Home » NSWC » A Look At SEAL Training: The BUD/S Obstacle Course

A Look At SEAL Training: The BUD/S Obstacle Course

by · June 14, 2012 · Posted In: NSWC
BUDS-Obstacle-course-sofrep
Here’s a look at the BUD/S obstacle course as run through by an actual SEAL with a helmet cam.

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In training a class will line up by their last recorded time and adjust in rank according to how fast or slow they are.  Imagine two hundred guys staggered, it gets jammed up real quick with guys clawing over each other for a faster time.  The good news is that in BUD/S the class size gets small really fast so the obstacle course gets less crammed up.

We would typically bury the slowest guy (by instruction) at the finish line so he could watch everyone run over him, only his head was showing. You did NOT want to be “that guy”…



I talked about my own experience falling off the Slide-for-Life on this o-course in my book, The Red Circle.

About The Author

Brandon Webb is a former U.S. Navy SEAL with combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and elsewhere in the Middle East. His last tour in the SEAL Teams was as the Course Manager for the US Navy SEAL Sniper program, arguably one of the most difficult sniper courses in the world. He was formerly a contributing editor for Military.com, and currently the Editor-in-Chief of SOFREP.com. Brandon is regularly featured in the media as a subject matter expert on military affairs. An avid writer, his last two books (The Red Circle, & Benghazi: The Definitive Report) both hit the New York Times best seller list, and his writing has been featured in print, and digital media worldwide. You can follow him on Twitter @BrandontWebb
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Tango9
Tango9 like.author.displayName 1 Like

So if I'm in Coronado and I can get on base and no one is using it... can I run this?  Clearance from the SEAL instructors required?

BrandonWebb
BrandonWebb moderator

 @Tango9 Prob. not...

 

Tango9
Tango9

 @BrandonWebb Chuck Finley3 down there, on the twitter feed said he ran it on Sunday?  Just didn't get caught?

Tango9
Tango9

 @BrandonWebb Figured.  While the entertainment value of watching me try to do the O-course would be worth it's weight in gold, I'd likely lose an eye at some point.

ArcticWarrior
ArcticWarrior

 @Tango9

 Its kind of surprisng but you can drive or ride your Mtn Bike right past it on the Blvd.

Tango9
Tango9

 @jeffreycarr Hah!  That'd be a day I might not forget.  I'm sure I could outrun them... o.0

jeffreycarr
jeffreycarr like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

 @Tango9  I think you should give it a shot. What's the worst that could happen - that you'd piss off a few Navy SEAL drill instructors? I'm sure that they'd be very polite and restrained.

Tango9
Tango9 like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @BrandonWebb safety issues?  or you're just saying my fat ass probably couldn't get through it?

OS2SAR
OS2SAR like.author.displayName 1 Like

Hey......  When did they get rid of the vertical telephone poles after the parallel bars?  Those were awesome!  BUD/S 198

BrandonWebb
BrandonWebb moderator

 @OS2SAR The early 90's....

OS2SAR
OS2SAR

 @BrandonWebb   Hmmm... I guess it must've been after late '94 then.  Those were the best part of the O-course for me....  well except for the time I planted my boot on one off the last ones, slipped and went crashing into the wall... 

Smokey
Smokey

Yeah let me just go and get my boots before I pull off these sick backflips and shit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not.

gaelichunter
gaelichunter like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

After seeing that and reading in The Red Circle the condition that your hands were in, I can't imagine how you got down that Tower.  Brutal.  Fantastic book by the way for those of you who have not read it!

BrandonWebb
BrandonWebb moderator

 @gaelichunter You have to hang upside down in 1st phase....the example is using the 2nd phase and much easier method...

dm8471
dm8471

I'd like to see a comparison of the Nasty Nick vs. The Grinder. That'd be pretty sweet.

 

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Tango9
Tango9 like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @Matt2 OUCH!  That was the first thing I thought when I saw it:  "I'd definitely take a header off that..."

 

Bet that was an owie, eh Matt?

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Sharon Friedman
Sharon Friedman

 @Tango9 Nothing like walking over a river bridge and watching the guy in front of you sliding and landing split on his privates. The entire team can be fell over with a feather after such a laughing fit :)

ArcticWarrior
ArcticWarrior like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

 @Tango9    @Matt2

 Lol...and the Ladies have no idea of the physical as well as psychological trauma

Tango9
Tango9 like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @ArcticWarrior  @Matt2 clinch yer ass cheeks and snuggle the important bits up.  It's an acquired skill.

ArcticWarrior
ArcticWarrior like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

 @Tango9    @Matt2

At 2:20 when he hits the Ball Buster I instinctively exhaled and at 2:24 I couldnt watch, ever wonder who thinks of those things?  "Hey lets have them use their groin for leverage and balance on a log, even better let them do it twice at one station!"

ArcticWarrior
ArcticWarrior like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

 @Tango9  @Matt2

Yeah nothing like a face full of dirt and bloody teeth, with an instructor screaming at you before the next guy lands on you.

Tango9
Tango9 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

 @ArcticWarrior  @Matt2 When the instructors hold up a card that says "7.4" as you faceplant you know it's bad.

ArcticWarrior
ArcticWarrior like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

 @Matt2

 Matt, T9, now I dont feel so bad knowing others got roughed up, bloodied and jellied on there respective branches Murderhorn. Face first into the Georgia Red from about 6 feet up.

Tango9
Tango9 like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @Matt2 Did you have a chance to think:  "this is gonna hurt?" that's the worst part.

ChuckFinley3
ChuckFinley3

@BrandonTWebb Do the teams surf much? I noticed a lot of boards lined up inside the fence at Coronado.

ChuckFinley3
ChuckFinley3

@BrandonTWebb I think it would have been harder had I been tired, wet, and sandy.

ChuckFinley3
ChuckFinley3

@BrandonTWebb I'm a civilian and ran that myself on a Sunday afternoon. Only a couple of guys around any nobody seemed to care. Very cool!

romeocorpen
romeocorpen

Pretty killer time but what really impressed me was that he wore his Rolex GMT Master II for it.  Proof once again that watches are made to be worn!

mattyhoran
mattyhoran

 @romeocorpen I was more concerned by the fact he had a wedding ring on! Way to lose a finger!

Seriously impressed though - great economy of movement. Didn't seem to be hammering it, just smooth.

Suspect if would be a little slower with guys falling off in front of you though :)

 

repoulin
repoulin

They opened up courses in Thailand for those who wanted to take a vacation and take a special forces training exercise. I would like to try this one out, although I might be the last guy to cross.

LauraWalkerKC
LauraWalkerKC moderator like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 4 Like

Why thank you Mr. Webb.  I will take any excuse to review my favorite SEALs Water Obstacle Course training video. 

 

http://youtu.be/YQImwoCfKRY

 

And here's to all terrain Assbaddery :)

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LauraWalkerKC
LauraWalkerKC moderator like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @ACS  Welcome to SOFREP.  You are surrounded by men who can conquer those courses.  No sudden moves, no one gets hurt :)

Sig and KAC
Sig and KAC

By his uniform, it looks like that's an instructor, right? 

 

I would love to give the O Course a try.  It's on my bucket list. 

Tango9
Tango9 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

That was kick ass.  I'm thinkin' he's done it once or twice before!  We have the weaver and some similar obstacles but the geniuses that built them didn't use steel poles they used 4x4s.  My triceps were reduced to hamburger more than once on that damn thing.  Great vid.

This comment has been deleted

Tango9
Tango9 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

 @Matt2 As instructors, we ran it a few times a year just as fun.  Had I had the time I'd have made better use of it but it was an hour march and back then our schedule was so tight I had more pressing issues with my flights.

ArcticWarrior
ArcticWarrior like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

Nice technique on the transfer ropes, but at 02:24 my groin made me look the other way

This comment has been deleted

ArcticWarrior
ArcticWarrior like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @Matt2

 Checking on the stick floating serenly and gently through the dark night on a night-tac

ArcticWarrior
ArcticWarrior

 @Matt2

 Lol...Oh that was the Space Jockey/ Engineer from Prometheus. I used it briefy while commenting on a SciFi board.