Just graduated! :)

[cire]

Originally Posted by djhaugen

Thank you! It is decided. Off with my hair its already dead anyway.
Swimming:I will be learning before I leave but I wasn't sure if there was a certain area I should focus on. (Strokes, time, etc.) At least I know how to float.

Don't need to float but you will need to know how to stay afloat. front stroke I believe is all you will need to know... maybe side? You will need to be able to swim the length of a pool and in a certain amount of time I think, but it's nothing that hard. You will also need to be able to jump off a tower into the water which is about 10 stories high.

[sweetmtn]

Originally Posted by cire

You will also need to be able to jump off a tower into the water which is about 10 stories high.

LOL....it isnt 10 stories high...as that would be like 120 feet up! It is about a 30 foot platform jump..nothing bad. They use a standard 10 meter diving platform....maybe you meant 10 meters...it is meant to represent a jump from the ship into the ocean.

[cire]

Originally Posted by sweetmtn

LOL....it isnt 10 stories high...as that would be like 120 feet up! It is about a 30 foot platform jump..nothing bad. They use a standard 10 meter diving platform....maybe you meant 10 meters...it is meant to represent a jump from the ship into the ocean.

I was trying to strike fear into and nervousness into their minds.. thanks for ruining it

I honestly think the tower is too low to simulate a ship jump.. especially the bigger ships.

[prop827]

Swim qual you will jump off of the tower into the pool and then must swim to the other end (50 yards I believe) using any one or combinations of the following strokes WITH PROPER FORM: American Crawl, Breast Stroke, Side Stroke, Elementary Backstroke (You can switch between as often as you want and use any of them you want to. If you fail to use proper form, you will be warned and required to complete the swim using the elementary backstroke). After the swim you will get out of the pool and await the next event. You will then climb back in the pool and you will all be required to do a 5 minute prone float (dead mans float). You must keep your face in the water only lifting your head to breathe. If you are taking too long of breaths you will be warned to put your head down. If you do not put your head down you will be told to exit the pool. You also must keep your body in a horizontal position, if you are too vertical in the pool, you will be warned and the second time you will be told to exit the pool. After the prone float you will get out of the pool and put on a set of (soaking wet) coveralls. You will then get back in the pool and you will do a manual coverall inflation by prone floating and slapping water into the open coveralls then clutching them closed to seal the air inside. If you fail any portion of the qual you will get one chance to retry that portion. If you still fail you will go to swimming lessons where you get to retake the test every day until week 6 of training. You must pass the test BEFORE this point.

[kgervais]

I've asked this before but I'm kinda confused because of the different answers I'm hearing but how long are the showers? About how long for each individual under the shower head? About how long is the process for the entire division?

[cire]

Originally Posted by kgervais

I've asked this before but I'm kinda confused because of the different answers I'm hearing but how long are the showers? About how long for each individual under the shower head? About how long is the process for the entire division?

If you want to know what it CAN be like.. at 6am, just into a freezing cold shower. Shower as fast as you can. Get out. Dry. Then come back in after you are dressed and dry down the entire shower with a towel.

You get to shower. You will not be in there long and you will get to use your own shower head - probably. Boot camp isn't day spa. If you have some homophobia about showering with 30 some naked people of the same sex, then grow up.

[kgervais]

I was just asking to know how much to cut down on my current showers now as practice. I read somewhere that they got 10 minutes to shower each and that seemed excessive. No homophobia intended...

[Auridan]

Originally Posted by kgervais

I've asked this before but I'm kinda confused because of the different answers I'm hearing but how long are the showers? About how long for each individual under the shower head? About how long is the process for the entire division?

Originally Posted by cire

If you want to know what it CAN be like.. at 6am, just into a freezing cold shower. Shower as fast as you can. Get out. Dry. Then come back in after you are dressed and dry down the entire shower with a towel.

You get to shower. You will not be in there long and you will get to use your own shower head - probably. Boot camp isn't day spa. If you have some homophobia about showering with 30 some naked people of the same sex, then grow up.

You might also want to practice shipboard showers, where the primary difference is water conservation. Get in, wet down as fast as possible, turn the water OFF. Scrub and all that, then turn the water back on just long enough to completely rinse.

[holliann7]

Originally Posted by kgervais

I've asked this before but I'm kinda confused because of the different answers I'm hearing but how long are the showers? About how long for each individual under the shower head? About how long is the process for the entire division?

Honestly it varies division to division, and day to day. On days where there isn't much time you could have showers as short as 3 minutes. The showers never were any longer then 7 minutes, except on sundays when you can shower for as long as you want, within reason. It's a circle of shower heads and everyone gathers around them. It's an hour long on the schedule, but hygiene also includes laundry passing out and turning in. AND that also includes the time it takes to clean the head and get it on-spot.

[kgervais]

Originally Posted by holliann7

Honestly it varies division to division, and day to day. On days where there isn't much time you could have showers as short as 3 minutes. The showers never were any longer then 7 minutes, except on sundays when you can shower for as long as you want, within reason. It's a circle of shower heads and everyone gathers around them. It's an hour long on the schedule, but hygiene also includes laundry passing out and turning in. AND that also includes the time it takes to clean the head and get it on-spot.

Ah, that's exactly what I wanted to know. Thank you and congratulations!

I'm leaving April 16th and I'm trying to be as prepared as possible but in the shower department I mat practice my quick showers in the morning and cherish my long ones at night haha.

[dcgirl]

how was graduation? what all can i expect that friday?

[griz3232]

I was told the showers are the best part of the day. It is the one place you get peace and quiet and can't be yelled at. is this true?

[Haasino]

Originally Posted by kgervais

I've asked this before but I'm kinda confused because of the different answers I'm hearing but how long are the showers? About how long for each individual under the shower head? About how long is the process for the entire division?

You're generally given 45min to hygiene... that's for the entire compartment of ~90 recruits to shower, change, and get the entire compartment on-spot.

How that's done, is usually left up to the head crew and recruit leadership to figure out.

[kgervais]

Originally Posted by Haasino

You're generally given 45min to hygiene... that's for the entire compartment of ~90 recruits to shower, change, and get the entire compartment on-spot.

How that's done, is usually left up to the head crew and recruit leadership to figure out.

Ah, I getcha. It's all a process and shower is just included.

[djhaugen]

Thank you! This helps so much!