Re: Water Safety Football Players

I've watched several vlogs of the football team on the lake & at Dabo's house in the pool and I noticed several of the black players being afraid of the water.

During my Marine Corps training back in 1968 regarding water safety, the Navy had set procedures on how to survive in the water.

They taught us that while in the water [we were in the deep end], to lean forward, and we stay on water but all [yes, all of us black Marines] would sink to the the bottom of the pool.

To pass us, they asked to swim for a few minutes which was as difficult as floating. 1st we were afraid of the water. I did not pass water safety.

Several weeks ago I was watching a Marine Corps Parris Island training from the 2000 & the Navy hasn't changed their water safety methods after all these years.

Okay, black guys, I have a solution. You can search YouTube for that Parris Island stuff.

After returning from Vietnam back in 1970, I was stationed at the Dallas Naval Air Station.

At my apartment complex we had a pool.

While in the pool one day, I thought to try the Navy way of water survival and like 1968 I sunk to the bottom of the pool.

Next, and I can't explain why, instead of leaning forward, I placed my arms away from my body forming a "T" and leaned backward [not forward] & I floated on the water. I did this without any leg kicks.

It worked, I know it sounds racist but blacks can float on their backs.

When we lean back, our heads are out of the water & we will float. You are not completely on your backs [90% of your body is under water].

For those still afraid of the water, I suggest trying in the shallow end [shallow enough where your head is above the water line, not at the 3 Foot line].

When you feel comfortable, next try doing the back stoke, you will find it will be so simple, when you need to rest, do the float thing.

PawsFan

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Oct 7, 2019, 12:48 PM

I'll tell a little story here as a 30 year Naval Flight Officer. Naval Survival swimming is based on sound principals. The goal is to use minimal energy to stay afloat. Why? Because you can be stuck in the middle of the ocean for hours (let's not even discuss hypothermia.)

I have always been comfortable in the water, but this training was very challenging. Many African American officers had trouble and needed extra help. Sadly many black youths don't spend a lot of time around pools to become comfortable with swimming. They nicknamed the swim portion of the training, the "Brother Buster." Initial swim training in Pensacola is in a huge indoor pool. The deep end was 20+ feet deep.

One of the major tests you have to pass is 10 minutes of treading water in full flight gear followed by 10 minutes of drown proofing. If you don't pass, you had to report to "Stupid swim" in the afternoon for training...or just keep taking the test until you passed. The key to success for both the tread and drown proofing is body position, confidence and calmness.

Well yours truly failed my first attempt. I had to report to stupid swim. I retook the test a couple more times. After one attempt, I was sitting by the side of the pool resting. This takes a lot out of you. The 70 degree water zaps your energy quickly and shivering sets in. So I am sitting next to the pool with a guy named Terry. Terry was African American and was about 6'2" 200'. He had a linebacker's build and was in shape. He and I were cursing any future Parachute Riggers who didn't ensure we had good CO2 cartridges in our LPA-2 (life preserver) which would require us to tread if we bailed out. I asked Terry, "Terry, you're in shape, what are you having issues with." He said he had no issue passing the tread, he was failing the drown proofing. Sure enough Terry got in the pool alone to take the test. He had no issues with the tread. The instructor had him switch to drown proofing (in drown proofing you have to stay afloat without moving your body). Terry had perfect form. Yet he sunk like a rock to the bottom of the deep pool. He'd push off the bottom, come to the surface, get his breath of air, and sink right to the bottom again. He did this two or three times before he was just exhausted and had to reach for the side. Terry wasn't doing anything wrong. The issue was the air in Terry's lungs wasn't enough to keep in afloat. His body was so lean, he had no fat to help him to float.

Terry and I both passed our test and moved on after a day or two.

Terry and I went our separate paths and joined the Fleet. A couple of years later, I am reading an article in the Naval Aviation Safety Magazine called "Approach." There was an article about an E-2 crew which had to bail out over the Med due to an engine fire. E-2 bailouts are about as common as South Carolina conference championships. All crewmembers survived. I scanned the names of the crew and whose name did I see......Terry's. I'm thankful his LPA worked!

https://www.avgeekery.com/that-time-a-navy-hornet-shot-down-a-navy-hawkeye/

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Water Safety Football Players

I don't think you poasted this as a water safety PSA.

Me either.