Drowning in Overconfidence: The Reality of Marine Corps Swimming Proficiency

In the Marine Corps, the water is known as the ultimate equalizer; no matter rank or strength, the water will humble you. This truth has been tragically underscored within the Marine Corps, as recent incidents have laid bare a critical vulnerability: inadequate swim proficiency.

Unforgiving waters have claimed more Marines’ lives than one might expect. Since 2003, 39 U.S. troops—including 18 Marines—have drowned off the coast of Okinawa.¹ The 2020 sinking of an amphibious assault vehicle (AAV), which claimed nine lives, was a terrible reminder of the risks.

On 30 July 2020, during a routine training exercise off the coast of Southern California, an AAV carrying 16 people began taking on water and sank. Despite the crew’s efforts, eight Marines and one sailor drowned. Investigators identified multiple contributing factors, including inadequate in-water survival training.²

After the AAV sinking, the Marine Corps emphasized improved water survival training and revised its training protocols to help prevent such tragedies in the future. Training and Education 2030 outlines strategies to enhance water survival skills, including advanced training programs, regular assessments of swimming proficiency, and increased investment in water safety equipment and resources. It advocates for a shift in training culture to prioritize water competency as a critical component of Marine readiness.³

The Marine Corps must commit to these recommendations, ensuring that all service members possess the necessary skills to navigate in and around water safely. Actions should include dedicated water training sections in every unit, the use of professional swimming coaches, and collaboration with college swim team athletes.

Dedicated Training Section

The Marine Corps Instructor of Water Survival (MCIWS) program should be expanded to establish a dedicated billet responsible for water training in every unit. Currently, MCIWS instructors primarily conduct swim qualification tests. In training tanks, Marines are taught short acronyms to help them retain essential information. For example, the acronym SAFE stands for Slow and easy movements, Apply natural buoyancy, Full lung inflation, and Extreme relaxation. This is all accurate information needed to swim safely; however, these traits are learned through exposure and repetition. Attending a swim qualification once a year is not enough.

The Marines who have proved their expertise in the water by graduating from a rigorous course such as MCIWS should have the opportunity to focus solely on training every section in their units at least twice a week, year-round. This would ensure all Marines develop and maintain essential water survival skills, swimming beyond qualification requirements to achieve sustained proficiency and confidence in the water.

Professional Swimming Coaches

Engaging certified USA Swimming coaches in the proposed MCIWS sections to help draft and implement training plans would elevate the quality of water survival training. Certified USA Swimming coaches are among the best in the world, holding advanced certifications in water safety, technique refinement, and endurance training.⁴ Their expertise is built on rigorous training programs and a deep understanding of biomechanics and sports psychology. These professionals could design comprehensive, progressive training programs based on the “crawl, walk, run” methodology, ensuring Marines gradually build their skills through year-round, repetitive practice.

By taking advantage of these coaches’ expertise, Marines could gain the necessary skills to be comfortable and competent in and around water. Investing in high-caliber coaching would not only save lives, but also bolster the Marine Corps’ operational effectiveness and resilience.

Collaboration with College Athletes

Partnering with college-level athletes for swim training could be mutually beneficial. Colleges that lack the budget for their own pools and facilities could use Marine Corps facilities while their athletes train alongside Marines. This integration would raise training standards and foster a culture of swimming proficiency within the Marine Corps.

In addition, college coaches, in collaboration with MCIWS instructors, could help draft and run training programs. This synergy would enhance Marine Corps water training and create an environment of high performance and excellence. As James Clear emphasizes in his book Atomic Habits, “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”⁵ By surrounding Marines with college-level athletes, the Marine Corps could create a system that encourages and supports the development of strong water survival skills.

Clear also notes, “The people who surround you have significant impact on your habits and behaviors.” By integrating college athletes with Marines, the service could capture the enthusiasm and dedication of these college swimmers to elevate overall performance.

Battle Ready, Water Ready

Implementing these proposals would create a robust and comprehensive water training program within the Marine Corps to help ensure every Marine is not only qualified, but also proficient and confident in the water. Regular, dedicated training led by MCIWS instructors, combined with the expertise of professional swimming coaches and the integration of college athletes, would significantly improve Marines’ water survival skills, ultimately safeguarding lives and enhancing overall readiness.

Marines must be not only battle ready, but also water ready. They deserve more than just basic swimming skills; they need to embody competence in the water to meet the demands of their diverse and challenging missions.