Can you really swim?

I swam a lot as a youngster. Good supply of creeks, rivers and lakes where I grew up. When I joined the Navy I easily passed the swim test in basic training although I was surprised by the number of new sailors who failed. Such men had to keep a towel lashed to their duty belt and show up at the pool each morning until they passed. Not passing could lead to discharge.

The test demanded that you jump into the pool from a high platform and then make multiple circuits amid sixty or more men who were whipping the water to a froth by also trying to circle the pool. The idea was to simulate jumping over the side of a large ship and then swimming away from the ship amid a large group of men who were also trying to do the same thing.
 
Last edited:
Yup. When I was around 6 my parents had a pool built in the backyard . I still remember the day my mom told me to jump into the pool while my dad was in the shallow end waiting for me to jump in. At first I was dog paddling but it didn't take long for me to swim like a fish.
 
jujube said:
I jumped off the boat once here in Florida and came eye-to-eye with a gator. I didn't actually ā€Šswim back to the boat per se......it was more of a religious experience as I walked on water....
Click to expand...
That is like how my husband describes the first time he was under gunfire in Lebanon. Digging a fox hole became a "religious experience" after the air "got more dense with lead".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top