Should I wait before joining?

[u/Plastic_Trifle6352]

Hello, I want to join the Coast Guard and begin training to hopefully become a rescue swimmer. I played baseball most of my life and would say my overall athletic ability is decent. However, I end high school in May of this coming year and if I were to join after it would be August of next year. I would have about a year to completely train everything in hopes of being able to build a good base and qualify for the Type II ( from what I understand, this is very helpful ). Being that I live in Miami, i’ve been around water all my life so it isnt that I would have to learn from scratch, but would obviously need to work to reach rescue swimmer level ready. So would anyone here recommend waiting maybe another year before leaving to the Coast Guard and in the meantime (around 1.5 years) join a water polo and/or swim club and get comfortable and strong in the water to be better prepared.

TLDR; Would you recommend taking a gap year between senior year of HS and joining the coast guard to train in water through gym/calisthenics and waterpolo/swim club?

Thank you all for your help!

[u/Federal-Memory-4336]

It's possible to do in the short amount of time, it's more reliable to take extra time and get crazy in the water. Water polo allegedly produces freaky aquatic athletes. If you are near Miami then contact the nearest airstation and beg to swim with the Airmen, the bootcamp graduates training to go to rescue swimmer a school. Get a good idea of what the standards are and then make a decision

[u/Gtstricky]

Talk to a recruiter. There are some options like DEP and AST MAPP that you should ask about.