Jumping Off An Aircraft Carrier? Aircraft Carrier Swim Call!

It's not all launching and recovering jets, flight operations, and high-speed strait transits - sometimes the crew needs to have fun!

Check out this video of a Navy tradition - swim call!

A swim call is a Navy tradition where sailors turn the middle of the ocean into their swimming pools. On an aircraft carrier, that means jumping off the aircraft elevator. The drop is anywhere from 30-40 feet. Rescue swimmers are on hand as lifeguards and in case of sharks. Usually, swim calls accompany "steel beach picnics" and other fun events on the ship.

Did you do a swim call? Let us know when/where!

----
If you liked this video:

~ Hit that “THUMBS UP” button!
~ Hit that “SHARE” button to share this video with everyone you know!
~ And of course, hit the “SUBSCRIBE” button so you’re up to date every time we upload a video!
---
Want to see our videos on other channels?

----
#FlightDeckLife

[tiladx]

Reminds me of when I was a Midshipman onboard USS Phoenix (SSN-702) for 24 hours during the summer of 1997. Captain stopped the boat and the boatswain announced swim call on the 1MC. I was already in the water before I noticed the two sailors on each of the dive planes; one on each side had an M16, and the other had a shotgun. I asked why they were there, and the half-joke answer was "The sailor with the rifle is there to shoot the sharks. The one with the shotgun is there to put you out of your misery in case the other guy misses."

[Jan-mtzp]

My son did this just recently off the Ronald Reagan in China Sea, somewhere around there, he said high fall. I couldn't do it myself I think..love reading all comments. Visited the USS Hornet 12 today near San Francisco and Midway in San Diego last month and Yorktown in Charleston 4 MO ago.Bless our military and my son of cours🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲

[rwright]

Thank you for serving. Please be safe during these times !

[amybaile]

Such an incredible feeling to be in such deep water.

[sludgiebear]

This, along with the "steel beach picnics", looks and sounds like a great way to take advantage of your environment and just blow off steam and have some fun. Who ever started this tradition is a great leader (or leaders)! 😁

[a.b.williams]

I remember those days. Go Navy. Hooyah!

[Dannamal-hcpu]

I remember my first swim call on the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) for our WESTPAC deployment in 2022. It was off the coast of Hawaii. The water was so warm! Man what thrill!

[Peter.A-A]

As wasn´t working on a carrier not cool enough. :-D

[robertplant]

You don't think about how high the elevator is off of the surface. First swim call for me was summer 79 on the USS Independence in the Med. off the coast of Crete. I remember thinking how stupid it is jumping 30+ feet and having to use the rope ladder to climb aboard.

[ruttolomeo]

No, you should not be afraid of sharks if you jump into the ocean from the deck of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier together with other 100, heavily-trained, heavily-armed killers.

[itwasme]

Damn, this swiming pool is pretty damn huge !

[WilliamWallis]

Likely swimming where no person has ever swum before.

[philchurch]

I did this off of the USS Ranger CV-61 Jul 83 to Feb 84 west pac with VS-33 and when I hit the water it felt great and swam around for a while and then the climb of the rope latter ..🤣🤣🤣

[privatepilot]

I always wanted to do that! Unfortunately, we never had a swim call.

[infidel]

As a 54 yr old man, is it too late for me to join the Navy? This looks awesome! Thank you all that have and are serving.

[christianadrenalinejunkie]

That would be an epic jump if I ever got the chance to try it

[LanTHruster]

Yeah, that's what they should train and a lot.

[Reeltinyphish]

Ok guys, we will be back in a few hours…..

[AA-xouw]

"You must have this much body fat in order to make this jump"

[tuartGuy]

is this actually training if you have to jump or just a break?