Royal Navy recruits no longer have to prove they can swim in bid to boost candidate numbers
ROYAL Navy recruits will no longer need to prove they can swim to join the force.
Non or weak swimmers will even be given lessons in the water in the hopes of boosting candidate numbers.
There will no longer be a 30-minute swim test before being recruited in a change to entry requirements, a source told Sky News.
“In a sign of true desperation to increase recruitment numbers, being able to swim will no longer be an entry requirement to join the Royal Navy,” the source said.
Applicants in future will be able to “self-declare” they can swim, and if they cannot pass a test will remain in Phase 1 basic training while they learn.
The Navy may also need to find more swimming instructors as a result of the change.
The Force is facing a recruitment crisis — after hiring less than half of the new joiners it required in 2023.
Just 120 Royal Marines and 250 sailors were enlisted in the three months to July 23.
It follows warnings from First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key that the service is waging a “war for talent”.
A spokesman for the Royal Navy said last year: “Tackling our recruitment challenge is a top priority.”
They added “recruitment volumes” varied throughout the year and the Navy is working “to improve the career route for our people”.