Coast Guard Surfmen are an elite group of highly-skilled boat operators, known as coxswain, who specialize in operating boats in surf and heavy weather conditions.

Before candidates can earn this distinguished and historic title, they must complete a rigorous training program that culminates with the Surfman Course held at the National Motor Lifeboat School in Ilwaco, Washington.

We spent multiple days with the most recent Surfman class to give you an inside look at their training. During the course, the students were notified of a potential mariner in distress near their location and quickly, their final day of training turned into a real-life rescue operation!

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