Non flight deck equipped cutters shall have how many Surface Swimmers?

• A. 0
• B. 1
• C. 2
• D. 3

Answer: (B)

Surface swimmers are the crew members trained to perform water rescues and assist survivors during boating operations. On cutters without a flight deck, the standard requirement is one surface swimmer. This single swimmer can assist a distressed person, help bring them to safety, and coordinate with the deck crew without adding unnecessary crowding or complexity on deck. If a cutter has a flight deck, additional surface swimmers are typically needed to support helicopter hoists and faster response in SAR scenarios, which is why the non flight deck configuration calls for only one.