SAR Swimmer - Help with gear

[cb5150]

It sounds like you want to train to try out for a SAR Swimmer job...I'm guessing with the military since you use the word "fight." Are you already IN the military or just want to try and join?

Why not go jump in a lake? (pardon the pun) The conditions will be more realistic...cold, dark and no one will give a crap what type of booties you wear.

PS: fill out your profile.

 

[pappa delta]

Profile completed as best I can.

I guess I should clarify. The Rockets and Jets are designed to be worn with a combat boot. Which makes a heavy fin that much heavier considering we also have a composite toe in our boot.

I have a line on some ussed old school versions of these from my LDS. The owner told me they are so old that none of them are marked with a manufacturer and were made before sizing was standardized.

I am going to check them out.

Swimming with combat boots sucks, but it is what we do.

 

[nimoh]

Profile completed as best I can.

I guess I should clarify. The Rockets and Jets are designed to be worn with a combat boot. Which makes a heavy fin that much heavier considering we also have a composite toe in our boot.

I have a line on some ussed old school versions of these from my LDS. The owner told me they are so old that none of them are marked with a manufacturer and were made before sizing was standardized.

I am going to check them out.

Swimming with combat boots sucks, but it is what we do.

you can buy jet fins in smaller sizes than those used with combat boots. I wear an XL with a 5mm neoprene boot or an XXL when in my drysuit.

 

[cb5150]

Profile completed as best I can.

I guess I should clarify. The Rockets and Jets are designed to be worn with a combat boot. Which makes a heavy fin that much heavier considering we also have a composite toe in our boot.

I have a line on some ussed old school versions of these from my LDS. The owner told me they are so old that none of them are marked with a manufacturer and were made before sizing was standardized.

I am going to check them out.

Swimming with combat boots sucks, but it is what we do.

Who is "WE"?? "
We" as in you or "We" as in some branch of the military you want to join? Thats what I'm trying to figure out so I can offer some friendly advice.

You say that you are training and only have access to a pool that won't even let you wear dive booties. You don't know what brand/type of fins to buy. You go to a LDS that sells fins so old they brand names have been rubbed off. That tells me you aren't in the military and aren't in any type of SAR school. Otherwise you'd know they issue everything you need...including the pool.

Look, I'm certainly not a SAR swimmer but my brother in law is a USAF PJ instructor. His advice, buy a pair of used Jet fins on e-Bay for $40. Go lay by the edge of a pool or on the floor of your bedroom and do flutter kicks until you puke...then do some more. Go buy a used set of BDUs and combat boots from your local GI thrift store, put them on and then literally go jump in a lake and swim across and back a few hundred times. Theres a good start for you. His words not mine.

I really think you are overthinking this, but best of luck to you.

 

[ams511]

I guess I should clarify. The Rockets and Jets are designed to be worn with a combat boot. Which makes a heavy fin that much heavier considering we also have a composite toe in our boot.

This is untrue. Rockets, Jets, and Turtles, are not made for combat boots. They have some really strange sizing. I wear a size 10 shoe and in a wet boot a large Jet Fin is too small, an extra large is a tad big but it works. People say the XXL are super big.

 

[pappa delta]

I apologize for the miscommunication. I was misinformed about the sizing and pocket of the fins.

I am currently in the military. USCG. The SAR surface swimmer is a qualification for being on the 47' motor life boat. This is a voluntary qualification and they do not issue gear to you or have a pool to train for this qual. Because it is voluntary I am training for it without a school. They have gear on the 47 for the surface swimmer to use if the coxswain says go. I am not an AST, the guys that jump from helicopters, I am an ME and enforce federal maritime laws. My small boat station does a lot of SAR cases because we are on the Columbia River Bar. We get very strong storms out here which makes the water tricky and the need for additional assets in the water is key.

As for the merchandise at the LDS. I am just repeating what the sales person at the store told me over the phone and thank you for the information about E-Bay. I generally do not use the site, but I will take another look. I would be able to wear booties, but not military boots in the pool.

Thank your brother-in-law for his service and for the advice. I do plan on going to a local lake this summer.

My apologies for offending anyone and again for the miscommunication.

 

[MSltr]

Aqualung Rocket II are made for military boots and work well with DUI Rockboots:

Aqua Lung US - Personal Aquatic Equipment for Personal and Professional Use - Rocket II

 

[pappa delta]

Thank you for the information.
I am also looking into Cressi Frogs. They appear to be similar construction and half the price. I do not believe they are vented though. Would that affect the "feel" of the fin.

 

[cb5150]

Nope, I'm the one to apologize. Thanks for your service and best of luck in your noble endeavor!

 

[DiversSupplyPDC]

PD:
I'm the contract Scuba instructor at NAS Jacksonville and work with numerous personnel at our USN Swimmer School here. Rockets and Jets are the mainstream fin used in school and by our Helo Sqdn swimmers. None of the swimmers wear flight boots with their fins.

OIC, AOIC and LCPO and me 7 other SAR Instrs Our pool at NAS

Seems that if the 47 has gear onboard for a swimmer it would not be just one-size-fits all?

Cressi Frogs will not really give you what you're looking for in TQ from the fin but Turtles or even HOG tech fins and even the Jets off Ebay... From time to time you'll see used Jets here on SB.

The ScubaPro Delta bootie, or it's equal, is fairly standard use so visit a SP dealer try those with Jets to know what size you need. For other fins in comparison, the sizes are all over the place.

But if I know what size Deltas fit you should be able to go from there. Anything I can do to help call me... Thanks for your service !