Just wondering what some of the fastest 500's you guys have put out before. No fins, only suit and goggles. Anything under 6 min?

No 6 min that's for sure... 8:05 is my best freestyle 500 without fins. That was before CCT pipeline and I have no idea what I could do now. Finning is what I do 90% of the time now...

6:54 that was for BUD/S- 1991

I was wondering, for the 500 swim of say the SEAL Challenge are you allowed to swim freestyle or is only breaststroke and sidestroke allowed? If its freestyle then I should have no problem (I swim a 5:12, thank God for four years in HS), but if its breaststroke/sidestroke then those numbers are seriously nuts.

You are only allowed to use side stroke or breast stroke. The fastest time I have seen was 6:23. He was the captain of the Princeton swim team.

Thanks for the answer. I figured there had to be a catch. My fastest 500 breast in HS was around 7:30 (we used to have long distance comps among the team) so it looks like I've got a lot of work to do and a lot more breaststroke to swim for the remainder of my senior year. 6:23 is unbelievable!

Fastest freestyle 500m was 6:54 last year at Texas A&M's "SEAL Challenge." For the real SEAL Challenge you can only use side/breast stroke? I'd be slower'n hell using just those strokes.

500 yards- Free 5:08 Breastroke- 8:30 (damn my breastroke kick!!)

post script: my 6:54 was the combat swimmer side stroke. I spent some time refining it with a former team 2 guy. its all in the glide!

Just so all these fast times don't scare off the non-swimmers, my usual 500m times are around 9:30. But I make up for it w/ water con...

same here, im not the fastest swimmer I think my fastest was around 9:10. I hate all of you high school swimmers..I had to teach myself by reading a book.damn!!

My best is 12:47, actually its the only time I ever tried it but working on it.

Mike

Keep up the hard work slow swimmers! I passed the 1500m swim during the PAST by 1 second! By the time I went to Phase II, I knocked it down by a few minutes. Everyone has their weak events; freestyle swimming is a pain for me (I learned from a book too, when I was 24). It's all worth it though...

Those are all good times. My best is 6:11, oh and whointhejimminy for the 500's I ment in meters not yards. For those of you that don't swim ofter or have lack there of, keep it up it all will come with practice and technique.

Ok, gotcha... when I get back to work/the pool next week, I'll do a timed 500 and see how I do. I was thinking about just doing the conversion... but I need some distance in my workout.
Chris

My fastest is 7:30. What helped me was learing flip turns, but if you don't use them don't take more than one breath when you touch the wall. That is what was slowing me down a lot.

I've been working on breaking that 7min mark. Haven't done it yet but real close. Right now I am at 7:08, maybe next week I'll break it.
Ryan

500 short course meters- 7:25. I deffinitly need to get my endurance back, especially considering my first 50 was a 26 and 100 was a 58. oh well... I'll always be a sprinter at heart. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Need I just say that doing a side stroke WILL hamper your swim time. Just pointing out the obvious. I would only suggest using it if you really need to take a break.

Anyone know what the world record 500 is? from the olympics im guessing.

Funny thing: I have not timed my 500 yet. I have been swim training for CCT for about a month now, and I really just try to go as far as i can at one time without stopping, which is around 750ish right now. I know that yesterday I roughly swam 1000 yards in around 20 minutes. The first 600 was straight, and then after that, stopping every 100 yards for a minute break or so. I bet my timed 500 right now is around 7-8 minutes. I will time it at the pool today.

matthew-what was your time?

Today I timed my first 21 lengths of a 25 yard pool. That is roughly 500 meters...darn close anyway. 7:49 was my time. I go more for smooth and long...i don't really try to go too fast. I used to swim competition when younger, but it has taken a lot to get my stroke back.

I think it's funny that most of us can do the 500 in around half the required time of the PAST. If I was trying to go real fast, the last 100 yards I would push it. LONG smooth strokes...that is how you go fast...not nessicerily moving your arms faster.

today was the first time I have ever timed anything over 100m and I did my 500m in 13:07, consider 4 months ago I could barely swim 50m straight I am happy with the time but will continue to work on it

I just got home from taking the PAST test. I swam the 500m in 11:21 (PR) now I just have to wait for the scores to go through MEPS to have it finalized I think.

Timed myself for the first time yesterday. Got 9:40. Definately needs work, but seems like some of you are tearing it up. Nice work.

If you all remember I had hurt my foot a while back while running. To keep my cardio up I started swimming a lot, and then once my foot healed, I took back to the runs. Well, I know for SERE swimming isn't that important but you still need to be proficient with it. So I hadn't swam in like 2 weeks I think. Today i decided to do that and give my legs a break after my 8 mile run 2 days ago. I tell you what...1000 yards was really hard. It's so interesting how the body needs constant attention in all areas to keep at the same level. The human body is so complex. Now that I am months into my training and 62 pounds lighter (w00t) I am really starting to see the whole "mind over matter" thing. Our bodies can take a lot, as long as our minds don't give in.

Like I said, I ran 8 miles 2 days ago, and I only walked once to get up this big hill. If you would have told me 4 months ago that i would be able to run 8 miles, I would have laughed in your face. I love this!!

when i took my PAST i got a 7:01...but i was taking it easy because i know i could do it fast but i knew that i would need my energy for the running part.

You are telling me these times are done using military survival strokes that you use during indoc's mine 12:38 in Cammies, guess I am just slow

Ha, it's funny what actually knowing the proper technique can do for your times.

I'm sure most of you guys are in far better shape than me, but my last timed 500 was when I was a sophmore in high school. I clocked in a 6:35

the fastest ive ever done the 500 was about 9:08

I did 8:33 on my past, If i went all out I could see 7:30- easy

Navy guy here, I swam a 7:50 for 500 yrds sidestroke (SEAL PFT).

Anyone swim it in full cammies?

USMC,
I took you up on the question and gave it a shot yesterday. Let's just say I wasn't in the single digits in minutes and was darn tired at the finish. I stopped looking at the watch at 12:00 and just gutted it out.

I think my gym would look at me a lil strange if I showed up in full BDUs and an LBV and jumped in the pool.

Ya, I know they look at me funny too especialy when it's 50 degrees out and your in the outdoor pool. They just stand in the window and watch sometimes but the chicks dig it. And wait until you get on the stair climber with a 50lb ruck on you really get some stares. I don't use the LBV thought. BayouBoy thanks for giving it a try not a bad time either. Where are you from I am guessing with a name like that somwhere east of the Mississippi. I grew up in the swamp lands of LA...

Oh, I've done the stair climber with the 50lb ruck before. I just said "firefighter" and they were like "oh cool."

I am a New Orleans native, but my folks live in Covington, LA now. I am a River Rat myself.

Swam it again today and broke 13:30.

Damn good work out ain't it, the typical response when I say Marine is you guys are nutz...

11:46 yesterday, couldn't even do 50m a month ago

the best was convincing a 60 year old life guard that my buddy and i were not "horseing around" when we were doing doom ups after a swim session. this little kid started to hit my buddy on the back with a swim board cause he thought the guy was trying to drown me.

my best is 7:45 as of now

4:48; aren't there any other swimmers in AFSOC?

[]4:48; aren't there any other swimmers in AFSOC? [/]

I grew up playing soccer and baseball, now I'm wishing I would have added a swim team to that <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Damn Army closed the pool here I guess 71 Deg, I say again 71 Deg is to darn cold to swim in. So myself and all of the Force and ANGLICO guys are screwed.

I took my past about a month ago and got 9:13 for the 500 meter... and i was tired as crap when done. Since then Ive been working out 4 times a week and now Im swimming the 500 in 8 min flat. Im still improving tho and hope to get to that 7 min mark soon.

Ummm... You don't really need to be a great surface swimmer with fast times for PJ/CCT. Yes some of those times were really something, but you should be focusing on much further distances if you're going out for pj/cct. In all reality finning and underwater confidence will define your success.

This thread has nothing to do with what one should be focusing on...it is just what the title says it is...the fastest 500s that individuals have accomplished.

11:54 yesterday, my best previous was 12:44. Dropped that 50 seconds in 2 weeks, and that was after doing 1200m of drills. Thank you Masters program

I posted an 11:46 or something before, but I ended up not swimming the full 500 on that one because I lost count <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />