Every Tuesday the Ramer Hall pool at The Basic Training School holds swim qualifications for all Marines aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico and the surrounding areas.

Many Marines find the swim qualification difficult because it’s not something that Marines have the opportunity to practice often.

“It’s always a bit of a challenge, even for the Marines who know how to swim,” said Sgt. Michael Humphry, combat engineer, Combat Instructor Company, The Basic School. “I think if Marines were able to train more instead of just doing the swim qualification, it would help them feel more comfortable.”

Although Marines might not be able to practice jumping into a public pool weaving boots and utilities, there are things Marines can do to prepare.

“Just getting in the water and swimming helps,” said Cpl. Daniel Vilevac, Marine combat instructor of water survival, Instructor Battalion, The Basic School. “If a Marine has confidence in the water, we will be able to teach them the proper way to perform the survival strokes to pass the qualification and learn water survival.”

The first thing Marines are taught are the basic life saving strokes, followed by a 20-meter shallow swim. After completing their swim, Marines sit at the edge of the deep end of the pool to learn the proper technique for the abandon ship method and how to use gear as floatation devices.

“Everything the swim qualification has in it is something Marines on a ship might have to do,” said Vilevac. “The more comfortable they are with it now, the better chance they have of saving their own life if they get into a situation.”

The gear shed the newest addition to the swim qualification simulates a real-life situation that can happen to a Marine in any region.

“During a patrol in Afghanistan,” said Vilevac. “I was in a situation that I knew my entire squad was going to have to shed our gear if we didn’t find higher ground. We were lucky we got out of the situation.”

Confidence is the biggest things when it comes to swim qualification.

“We can teach anyone how to pass,” said Vilevac. “We just have to make sure they have the confidence in passing first.”