If you need to swim to get away from an enemy, these are the only strokes you need to know!
People swim for a variety of reasons, including fitness and recreation.
In the Survival Fitness Plan, we swim for fitness but with the specific purpose of increasing our ability to escape if being chased in the water.
We do this by using a variety of strokes that are designed for speed, distance, and underwater swimming.
Continue reading to find out more.
Freestyle, also known as front crawl, is the fastest stroke we use in the Survival Fitness Plan.
Having proper technique will allow you to swim faster while using less energy.
Learning to swim long distances underwater (up to 50m) consists of two things.
First, you must learn to hold your breath underwater for an extended period of time. Holding your breath for up to 2 minutes is very achievable for most people with a little training.
Ensure you do your breathing exercises with a companion for safety.
The second step is to use efficient strokes that do not require your body to use up a lot of oxygen.
The Navy seals invented the combat side stroke, which is a hybrid of breaststroke, side stroke, and freestyle.
This stroke allows a person to swim efficiently while also making his body less visible in the water, which is useful in an escape situation.
So the three best swimming strokes for evasion and escape are freestyle, underwater, and combat side stroke.
There's a lot more to learn, such as the survival backstroke, which is designed for longer distances in survival situations.
If you want to learn more about water survival and rescue, check out ‘Survival Swimming’.
Swim safe!
Did you find this article about the best swimming strokes for speed and distance useful? If so, please share it with your friends.
Sam Fury is the creator and owner of the Survival Fitness Plan.
He has had a passion for martial arts and outdoor pursuits since he was a young boy growing up in Australia.
As a young adult he joined the military and studied outdoor leadership in college. After that, to further his skills, Sam started traveling to learn from the best in the world in various fields related to the Survival Fitness Plan including various martial arts in China, SE Asia and Brazil, Parkour in Singapore, Surf Life Saving in Australia, and others.
These days, he still enjoys learning new things, traveling and sharing what he has learned via the Survival Fitness Plan.
The information on this website is made public for reference only. Only you are responsible for how you choose to use the information or the result of your actions. Consult a physician before undertaking any new form of physical activity.
© Survival Fitness Plan