Surfing seal

The 0’20 team in Taiwan met with Yaogao, who really is an interesting character. In the conversation, the topic came up about the impact that an article on SEALs had had there, which was written by Spaniards and appeared in the first edition of Asian 0’20 (the Chinese version). And he confessed to us: “like good Asians we wanted to copy*, sorry, pay a tribute to those great players and show that in Taiwan, we could also be great recreators by doing a photo session of the highest level.”

 *(it’s a joke :) )

“SURFING SEAL” was a SEAL recreation photo session that rounded off a process which had begun back in 2011.  At that time in our team, BBWT, we started to acquire new parts for our equipment. And now, some time later, we wanted to show what we had achieved in a spectacular session among the waves.  

As a reference, we used a public demonstration performed by SEALs in Colorado for the 4th of July (national holiday) in the early 2000s. At this time, equipment with the MOLLE system was not very popular and most SEALs still mainly used 1195, TAC-V1 and LBV. Among them there was one wearing a SPEAR ELCS and this is what I specifically chose to recreate in the session.

SPEAR ELCS. Although we saw this vest in the demonstration performed in Colorado, we can’t say that this is a piece that represents SEAL equipment even though it is a classic product from that time. 

The name of the session, which is probably what attracts people’s attention most, was suggested to us by one our members who works in the wave industry (what he calls surf). Not long before, he had recorded a video of himself surfing with a camouflage suit while posing with replicas and making various tactical gestures. All while on a surfboard - what a guy! In this session, we also used a motor boat and other accessories (it’s a shame that we couldn’t use one of the SEAL Zodiacs in the end). So as you can see, when the suggestion was made, there was no reason to give it any name other than: “Surfing SEAL”.    

The beach chosen for the session is in the area of Jialeshuei, in Pingtung County, in the south of Taiwan. However, the river was in the Checheng mountains, which is an area also used by the Armed Forces for military exercises. Finding the right place is always the most important thing when considering an outdoor session. Hengchun boasts mountains and rivers, and it is also quite well-known for its coastal scenery. So with such an extensive and diverse natural richness on offer, it was an exceptional place to take outstanding photos. 

As I mentioned earlier, our equipment wasn’t very complete, so in order to achieve the best result possible, we swapped and gave each other parts of equipment as needed throughout the session. For example, some pieces like the UDT life jackets were almost impossible to find and we had very few of them, so we had to take photos in small groups in turns so that everyone appeared with the life jacket on.   

The jungle river session was a really pleasant and relaxing experience. It was extremely hot and with our uniforms and vests, we started to sweat like pigs. But after getting into the cool water, that feeling of stifling heat immediately disappeared. We had, of course, prepared the equipment and replicas so that they could get wet and even be immersed in water. We also had to be really careful with both the big and small stones so as not to trip on them, fall over or sprain something while moving and posing in combat stance, so every step was important.      

In the beach photos, as well as the famous UDT, the fins that we carried in our hands were also a key piece that really stood out. If you take a closer look, you’ll see that they are SCUBAPRO Jet Fins. 

In conclusion, the rising sun on the beaches of Taiwan bobbed to and fro with the slight swell, allowing us to catch a glimpse of the figures emerging from the warm water towards the sand. Their skin was brown and their movements were slow, which soon made it possible for the gold silhouette of their rifles to be discovered. They came from the sea, they are the Surfing SEALs.