Axua:
just saw the movie here in the Philippines this weekend and read over the internet some interesting stuff about rescue swimmers. the "quiet professional"...
there is suppose to be only more or less 300 of them. I wonder if its because the training is tough as they say it is or there is just no need for more than the number they are now.
The answer is "both of the above".
Regarding weight belts, the answer is none. The mission is not to go underwater but do their thing on the surface - albeit in really crudy sea conditions.
Note the below extract from the RS Manual:
(2) Water Deployment Ensemble. Water ensembles include the following. - Wet suit (water temperature above 55 F.) or - Dry suit (water temperature 55 F. and below) - RS harness - Fins - Mask, and snorkel. To increase visibility, the RS shall wear a wet/dry suit hood or surf-cap (with SOLAS grade retro-reflective tape) during all night opera-tions, regardless of water/air temperature. A protective helmet (with SOLAS grade retro-reflective tape) shall be worn during operations conducted in surf or whitewater areas. Water Ensembles are not specifically designed for flame resistance and can cause heat stress to the RS. Aircraft commanders must consider the risks of performance degradation and lack of flame protection vs. practicality when per-mitting the RS to wear a water ensemble for longer than 30 minutes.
Every month they pass the following PT exam
(3) Screen Exam Standards:
Exercise Minimum Standard
Shoulder Width Pushups 50
Sit-ups 60
Pull-ups 5
Chin-ups 5
500 Yard Crawl Swim Completed within 12 Minutes
25 Yard Underwater Swim Repeat 4 Times
Buddy Tow 200 Yds. (RS shall use cross chest carry or equipment tow.)
By the way, the authorized equipment list is:
Wet Suit Ensemble Neoprene 5/3 Long jumpsuit Henderson Aquatics Warm Water Ensembles, Neoprene 3/2 Shorty 3/2 Long Jump suit Henderson Aquatics Dry suit Ensembles DUI P/N G-USCG-3
(water temps 55 F or less
24 months