If you are training for special tactics officer (STO)/combat rescue officer (CRO) selection and your base pool only goes to 5 feet, it’s understandable to be concerned about your ability to practice key water confidence skills that typically require deeper water. However, you still have effective ways to prepare, even with these limitations. Here is a question from an Air Force officer looking to transition into Air Force Special Warfare:
Stew, I am aiming to go to STO/CRO selection in five months; however, the pool here at my Air Force base does not have a deep end for treading and water con. The deepest part of the pool is 5ft. This has made it impossible to practice some of the water-confidence (water con) skills I know are so important.
Do you have any recommendations on ways that I could still prep for water con without much access to a deep pool? I am traveling for the holiday and plan to seek out other pools that offer a deep end. Thanks.
Yes, you can still tread, but the most important part is swimming conditioning and getting in the meters, as that 1,500-meter swim is legit and requires some practice and fueling strategies to figure out your best practices for testing the Initial Fitness Test (IFT) events together.
Treading, snorkel buddy breathing and over-unders are the big three for pool skills, but when you can, mix in bottom bounces and other deep-end drown-proofing drills when you have a deeper pool. You can still do at least 75% of most of the water con events. I would focus on mastering them. Here are events you can do to apply some creative training methods to get the job done in a shallow pool:
Other Drownproofing Events
These are done with your hands tied behind your back and feet tied together. Do not practice this with a rope; just simulate it. While bobbing is impossible, you can still float and do the 100-meter events of the test with hands simulated-tied and feet tied in your pool, though. Also, you can do the mask retrieval. Pick up the mask with your teeth from the bottom of the pool, even in the shallow end, to practice.
Learn to Tread with the Eggbeater Kick
You can do this in water as shallow as 4 feet, depending on your height. Usually, the main culprits of an ineffective eggbeater are hip, knee and ankle mobility. Make sure you are practicing the frog-pose to get there. It is really tempting to just stand when you get tired, so work on your discipline to stay locked in to the tread.
Practice Over-unders
Over-unders involve swimming underwater to the other end of the pool and swimming freestyle back to where you started. Shoot for 5-10 sets on a 1:30 interval. It does not matter how deep the pool is. Just work on your breath-holding and underwater swim efficiency.
Buddy Breathing with a Snorkel (by Yourself!)
We do a single-person buddy breathing drill with the pool lane line. You tread while breathing through the snorkel, take it out of your mouth, pass it under the lane line and into the next lane for 5 seconds, then repeat for 10 minutes.
Ask Around/Internet Search
Network with local swim teams, dive shops or off-base pools found in YMCAs, county or city pools, and other local gyms to find pools with deep ends.
My advice is to focus more on your swimming conditioning anyway, since it is a 1,500-meter swim test you need to get in shape for. This takes time in the pool, just swimming with good technique, and getting into swimming shape. Then do what you can with the other swimming events as mentioned above. You still need to practice swimming with scuba fins as well a few times a week.
Don’t forget, the Initial Fitness Test (IFT) for Air Force officers is pull-ups, pushups, situps and a 3-mile run before you do the 2 x 25-meter underwater swims and 1,500-meter swim test. You have plenty to prepare for just to do well on the fitness test to get accepted to attend STO/CRO selection. While you need to spend significant time in the pool, you also need to focus on dry-land events, including running, rucking, other load-bearing activities and high-rep calisthenics.
While a deep pool is ideal, you can still develop strong water confidence through creative shallow water and dry land training. Make the most of your circumstances, and use your time in deep water wisely when you have access. Good luck with your preparation for selection!
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