Combat Side Stroke

I myself am training to enter the Navy as an EOD tech. Ive been training really hard in the pool, but only in freestyle that's what I thought the test would consist of. I can swim with freestyle in 8 minutes and 43 seconds, but my recruiter informed me recently that I would not be using the Stoke freestyle, side stroke only the fighting. is so difficult to do so in time?

The hill climb is not that difficult if you're used to. You use a lot more work than many freestyle legs. It is easier to swim racing side with the fins, you have to use once you are Diving School, or EOD Tech. But I do not think you can use during the test (unless they have changed over the last 9 years). If you are not comfortable with the race aside now, then you better start. Good luck.