FRIDAY FOTO (August 17, 2018)

Sub Swim Call.

(U.S. Navy photo by Senior Chief Petty Officer Vien Nguyen)

Sailors assigned to the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine, USS Olympia, participate in a swim call at sea in the Pacific Ocean, July 31, 2018. We’ve seen photos of swim calls before, but never one on a submarine.

Swim Call, as you might imagine, is a period when there is time for some of the crew to jump off the ship — or in this case boat — for a little exercise and recreation.  The tradition dates back as far as World War II, according to an article in the British newspaper, the Daily Mail, which includes a bunch of photos of sailors taking a dip from all sorts of U.S. Navy vessels. The Daily Mail piece also notes there is always a few folks keeping watch for sharks from a dinghy or rubber boat near the swimmers.