U.S. Navy Seals training?

Question

As most people can agree they are a little scared if not horrified by sharks especially due to all the past movies. My question to anyone who knows alot about the Seals training or has gone through it, are there alot if any shark attacks during the 1.5 mile open ocean swim? Are they in controlled waters?

For the person below who said you have to be an E-6 inorder to be a Navy SEAL, your 100% incorrect! First of all I'm not even worried about rank because if I enlist I will be an 0-1 due to 4 yrs of college. Secondly I would like to thank you for your useless information and lack to answer the question. Thanks my friend!

Answer 1

There ARE sharks in the waters off Coronado, (San Diego) California... Blues mostly... I've heard of no reports of attacks on those engaged in BUDS or TEAM Training in that area.

I was a Navy Helicopter Rescue Swimmer out of San Diego from 1985-1995 and never got bit. We did our practice in the BAY and would see little leopard sharks, and I did two rescues off the coast... saw a group of Blue-sharks, but no problems.

Love to know if there are any hard statistics rather than my simple anecdotes. (oh I stopped swimming in 1995 'cause I was 31 and just couldn't justify jumping out of helicopters anymore... water is cold and hurts !)

Answer 2

Sharks are nowhere near as dangerous as people would have you believe. Most shark attacks are cases of mistaken identity with the shark thinking the swimmer or surfer is a seal. The shark usually takes a test bite and then leaves. Apparently, humans don't taste all that well to most sharks. Go figure. Any way, the open swim is monitored with instructors in boats observing the swimmers throughout. They are in relatively open waters and not in prime "seal hunting" territory so sharks are at best a remote possibility. I suppose if one of the swimmers was bleeding then that could increase the odds of a shark coming in to check things out but sharks do not automatically attack anything that bleeds. Like any predator the shark must weigh the odds of a successful kill against the possibility of injury. Human beings are physically weak but we are generally larger then a seal. To the shark's eyes we could cause injury. In open water against a prey animal as large or larger then the shark? Not good odds for even these predators. Add to that the noise of all the other swimmers and the boats and you have a really unappealing environment for the shark to stick his fins into.

Answer 3

Sharks will be the least of your worries! Plan to do the swim when you have had maybe 2 hours of nap in the last 48.

Also, you can't just enlist and be SELECTED for SEAL training; no one is considered under the rank of E-6. You don't enlist, do your 4 as a SEAL and get out; you pay your dues and PROVE yourself first.

If you are normal it will take about 6 years to make E-6 and you had better not have a quarterly mark below 3.6.

If that is still your plan pick a rate that will transferr; yeoman probably isn't a good choice. Anything in Operations...you know fire control, radar, signal or electronics. When i was in radar covered most of it.

It is E-6 because you have to prove yourself as a leader and completely skilled in your chosen rate.

Believe me, by the time that you are ready, if ever, your fear of sharks will have been replaced by something else ANY you have learned to IGNORE and PERFORM! The NAVY has a funny way of teaching you how.

DISCLAIMER!!!

NEVER a SEAL, just have good friends that were.

USN, NAM 64-66

Answer 4

Not too sure if there ever has been a shark attack on a S.E.A.L. class during their swims but to clear up a misconception stated in one of the previous answers you don't have to be an E-6 to be selected for S.E.A.L. training. What you do have to be is physically capable and qualified in one of the source rates for the BUD/SEAL program such as Gunners Mate, Signalman, Machinist Mate and the likes. I knew several seal candidates while I was in the Navy 1985-1996 who were not E-6's and saw one E-4 at a training base wearing the eagle and trident.

Answer 5

Well, first, learn that is is called BUD/S training, not Navy SEALs training. Other than that, your will will pull you through if your body can go alone. Depending on when you plan on starting, you have plenty of time to strengthen your body. Focus on eating healthier and working out with aerobic and anaerobic exercises daily, as there will be a daily strain put on your body. Also, study some history of the SEALs. That will motivate you all the more if you read about their many successful missions.

Answer 6

I was watching a special on Buds training the other day. The instructors actually show movies with shark attacks to the trainees, to get them to move faster in the water. It is so mean, but the guys move real fast in the water, afraid of a shark attack. I can't say I blame them. Seal Training is the hardest training in the world.

Answer 7

The swim is sort of controlled the instructors are watching the trainnees and I doubt they go far enough out to hit any shark infested waters....but like that other guy said...even sharks would be scared of the Navy Seals

Answer 8

They have some sort of technique that scares sharks away or something like that. If there has been a shark attack at BUD/S I have never heard of it. That is the last thing I would worry about. You are more likely to get killed on the rifle range.

Answer 9

Actually,Navy Seals spend VERY little time in the water,especially during major assaults.

Answer 10

I've never heard of any, but I'm sure my middle son Max will be able to clear that up for me when I ask him. He's just a boy now, and if we can get our government back on track when my boy is old enough to join the ilitary, he'll definitely be special forces. He is the badest a$$ed person I've ever known. Absolutely invisible when he wants to be and can whip every kid he's ever even wrestled with. I am very proud of my boy Max. He's a bad @$$.