Don’t Be In a Rush to Start Swimming

ByDave

If you’re training for a maritime selection like BUD/S or A&S and have a long or undetermined timeline, here’s a piece of advice: Don’t rush into swimming.

Here’s Why

Unless you have a swim background or are very confident in the water, I will typically recommend you join the Army.

It’s not that water confidence or swimming are uniquely difficult-it’s that improving strength, calisthenics, running, and rucking while learning to swim is a lot to juggle.

Adding swimming and water con to the mix often spreads you so thin that your progress in other areas-strength, running, rucking, and calisthenics-slows down. And then, before you know it, you’re frustrated and feeling defeated.

Start with What Matters Most

Instead of diving into swimming right away, focus on the essentials:

  • Running and Rucking: These are critical for all courses and should be a top priority.
  • Strength Training: Building strength is also a must for all courses.

By forgoing swimming to start, you get 4-5 extra hours each week to:

  1. Maximize training volume in strength and running and rucking – areas that matter most.
  2. Ship earlier (if desired): If a land-based option like an Option 40 contract or 18X contract becomes a better fit, you’ll be ready to ship months earlier.

A Caveat for Maritime Selection

If you’re sure you’re going to maritime selection, be aware that at some point, you will need to dedicate 4-5 hours per week in the pool to work on water confidence, swimming, and technique.

The challenge is, for beginners, those 4-5 hours won’t necessarily make you fitter. Competitive swimmers can turn pool time into an effective workout, but untrained swimmers will spend most of their time learning to breathe, maintain body position, and move efficiently through the water.

Unless you know a maritime selection is your path, I recommend for the first few months you bank those hours on strength training, running, and rucking. Once you’re at or near the standards for strength and running, you can shift your focus to swimming if you still want to go PJ, SEAL, or Raider.

Final Thoughts

This is probably one of my more controversial opinions, but it’s based on experience. I’ve noticed significantly higher attrition rates (quitting before shipping, not at selection) among potential Navy and Air Force candidates. Meanwhile, similar profiles I’ve trained for the Army are shipping in 6-9 months.

The takeaway is to keep training simple to start. Focus on quick wins. Progress will come faster, and you’ll set yourself up for success by gradually increasing the scope of your training.

Read More:
9 Steps To MASTER Swimming + Water Confidence (2,000+ words)

I'm a coach with a passion for helping athletes dominate the toughest selection courses in the world. Over the years, I've trained well over 100 athletes for Special Operations selection courses, including SFAS, RASP, Air Force A&S, BORTAC, SWAT, and MARSOC A&S. My mission is to bridge the gap between traditional performance training and the unique demands of tactical and military athletes.

I got my start coaching hybrid athletes, blending strength, endurance, and hypertrophy training to achieve peak performance. As I worked with more tactical and military athletes, I realized there was a need for a specialized approach tailored to the grueling physical and mental challenges of SOF selections. This realization drove me to focus on prepping SOF candidates for success, combining cutting-edge research, proven training methodologies, and real-world experience.

Whether you're preparing for selection, seeking to level up your fitness, or simply curious about what it takes to thrive in these elite environments, I hope you'll find the information I share helpful.