The Coast Guard’s rescue swimmer training school has one of the highest student attrition rates of any special operations school in the military. Roughly 75 to 100 students go through 24 weeks of Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer school in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and just over half of them complete the course successfully.

Some years, the dropout rate for this program has been as high as 80 percent. And this is from a pool of candidates of Coast Guard personnel who are conditioned to be able to swim well. It’s definitely not a job for the faint of heart. 

Requirements for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers

Rescue swimmers must have flexibility, strength, endurance, and be able to function for 30 minutes in heavy seas. It is obviously far and above the normal lifeguard course; you’re not just treading water, you’re expected to be able to hold your breath, and perform challenging tasks. 

Rescue swimmers need to be able to provide basic life support for whoever they may be rescuing, of course, and their training will include emergency medical training (EMT) course. But it’s not the standard EMT training; it’s for rescues to be conducted in the open seas under extreme conditions. 

Standards for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers

The required monthly physical training fitness regimen includes a 12-minute crawl swim of 500 yards or longer, a 25-yard underwater swim, and a 200-yard buddy tow. Those are in addition to performing push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups, just like other military fitness tests.

Here are the minimum fitness requirements for each category: 

Exercise Minimum Standard

Pushups 50

Sit-ups 60

Pull-ups 5

Chin-ups 5

500-yard swim Completed within 12 minutes

25-yard underwater swim Repeat 4 Times

Buddy Tow 200 yards

Lessons for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers

The 137-page operations manual includes lessons in eight different water deployment procedures, 11 ways to approach, carry and release a survivor, seven ways to release equipment for Navy and Air Force flyers and ways to detangle the services’ different parachutes and backpacks.

Rescue swimmers also must have the skills to provide basic pre-hospital life support for rescued individuals. And as part of their training, candidates must complete a four-week emergency medical training course at the Coast Guard EMT school in Petaluma, California

Training Regimen for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers

Adding even more pressure during training, instructors treat candidates with a drill sergeant style. But this is perhaps the most crucial part of the training; if these candidates can’t endure extreme conditions, it’s going to be hard to rescue someone in distress.

Candidates selected for the school must first go through what is called the airmen training course. The four-month-long course, which, despite its name, has nothing to do with the Air Force, helps prepare candidates for the grueling rescue swimmer course.

The first six weeks of the four-month course is loaded with rescue swimmer training. While they are going through the swimming and classroom phase of their training, candidates also must attend classes to learn about the aircraft they will serve on. Finally, before graduating, candidates are required to pass a test involving multiple rescue scenarios.

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The Coast Guard’s rescue swimmer training school has one of the highest student attrition rates of any special operations school in the military. Roughly 75 to 100 students go through 24 weeks of Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer school in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and just over half of them complete the course successfully.

Some years, the dropout rate for this program has been as high as 80 percent. And this is from a pool of candidates of Coast Guard personnel who are conditioned to be able to swim well. It’s definitely not a job for the faint of heart. 

Requirements for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers

Rescue swimmers must have flexibility, strength, endurance, and be able to function for 30 minutes in heavy seas. It is obviously far and above the normal lifeguard course; you’re not just treading water, you’re expected to be able to hold your breath, and perform challenging tasks. 

Rescue swimmers need to be able to provide basic life support for whoever they may be rescuing, of course, and their training will include emergency medical training (EMT) course. But it’s not the standard EMT training; it’s for rescues to be conducted in the open seas under extreme conditions. 

Standards for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers

The required monthly physical training fitness regimen includes a 12-minute crawl swim of 500 yards or longer, a 25-yard underwater swim, and a 200-yard buddy tow. Those are in addition to performing push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups, just like other military fitness tests.

Here are the minimum fitness requirements for each category: 

Exercise Minimum Standard

Pushups 50

Sit-ups 60

Pull-ups 5

Chin-ups 5

500-yard swim Completed within 12 minutes

25-yard underwater swim Repeat 4 Times

Buddy Tow 200 yards

Lessons for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers

The 137-page operations manual includes lessons in eight different water deployment procedures, 11 ways to approach, carry and release a survivor, seven ways to release equipment for Navy and Air Force flyers and ways to detangle the services’ different parachutes and backpacks.

Rescue swimmers also must have the skills to provide basic pre-hospital life support for rescued individuals. And as part of their training, candidates must complete a four-week emergency medical training course at the Coast Guard EMT school in Petaluma, California

Training Regimen for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers

Adding even more pressure during training, instructors treat candidates with a drill sergeant style. But this is perhaps the most crucial part of the training; if these candidates can’t endure extreme conditions, it’s going to be hard to rescue someone in distress.

Candidates selected for the school must first go through what is called the airmen training course. The four-month-long course, which, despite its name, has nothing to do with the Air Force, helps prepare candidates for the grueling rescue swimmer course.

The first six weeks of the four-month course is loaded with rescue swimmer training. While they are going through the swimming and classroom phase of their training, candidates also must attend classes to learn about the aircraft they will serve on. Finally, before graduating, candidates are required to pass a test involving multiple rescue scenarios.

Featured Video

Pros and Cons of Enlisting in the Coast Guard

Air Force Pararescue Physical Ability and Stamina Test – PAST

U.S. Military Special Operations Forces

What to Know About Special Operations Fitness Tests

What Is Air Force Pararescue Training?

Navy Swim Test Qualifications

Some Tips and Tricks for Surviving Coast Guard Boot Camp

How to Become a Navy SEAL

Deciding Which Military Service to Join

Overview of Coast Guard Health Services Technician

Coast Guard Job Description: Aviation Maintenance Technician

US Military Basic Training Attrition

Coast Guard College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative (CSPI)

Enlisted Jobs in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard

Navy Enlisted Aircrew Program

Navy SEAL Training

When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept Cookies

The Coast Guard’s rescue swimmer training school has one of the highest student attrition rates of any special operations school in the military. Roughly 75 to 100 students go through 24 weeks of Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer school in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and just over half of them complete the course successfully.

Some years, the dropout rate for this program has been as high as 80 percent. And this is from a pool of candidates of Coast Guard personnel who are conditioned to be able to swim well. It’s definitely not a job for the faint of heart. 

Requirements for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers

Rescue swimmers must have flexibility, strength, endurance, and be able to function for 30 minutes in heavy seas. It is obviously far and above the normal lifeguard course; you’re not just treading water, you’re expected to be able to hold your breath, and perform challenging tasks. 

Rescue swimmers need to be able to provide basic life support for whoever they may be rescuing, of course, and their training will include emergency medical training (EMT) course. But it’s not the standard EMT training; it’s for rescues to be conducted in the open seas under extreme conditions. 

Standards for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers

The required monthly physical training fitness regimen includes a 12-minute crawl swim of 500 yards or longer, a 25-yard underwater swim, and a 200-yard buddy tow. Those are in addition to performing push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups, just like other military fitness tests.

Here are the minimum fitness requirements for each category: 

Exercise Minimum Standard

Pushups 50

Sit-ups 60

Pull-ups 5

Chin-ups 5

500-yard swim Completed within 12 minutes

25-yard underwater swim Repeat 4 Times

Buddy Tow 200 yards

Lessons for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers

The 137-page operations manual includes lessons in eight different water deployment procedures, 11 ways to approach, carry and release a survivor, seven ways to release equipment for Navy and Air Force flyers and ways to detangle the services’ different parachutes and backpacks.

Rescue swimmers also must have the skills to provide basic pre-hospital life support for rescued individuals. And as part of their training, candidates must complete a four-week emergency medical training course at the Coast Guard EMT school in Petaluma, California

Training Regimen for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers

Adding even more pressure during training, instructors treat candidates with a drill sergeant style. But this is perhaps the most crucial part of the training; if these candidates can’t endure extreme conditions, it’s going to be hard to rescue someone in distress.

Candidates selected for the school must first go through what is called the airmen training course. The four-month-long course, which, despite its name, has nothing to do with the Air Force, helps prepare candidates for the grueling rescue swimmer course.

The first six weeks of the four-month course is loaded with rescue swimmer training. While they are going through the swimming and classroom phase of their training, candidates also must attend classes to learn about the aircraft they will serve on. Finally, before graduating, candidates are required to pass a test involving multiple rescue scenarios.

The Coast Guard’s rescue swimmer training school has one of the highest student attrition rates of any special operations school in the military. Roughly 75 to 100 students go through 24 weeks of Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer school in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and just over half of them complete the course successfully.

Some years, the dropout rate for this program has been as high as 80 percent. And this is from a pool of candidates of Coast Guard personnel who are conditioned to be able to swim well. It’s definitely not a job for the faint of heart. 

Requirements for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers

Rescue swimmers must have flexibility, strength, endurance, and be able to function for 30 minutes in heavy seas. It is obviously far and above the normal lifeguard course; you’re not just treading water, you’re expected to be able to hold your breath, and perform challenging tasks. 

Rescue swimmers need to be able to provide basic life support for whoever they may be rescuing, of course, and their training will include emergency medical training (EMT) course. But it’s not the standard EMT training; it’s for rescues to be conducted in the open seas under extreme conditions. 

Standards for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers

The required monthly physical training fitness regimen includes a 12-minute crawl swim of 500 yards or longer, a 25-yard underwater swim, and a 200-yard buddy tow. Those are in addition to performing push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups, just like other military fitness tests.

Here are the minimum fitness requirements for each category: 

Exercise Minimum Standard

Pushups 50

Sit-ups 60

Pull-ups 5

Chin-ups 5

500-yard swim Completed within 12 minutes

25-yard underwater swim Repeat 4 Times

Buddy Tow 200 yards

Lessons for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers

The 137-page operations manual includes lessons in eight different water deployment procedures, 11 ways to approach, carry and release a survivor, seven ways to release equipment for Navy and Air Force flyers and ways to detangle the services’ different parachutes and backpacks.

Rescue swimmers also must have the skills to provide basic pre-hospital life support for rescued individuals. And as part of their training, candidates must complete a four-week emergency medical training course at the Coast Guard EMT school in Petaluma, California

Training Regimen for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers

Adding even more pressure during training, instructors treat candidates with a drill sergeant style. But this is perhaps the most crucial part of the training; if these candidates can’t endure extreme conditions, it’s going to be hard to rescue someone in distress.

Candidates selected for the school must first go through what is called the airmen training course. The four-month-long course, which, despite its name, has nothing to do with the Air Force, helps prepare candidates for the grueling rescue swimmer course.

The first six weeks of the four-month course is loaded with rescue swimmer training. While they are going through the swimming and classroom phase of their training, candidates also must attend classes to learn about the aircraft they will serve on. Finally, before graduating, candidates are required to pass a test involving multiple rescue scenarios.

Lessons for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers

The 137-page operations manual includes lessons in eight different water deployment procedures, 11 ways to approach, carry and release a survivor, seven ways to release equipment for Navy and Air Force flyers and ways to detangle the services’ different parachutes and backpacks.

Rescue swimmers also must have the skills to provide basic pre-hospital life support for rescued individuals. And as part of their training, candidates must complete a four-week emergency medical training course at the Coast Guard EMT school in Petaluma, California

Training Regimen for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers

Adding even more pressure during training, instructors treat candidates with a drill sergeant style. But this is perhaps the most crucial part of the training; if these candidates can’t endure extreme conditions, it’s going to be hard to rescue someone in distress.

Candidates selected for the school must first go through what is called the airmen training course. The four-month-long course, which, despite its name, has nothing to do with the Air Force, helps prepare candidates for the grueling rescue swimmer course.

The first six weeks of the four-month course is loaded with rescue swimmer training. While they are going through the swimming and classroom phase of their training, candidates also must attend classes to learn about the aircraft they will serve on. Finally, before graduating, candidates are required to pass a test involving multiple rescue scenarios.

Featured Video

Featured Video

Featured Video

Featured Video

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Featured Video

  • Pros and Cons of Enlisting in the Coast Guard

  • Air Force Pararescue Physical Ability and Stamina Test – PAST

  • U.S. Military Special Operations Forces

  • What to Know About Special Operations Fitness Tests

  • What Is Air Force Pararescue Training?

  • Navy Swim Test Qualifications

  • Some Tips and Tricks for Surviving Coast Guard Boot Camp

  • How to Become a Navy SEAL

  • Deciding Which Military Service to Join

  • Overview of Coast Guard Health Services Technician

  • Coast Guard Job Description: Aviation Maintenance Technician

  • US Military Basic Training Attrition

  • Coast Guard College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative (CSPI)

  • Enlisted Jobs in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard

  • Navy Enlisted Aircrew Program

  • Navy SEAL Training

Pros and Cons of Enlisting in the Coast Guard

Pros and Cons of Enlisting in the Coast Guard

Air Force Pararescue Physical Ability and Stamina Test – PAST

Air Force Pararescue Physical Ability and Stamina Test – PAST

U.S. Military Special Operations Forces

U.S. Military Special Operations Forces

What to Know About Special Operations Fitness Tests

What to Know About Special Operations Fitness Tests

What Is Air Force Pararescue Training?

What Is Air Force Pararescue Training?

Navy Swim Test Qualifications

Navy Swim Test Qualifications

Some Tips and Tricks for Surviving Coast Guard Boot Camp

Some Tips and Tricks for Surviving Coast Guard Boot Camp

How to Become a Navy SEAL

How to Become a Navy SEAL

Deciding Which Military Service to Join

Deciding Which Military Service to Join

Overview of Coast Guard Health Services Technician

Overview of Coast Guard Health Services Technician

Coast Guard Job Description: Aviation Maintenance Technician

Coast Guard Job Description: Aviation Maintenance Technician

US Military Basic Training Attrition

US Military Basic Training Attrition

Coast Guard College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative (CSPI)

Coast Guard College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative (CSPI)

Enlisted Jobs in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard

Enlisted Jobs in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard

Navy Enlisted Aircrew Program

Navy Enlisted Aircrew Program

Navy SEAL Training

Navy SEAL Training

Home

Entertainment

Careers

Activities

Humor

About Us Advertise Careers Privacy Policy Editorial Guidelines Contact Terms of Use EU Privacy

LiveAbout is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.

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Home

Entertainment

Careers

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LiveAbout is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.

When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept Cookies