USN Glasses at OCS

[sammyt]

Hey guys!

I'm currently in the process of applying to be a NFO. I have lots of questions in general but here is my main one - they're giving me a waiver because of my bad vision, so I know that I have to wear glasses for most of OCS. What happens during the water exercises and dunk tank? Do you have to take them off? My vision is that bad that it's a bit scary to even imagine doing those without being able to see. All advice and insight appreciated!

 

[Renegade One]

Do you ever go swimming underwater in a pool without your glasses? Just do that, I guess. I am/was a glasses kind of guy and had no problems with any "vision" part of training tank events. If you can see your hands you'll be fine.

 

[MGoBrew11]

You'll do the dunk tank at API, not OCS and everyone does it blindfolded anyways, so glasses won't matter. Reason being, if you had to egress underwater in real life, not a lot of light, especially if it is night time.

Not sure about OCS pool.

 

[sammyt]

My vision unfortunately is just really bad. I worry about appearing calm and relaxed if I everything is blurry

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Hey guys!

I'm currently in the process of applying to be a NFO. I have lots of questions in general but here is my main one - they're giving me a waiver because of my bad vision, so I know that I have to wear glasses for most of OCS. What happens during the water exercises and dunk tank? Do you have to take them off? My vision is that bad that it's a bit scary to even imagine doing those without being able to see. All advice and insight appreciated!

How bad are we talking? They increased the max diopters but I haven't seen someone other than nukes get the ok to go past that limit.

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

Eye wouldn’t worry about it.

 

[hlg6016]

I used to just stow them with my gear, If any thing seeing everything blurred made it easier for me to concentrate on what I had to do instead of watching my classmates in panic mode.

 

[sammyt]

Thank you all so much! I'm feeling better about it after reading everything you've said. My recruiter said no one thought they would waive me, but they did. That's how bad the eyesight is, haha.

 

[Hayley D.]

Thank you all so much! I'm feeling better about it after reading everything you've said. My recruiter said no one thought they would waive me, but they did. That's how bad the eyesight is, haha.

What's your prescription? Geez...

 

[Mos]

Are you able to swim in a strait line underwater? Honestly, that'd be the only thing about swimming and water survival that I think would really require vision (so you can see the strip at the bottom of the pool or other visual references). Even that might be done by feel and everything else in water survival (drown-proofing, helo dunker) can be done by feel.

 

[Gatordev]

Even that might be done by feel and everything else in water survival (drown-proofing, helo dunker) can be done by feel.

Except for finding that stupid nylon handle on the back, right window in the dunker. I have long arms and even I could barely reach it, let alone find it. I hate riding in that seat.

 

[scoolbubba]

Before I got laser eyeballs, my vision was 20/400. Yes, you read that right. There is a single anchor under my avatar and I started out with uncorrected vision that was 20/400. My eye exam at the NAMI whammy was "is this line horizontal, vertical, or diagonal?"

I took my contacts out for Satan's Waterpark and made it through...you'll be fine.

 

[Hammer10k]

Don't worry too much about eyesight stuff at OCS. The water training is jumping off the tower and swimming to the side, treading water, showing them you can do different strokes, etc. We did a "lights-out" simulation of a ship sinking which was just treading water in dim light. If that happens, you can hold onto the guy next to you because they give everyone life jackets.