you don't need to be a strong swimmer to make it through BUDS (ahhh lightening bolts from the Surf god) You have to pass the initial test which isn't that hard and i in a pool. Then you have a hal milf bay swimm theat isn't too hard. Then you get put into fins--which totally changes the definition of swim--it becomes "Kick" and once you earn your wetsuit, you don't even have to stay afloat--all that said, BUDS is a school and the instructors are there to teach--methods aside--so you can get swimming instruction