Once the First Phase class is finalized, there is a traditional party on the beach the Saturday night before class begins. This is where all SEAL candidates shave their heads and celebrate wildly, because as of Monday, life ends as you know it. You are now property of the SEAL instructors.
First Phase is very demanding. The sixth week of First Phase is the infamous "Hell Week." After "Hell Week," we were given one week in tennis shoes to allow the swelling in our feet to go down. Soon we were back in jungle boots. Now we were qualified to learn SEAL tactics, stealth, concealment, and Hydro Reconnaissance.
Then came Second Phase, or Dive Phase. Here we learned about scuba diving with open air scuba tanks. Once we gained the instructors' confidence, we were allowed to use pure oxygen tanks.
