Special Forces Diver

THE WORLD'S UNDERWATER ELITE
TEXT BY DENNIS GUICHARD
NOTE: This article is reviewed and approved by the South African Special Forces Association with respect and gratitude.

There can be no higher accolade in diving than to be one of the very elite who can call themselves a Special Forces Diver. Who they are and what they do widely shrouded in secrecy; it’s the humbling pinnacle of diving. As far back as I can remember, I have held the illusionary romanticism of military frogmen in aspirational revere as an impressionable young boy.
These military dive courses have an incredibly high failure rate compared to recreational dive training. Just because you want to be one of them isn’t enough to ensure you might be. However, that desire might be the quintessential factor that drives you through the long challenge of becoming one.

Special Forces, by default of their mandate within military organisational structures, typically don’t operate within the borders of the country they serve. Their function is to serve the security interests of their country in far-flung lands performing covert operations under a directive from the highest levels of Government. They perform their tasks under high stress, requiring extensive physical and mental endurance. The 4 Special Forces Regiment seaborne Operators have a long- standing history of successful clandestine function around the southern African coastline that is feared and respected.

As one of the world’s most revered military diver training courses, you cannot just volunteer to be a South African Special Forces Diver. The entry pre-requisite is successfully completing the gruelling 18-month Special Forces Operator training course, which is itself notoriously difficult to achieve.

Originally located on Salisbury Island in the Durban harbour, special forces seaborne operations fell under the auspices of the then- named 1 Reconnaissance Commando. As the need for specialist seaborne operations grew, so did the requirement for a secluded specialist training and operational base. 4 Reconnaissance Commando was thus officially commissioned on an isolated peninsular near Langebaan, north of Cape Town, in July 1978. Their function was to provide ‘specialist amphibious, surface, and underwater capabilities for reconnaissance and offensive purposes’.

1 Special Forces Regiment was secluded on the Bluff in Durban. It was originally the Special Forces school home centre for the Operator candidates training cycle. The Regiment also retained a full operational function in specialist urban counter-terrorism tactics. 5 Special Forces Regiment, based in Phalaborwa, specialises in landborne operations. The Special Forces operational HQ is based in Pretoria. The Special Forces School is now based north of Pretoria after Durban’s 1 Special Forces Regiment was disbanded in 1996.

Hopeful Operator candidates are filtered out very quickly if they cannot contend with the incredibly gruelling physical and endurance demands of training. They require an above- average IQ, as well as suitable psychological strength. Initially, the Operator course pass rate was barely 5%, although as the initial pre- selection filtering process improved over time, the percentage of candidates successfully completing the ultimate goal also improved.

The Special Forces Operator course includes an introductory ‘Water Orientation’ training phase, ensuring basic competency in seaborne operations. This also includes small boat training, where any candidate’s aptitude for water work is first identified.

It is said that Special Forces soldiers are like postage stamps as they can be delivered by land, sea, or air, no matter the weather. Some who complete the full Operators training cycle might be hand-selected to attend further specialist training in seaborne operations.

Training as a Special Forces seaborne specialist is an intense 6-month additional commitment consisting of various building blocks. The now- qualified Operator, if nominated, will commence with the ‘Combat Swimming’ course, which includes general seamanship, sea survival, and open water swimming. This is followed by a ‘Coxswain’ course introducing the operational application of Special Forces craft, including cooperation training with the SA Navy vessels. Only after successfully completing the above will the member be allowed to attend the ‘Special Forces Attack Diver’ Course. They really are the elite of the elite.

Basic watermanship training can require completing 50m underwater swims in one breath, passing the infamous drown-proofing test, and long-distance ocean swims with fins at night demonstrating endurance and navigational competency.

As well as timed 3.2km ocean swims with fins within 75 minutes, and 5km runs in under 20 minutes. But fitness alone is not enough. Any Special Forces Diver has phenomenal strength of mind in hand with incredible vigour and endurance, can work in isolated high-stress situations for long periods, and is equally a good team player.

Most countries have their own version of seaborne Special Forces units and are equally held in the highest respect. They are trained to the highest level of competency utilising all manner of underwater apparatus, including 100% oxygen rebreathers and underwater propulsion vehicles. They are masters at underwater reconnaissance and demolition, moving and working as ghosts of the deep.

To most of us regular humble humans, these elite Special Forces Divers are mysterious enigmas, like shadows in the dark, whoever and wherever they are serving their countries. It is fascinating to get even any insight into their secluded world. We can only be grateful they exist, in awe of all that they are and all that they have and continue to achieve.

About the Author
Dennis Guichard is a multi-agency qualified Scuba Instructor Trainer & a DAN ‘Master Dive Pro’ member. He is a qualified Diver Medic and Saturation Life Support Technician, freelancing as a hyperbaric technologist at the Netcare St Augustine’s Hospital Hyperbaric Medicine and Wound Care Unit, Durban, South Africa.