You no longer need to prove you can swim to join the Royal Navy

The decision has proved to be controversial (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Given that much of the job is spent at sea, you’d expect being able to swim to be quite a major part of signing up for the Royal Navy.

However, applicants no longer need to show they have that ability.

Previously, recruits would have to pass a 30-minute swimming test but that requirement has now been scrapped after a fall in recruits.

Instead, naval bosses are relying on people self-declaring that they can do so.

They said they removed the measure to encourage applicants from a more diverse pool, but experts said that it’s a desperate measure.

Defence secretary Grant Shapps claimed in February that recruitment was improving with applications at an eight-year high.

An anonymous defence source told Sky News: ‘I absolutely get that there is a growing issue around young people being able to swim and therefore, maintaining the swim test could be seen as reducing the “pool of eligible candidates”, but at what point do we say enough is enough?

‘Recruits who can’t swim will need additional training and therefore their ‘working days’ in training will be longer. Surely avoiding this by learning to swim before joining is the best for everyone – including the taxpayer?

Recrutiment and retention are ‘absolute priorities’ for the force a spokesperson said (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)

‘This is just spin, a distraction – they’re desperate.’

Those who make it to training who can’t swim will remain in Phase 1 basic training while they receive swimming lessons.

The defence source added this forces the taxpayer to pay for service personnel while they train – instead of ensuring the recruit simply learns on their own time.

The Navy may also need to recruit more swimming instructors to help people swim so they can move beyond the Phase 1 training.

A Royal Navy spokesperson said the change has been introduced because recruitment and retention are ‘absolute priorities’.

The spokesperson said: ‘All Royal Navy and Royal Marine candidates are required to successfully pass the swim test to be able to pass out of Phase 1 training and the level of swimming ability required has not changed.

‘Recruitment and retention are absolute priorities, which is why we are introducing a range of measures to speed up recruitment.

‘These changes are to reduce the delay for candidates that are eligible to join, while retaining the same level of swimming ability.’

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