Confidence is built with repetition and experience. It is a direct result of the knowledge

and skills obtained during training and actual missions. HSRTs have the responsibility of

deploying to and extracting victims from various water environments. In addition to the

uncontrollable and dynamic environment, victims encountered by the HSRT during water

rescues have the potential to be frightened, easily distracted and pose an unintentional

risk to the HSRT. These demanding situations require the HSRT have a high degree of

confidence when deploying into the water.

The most prevalent obstacle to overcome during water survival is fear. Fear of one’s

own weaknesses and/or discomfort. The Water Confidence Training course is the first in

a multi-step training process designed to enhance overall comfort in the water. This

portion of the training focuses primarily on individual skills and techniques for personal

safety and function during water missions.

OBJECTIVE: At the conclusion of this training, each trainee will have experienced and

practiced:

• Floatation and energy conservation techniques

• Variety of swim strokes

• Oxygen utilization and control

• Equipment confidence building

• Under water egress and HEED/HABD bottle utilization