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The “Grit” Readiness Tests, Part 2 [Clothed Survival Swimming] by Mark Hatmaker


[For the mindset behind the following see Part 1.]
The car plunges through the guard rail into the river below…
The recreational boat sinks from beneath you at 2AM…
The bridge long overdue for inspection fails beneath you…
The proverbial “100-year flood” occurs and that formerly high and dry street becomes a strictured fast-water nozzle strong enough to sweep cars and humans…
The non-swimming loved one is thrashing and flailing mid-water…
Your “unsinkable” luxury liner sinks beneath as you sip brandy in the smoking-room…
The ability to swim and maneuver well in water, or as the old-timers called it, being possessed of good watermanship, is of ultimate importance at these times.
But…again we often fail to consider that even if we possess the vital skill of swimming, like all other endeavors, it is subject to state-dependent learning.
That is, if we learn our combat skills in a nice, calm, no-worries zone that is in no way reflective of the conditions of the actual battlefield, just how likely are these to manifest under conditions of chaos?
Entropy is the rule.
Prepare for entropy with controlled entropy-immersion.
Mark’s Personal Failure in Another Domain to Illustrate the Point

I know the importance of state-dependent learning in the realm of combat, hell, I’ve written texts on the subject, and yet I demonstrated domain-specificity to my detriment as follows.
I learned more than a few nautical knots for my sailing certification. 
Could tie them like a champ on dry land, in the classroom, and on calm water.
One afternoon a sudden downdraft squall pops up and I need one of these knots asap.
Took 3 fumbling tries to get what was hunky-dory in calm conditions.
I have since corrected the error and after learning a knot to “perfection” in calm scenarios, I then put it to paces in less than ideal conditions to see what shakes out under stress. 
Back to today’s topic.

If you can swim, are you certain that you swim well even while wearing your street clothes?



Keep in mind, assuming and knowing via experience are two very different things.
Regarding survival swimming and “clothes on/clothes off” advice.
Leave them on.
·        In the direst of emergencies, there is likely no time to strip to what you consider comfortable.


·        If we are mid-water when the need for survival swimming is needed [post bridge collapse, say] we cannot assume calm-cool-collected behavior that provides good water-treading coupled with clothes-shedding coordination.


·        If we are to be immersed for a lengthy period of time in warm waters, we may come to a water-treading point where slow and controlled stripping to attempt makeshift flotation from the clothing is considered wise. If we have dumped clothing immediately, we no longer have that option.


·        In cold water, clothing is of vital importance. Clothes-on provides a bit of a thermal barrier if the temperature is low. Keep in mind long exposure to water-temperatures as “mild” as 60 degrees Fahrenheit can lead to rapid loss of energy/cognitive function. Add to that the already precipitous demands made by the stress of the situation. You need to keep your warmth to survive—the constant flow of cold water over naked skin does not permit this life-persevering barrier.


Clothed Survival Swimming Tactics
The breaststroke is your friend.
·        It keeps the head above water to reduce immersion.


·        It allows you to see debris in the water or rescue opportunities.


·        Forward vision goes a long way towards keeping panic at bay.


·        The breaststroke allows a “clearing” hand to remove debris as you propel forward.


·        It is primarily leg-propelled and reduces energy expenditure where overhand and sidestrokes eat more energy.


[If a “rest” is required short shifts into the backstroke or sidestroke are acceptable.]

Your job is to think smooth and easy. Propel and glide. 
Easier said than done under poor circumstances. 
That is why “testing” and perfecting your clothed stroke prior to needing it is wise.
You will likely find that there is indeed increased drag but…minimize thinking about the drag by concentrating on forward momentum. As long as you are moving forward you will not sink. But the drag is energy-consuming, we must be prepared for the conditions of the battlefield before we hit that battlefield in the worst of conditions.
You will lie lower in the water, and this is disconcerting to some. We must have the low-riding experience and deal with it to know exactly how we would deal with it. 

 Assume nothing. 
The Test
·        Grab a buddy/partner to accompany you in a boat/kayak etc. for safety.


·    Don an amount of clothing that you would likely wear in Autumn for your region.

     Don’t cheat the test or yourself; provide yourself some “uncomfortable” drag. [I swam my test in a three-piece suit: coat, tie, vest, shirt, shoes the whole shebang. My wife swam hers in an evening gown.]


·        Go for a 300-meter swim. 


·        Opt for open water over pool. There’s nothing like knowing there ain’t no bottom or side of pool to reach for to play with the head. Sure, you’ve got your swim buddy, but all my open-water swimmers know the difference between a controlled aquatic environment and the real deal. Treadmills ain’t a marathon. Spinning ain’t the Tour de France. The pool or “close to shore” swimming ain’t “out there.”


The crux of the Grit Tests are to act as prompts, or spurs that provoke the man or woman who has ever given voice to readiness to evaluate their own words-to-deeds ratio.
If you decide to embark upon these tests, give yourself 1 point for each success. If you failed in a test[s], give yourself a half point for each “I gave it a shot” for at least trying.
If you do not perform any tests or skip a test, even if you know in your heart of hearts you could do it—give yourself a big fat zero, because maybe, just maybe, that “prepared mind” assumes something that the body can’t really deliver. And even if you “know” your body could deliver and you don’t do it anyway, well, maybe the body could deliver, but the grit most certainly cannot.
[More in the Assessment Battery to come. Subjects include Awareness Tests, Evasion Tests, Day-to-Day Navigation, Perception, Human Evaluation Benchmark Ability, Dexterity, and much more. Squared away is squared away, all else is mouth running.]
[Excerpted from the No Second Chance Book of Drills only available to members of the ESP RAWarrior Service.]

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