The Special Boat Service Unit of the U.K. is probably one of the most secretive units in the world. When most special forces activities from the U.K. across the globe are attributed to the S.A.S., in some instances it might have been the Special Boat Service Instead. They are trained for Special reconnaissance, Counter-terrorism, and Unconventional Warfare.

Those elite soldiers are well known for being a specialist with canoes. They are swift as no other unit in the world in terms of infiltration by sea.

Motto: "By Strength and Guile"

Established in: "1940"

To join, one must have least spend 2 years in the British Military to join pre-selection. Most candidates will join from the ranks of the Royal Marines. Only a handful of candidates will make it through one of the most demanding selection processes in the world.

Former British SBS Workout

This fitness is extremely hard. This information is found in the book of former SBS Operator Duncan Falconer "First Into Action". A candidate most likely does not have to go through the same scrutiny as they used to have to go through. The Water test entails candidates having to share a re-breather in hollow water between team members without coming to the surface.

Selection SBS Course

It is to note that nowadays, the SBS and SAS Selection are combined in one Selection Phase. The terms are the same for each participant. However, this has not always been the case. According to the Book of Falconer, candidates would go through long ruck marches with weights ranging up to 175 lbs, where the candidates would not only wear all their gear but also wear their canoe on their backs. 3 of the 4 months of Selection would be spent in the field. The candidates don't receive a lot of sleep. Their mental agility would also be tested on various occasions. Candidates paddled their canoes for 30 miles, go through communications training, weapons training, and lots of theoretical knowledge in-classroom training. They would perform hours on calisthenic sessions, combining also running with swimming. This is not done in perfect sunny conditions. Candidates would be constantly tested in cold temperatures, and the norm was swimming through half-frozen lakes.

British SBS Reserve Workout

To join the British SBS Reserve, one must successfully ruck run 13 KM with 25 KG in 1 hour and 50 minutes. They will then have to swim 500 meters non-stop, followed by a water retrieval exercise of an object lying at a depth of 5 meters. They are further tested by a ruck of 15 km with 25 KM, and a ruck of 24 KM with 30 KG. The times are most likely set by the cadre. The British SBS Reserve Pre-Selection Test is spread out onto 4 days of testing.

SBS Swimmer Canoeist Course

The Swimmer Canoeist Course, also called SC3 Course, is a specialization course, that all SBS candidates will have to endure.