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Prospective military service members should devote a significant amount of time to physical and mental preparation for military training. Adding tactical skills such as shooting, land navigation and scuba diving is useful. Still, it could be detrimental if you learn these skills the wrong way, creating bad habits and forcing you to relearn them the way the military teaches them. Here is a question about scuba diving before diving training:
Does getting scuba qualified before military dive school training help? I have heard yes and no, similar to shooting guns and developing bad habits that you must break and re-learn, versus learning the first time. Is that right? Thanks, Liam
Liam, I have not heard that comparison with shooting and diving. I will say, I started scuba diving five years before Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training. I found it more useful than not because BUD/S wasn’t the first time I’d been breathing underwater with compressed air. You will also get a head start on learning dive tables, emergency procedures, equalizing ear pressure and clearing a mask underwater. For me, it made the diving phase at SEAL training much easier. However, many in my class had never dived before and did fine. In fact, a few people in the class had never seen the ocean before arriving in Coronado, California, for SEAL training, and they made it.
At best, a civilian scuba course will provide familiarization with military dive training. You will learn different procedures, perform tactical applications and use different dive tables. All will be similar, but they’ll be different enough that you’ll still be learning how to dive scuba, even though you’ll have been diving before training.
Your comment about shooting is valid. If you go into training with an open mind, you will do well with the new coaching you receive. Once again, you will be re-learning to shoot if you know how to handle weapons. The class is typically split into people who have hunted or shot guns and those who have never touched a gun. The best shot in our class had never touched a gun before, but he was a quick learner. He competed against another guy in the class who grew up hunting and did well with the rifle but not well with the pistol. In other words, it can go either way for you during training. If you have bad habits you need to break, it may take longer to succeed in tactical training. If you are a beginner, it depends on how quickly you can learn and adapt to new skills and feedback.
If you can take an orienteering course and learn how to use a compass, walk in the woods and use a map to guide yourself through the terrain, you may find it helpful later in your military training. These are valuable skills regardless of whether you decide to serve. I suggest that you experience as much as you can before joining. You could jump from planes, shoot guns, learn land navigation, scuba dive and even do military exposure events. These experiences will either cement your resolve to serve or make you realize you want to do something else in life. The more you learn about a potential profession, the better, in my opinion, and that goes for military members, police, firefighters, first responders and civilians alike.
Check out more Ask Stew articles in the Military.com Fitness Section. There are hundreds of common tactical fitness questions answered on the fitness pages. If you have a question, send it to Stew Smith at [email protected].
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17 Comments
I’m intrigued by the idea that taking a scuba course before military dive school can be beneficial, as it provides familiarization with dive tables, emergency procedures, and equalizing ear pressure, making the diving phase at SEAL training much easier, as mentioned by the author.
I had never considered that having prior scuba experience could potentially create bad habits that need to be broken during military training, similar to shooting guns, and I appreciate the author’s honesty about this potential drawback.
This is a valid concern, as the military has specific protocols and procedures that may differ from civilian scuba training, and it’s essential to be open to re-learning and adapting to new skills and feedback.
I appreciate the author’s emphasis on the importance of being a quick learner and adapting to new skills and feedback, as this is essential for success in military training, and I think it’s something that can be developed through practice and experience.
The author’s experience of starting scuba diving five years before BUD/S training and finding it useful is fascinating, but I’m concerned that learning different procedures and tactical applications in military dive training might be confusing for those with prior scuba experience.
It’s reassuring to know that many people in the author’s BUD/S class had never dived before and still did well, which suggests that prior scuba experience is not a requirement for success in military dive training.
I’m curious about the orienteering course mentioned in the article, and how learning to use a compass, walk in the woods, and use a map to guide oneself through terrain can be helpful in military training, and I’d like to learn more about this topic.
The author’s experience of finding scuba diving more useful than not because BUD/S wasn’t the first time they’d been breathing underwater with compressed air is compelling, and it highlights the potential benefits of prior scuba experience in terms of building comfort and confidence in the water.
I’m concerned that taking a scuba course before military dive school might not be necessary, as the military will teach the required skills and procedures, and prior experience might not be directly applicable, and I’d like to hear more about the benefits and drawbacks of prior scuba experience.
While it’s true that the military will teach the required skills, having prior scuba experience can still be beneficial in terms of familiarization and building confidence, which can be advantageous in a high-stress training environment.
The article’s emphasis on the importance of being open to new coaching and training is well-taken, and I think it’s essential to approach military training with a willingness to learn and adapt, regardless of prior experience or background.
The fact that the best shot in the author’s class had never touched a gun before but was a quick learner is inspiring, and it highlights the importance of having an open mind and being receptive to new coaching and training.
The article’s discussion of the potential drawbacks of prior scuba experience, such as creating bad habits that need to be broken, is thought-provoking, and I think it’s essential to weigh the pros and cons before deciding whether to take a scuba course before military dive school.
The comparison between learning to scuba dive and shooting guns is interesting, as both require developing new skills and breaking old habits, and I think it’s essential to approach military training with an open mind and a willingness to learn and adapt.
I agree, and I think this mindset is crucial for success in any type of training, whether it’s scuba diving, shooting, or land navigation.
I think it’s interesting that the author mentions the importance of experiencing as much as possible before joining the military, and I wonder if this applies to other areas of training, such as first aid or emergency response, and how these skills can be developed and applied in a military context.
The author’s suggestion to experience as much as possible before joining the military, such as jumping from planes, shooting guns, and learning land navigation, is excellent advice, as it can help build valuable skills and cement one’s resolve to serve.