Navy SEALs: Treading Water Requirements, Techniques, and Training

How long do navy seals tread water?

During the rigorous Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training, candidates are required to tread water for at least 20 minutes as part of the Combat Swimmer Orientation, demonstrating exceptional aquatic endurance and proficiency. This test often includes specific conditions, such as keeping hands out of the water, to further assess muscular endurance and technique.

The Combat Swimmer Orientation: A Benchmark of Aquatic Endurance

The 20-minute treading water standard is a foundational component of the Navy SEALs' extensive aquatic assessment, specifically within the Combat Swimmer Orientation. This is not merely a static test but a dynamic evaluation of a candidate's ability to remain afloat and functional in water for extended periods. The precise conditions can vary, but commonly include:

• Duration: A minimum of 20 minutes.
• Hands Out of Water: Candidates are often required to keep their hands elevated above the surface, sometimes at the shoulder level. This significantly increases the demand on the lower body and core, as the hands cannot be used for sculling or support, forcing reliance on efficient leg propulsion.
• No Contact: No touching the bottom or sides of the pool.
• Controlled Environment: Typically conducted in a pool, but the skills translate directly to open water.

This test is not a pass/fail event in isolation but contributes to the overall evaluation of a candidate's aquatic readiness, which is paramount for a SEAL operator.

Why Treading Water is a Critical Skill for Navy SEALs

The ability to tread water for extended periods under challenging conditions is not merely a physical feat; it's a critical operational requirement rooted in the diverse and demanding environments SEALs operate in.

• Survival and Rescue: In maritime operations, SEALs may find themselves in the water for prolonged durations due to equipment failure, mission aborts, or combat scenarios. The ability to tread water ensures survival while awaiting rescue or during self-extraction. It's also vital for assisting injured teammates.
• Stealth and Infiltration: During clandestine insertions or extractions via water, maintaining a low profile and remaining submerged or partially submerged for extended periods is crucial. Treading water efficiently allows operators to conserve energy while staying covert.
• Equipment Management: Operators often carry heavy equipment. The ability to tread water while managing gear, such as weapons, communications devices, or demolition charges, is essential. Treading water with hands out of the water simulates the need to manipulate gear while staying afloat.
• Physiological Demands: Prolonged treading water places immense demands on:
  • Cardiovascular Endurance: Maintaining sustained effort to oxygenate muscles.
  • Muscular Endurance: Primarily of the hip flexors, quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and core muscles, which are continuously engaged in the propulsion and stabilization.
  • Thermoregulation: Managing body temperature in potentially cold water, which can be exacerbated by continuous physical exertion.
  • Mental Fortitude: The ability to push through discomfort and fatigue, a cornerstone of SEAL training.

Biomechanics and Techniques for Efficient Treading Water

Achieving the 20-minute standard, especially with hands out of the water, relies heavily on mastering specific biomechanical principles and efficient techniques.

• The Eggbeater Kick: This is the gold standard for treading water efficiency. Unlike a flutter kick or breaststroke kick, the eggbeater kick involves circular, alternating leg movements resembling stirring a pot.
  • Propulsion: The legs move independently, with one leg sweeping outward and backward while the other recovers inward and forward. This continuous motion provides constant upward thrust with minimal splash and excellent energy conservation.
  • Balance: The alternating nature of the kick also provides superior lateral stability, allowing the upper body to remain relatively stable and upright.
  • Energy Efficiency: It recruits larger muscle groups (glutes, hamstrings, quads) more effectively and continuously than other kicks, distributing the workload and delaying fatigue.
• Sculling (When Allowed): When hands are allowed below the surface, sculling motions with the hands and forearms provide additional lift and stability. This involves sweeping the hands back and forth, palms angled to push water downwards.
• Body Position: Maintaining a vertical or slightly reclined body position, with the head above water, is crucial. A slight forward lean can help maintain balance, especially when hands are out of the water.
• Breath Control: Regulated, calm breathing conserves energy and helps manage anxiety. Hyperventilation or shallow breathing can lead to fatigue and panic.

Developing the Endurance for Advanced Water Survival

Training for such a demanding treading water standard requires a multi-faceted approach focusing on strength, endurance, and technique.

• Long-Duration Treading: Gradually increasing the time spent treading water, starting without hands out of the water, then progressing to the full standard.
• Weighted Treading: Adding small ankle weights or holding a light object above the water can increase resistance and build specific muscular endurance. This should be done cautiously and progressively to avoid injury.
• Interval Training: Alternating periods of intense treading (e.g., faster eggbeater kick) with recovery periods to improve both anaerobic and aerobic capacity.
• Hypoxic Training (Under Supervision): Practicing treading while holding breath for short durations (never to the point of blackout) can improve CO2 tolerance and breath control, mimicking stress conditions.
• Cross-Training:
  • Leg Strength and Endurance: Exercises like squats, lunges, calf raises, and plyometrics (box jumps) build the power and endurance needed for the eggbeater kick.
  • Core Strength: Planks, Russian twists, and leg raises enhance the stability required to maintain body position.
  • Cardiovascular Fitness: Running, cycling, and swimming improve overall aerobic capacity, essential for sustained effort.

Beyond Treading Water: The Broader Scope of SEAL Aquatic Proficiency

While the 20-minute treading water test is significant, it's just one piece of the comprehensive aquatic puzzle that SEAL candidates must master. It’s part of a battery of water-based assessments that include:

• Timed Swims: Demonstrating speed and efficiency over various distances (e.g., 500-yard combat side stroke).
• Drownproofing: A series of exercises designed to teach candidates to survive in water with their hands and feet bound, emphasizing calm problem-solving under extreme stress.
• Underwater Knot Tying: Further testing manual dexterity and composure underwater.
• Open Water Navigation and Diving: Advanced skills required for mission execution.

The ability to tread water for extended periods underscores a candidate's fundamental comfort, endurance, and efficiency in the water, setting the stage for these more advanced and complex aquatic tasks.

Conclusion: A Benchmark of Elite Aquatic Capability

The requirement for Navy SEAL candidates to tread water for at least 20 minutes, often with hands out of the water, is far more than a simple test of endurance. It is a scientifically grounded assessment of specific physical capabilities – cardiovascular and muscular endurance, efficient biomechanics, and mental resilience – that are absolutely critical for survival and mission success in a maritime special operations environment. Mastering this skill is a testament to an individual's elite aquatic proficiency and their readiness for the unparalleled challenges of SEAL training and operations.