "whole lot less water" around. Said he looked pretty funny going in, but felt a whole lot better when done, finishing in good time, and a whole lot faster than when he did his training swims in his own stuff!</p>
<p>My 2/c already completed the 40 year swim, so that requirement is still alive and well. The 10 meter tower jump is on hold; no word on if/when that will be reinstated. For the candidates who struggle with swimming, I would definitely recommend taking some lessons before reporting to USNA. I know one 2/c squad leader who takes his plebes to the pool once or twice a week for swim training, but that does not seem to be the norm. Help is available, but you have to seek it out.</p>
<p>My Plebe has mentioned that some of the upper class in her company (excellent swimmers) have willingly gotten out of the rack at 0530 to help the Plebes with their swimming. BZ to them for their leadership. </p>
<p>Everything at the academy is hard, but there is such an unbelievable support system!</p>