I arranged a boat trip for my project team. One of our managers asked if there would be life preservers because she didn't know how to swim. I get the Indian guys I work with not being able to swim. There's crocodiles and raw sewage in the water over there. But this gal grew up in Minnesota. So here's the question, if you don't know how to swim - why not? And why haven't you learned?
Can you swim?
- Thread starter WayneDougan_rivals170043
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Can swim just can't tread water. Believe I've posted about my swimming issues in here before.
Could swim at 4. Almost drown at 5. Scared of water. Almost drown again at 8. Taught myself to swim again at 16.
Could swim at 4. Almost drown at 5. Scared of water. Almost drown again at 8. Taught myself to swim again at 16.
Not everyone has/had access to a swimming pool to learn how to swim. And based on the cost, upkeep and liabilities fewer schools and municipalities are building public pools and/or keeping them in full repair.
Dude, I've yet to see a country club w/o a pool. Everyone has access.
Thee is one of those opening up in Lexington (maybe already open). Seems like it would be MILF central.
My beloved Corps taught me to swim in 1990....I can swim enough to save myself but not a fan of water at all. I do need to teach my 10 year old soon though....just not the way I was taught
True confessions: I swam every summer day from ages 7-12. Swim team and all that jazz.
My boys never have learned, although they both have taught themselves fairly well, just not confident at it. Oldest had lessons when he was 4 but it was a bad experience.
#ParentFail
My boys never have learned, although they both have taught themselves fairly well, just not confident at it. Oldest had lessons when he was 4 but it was a bad experience.
#ParentFail
Sure can take the biggest bong hits but the question was can you swim.
If you're over the age of 8-10, able bodied, and live south of the 45th (or so) parallel, and you cannot swim, you're a loser and your parents failed you.
I can swim, but the only water near me is the ocean. Sharks can swim, too. Therefore, I don't.
I can swim, even have a scuba certification, but I'm terrified to dive into water head first. I tried to learn diving, but belly flopped so many time that I never wanted to try t again.
You're probably about as likely to get struck by lightning, Jesus. There are umpteen millions of people in the ocean every day and a handful of shark attacks per year. That is a damn defeatist attitude sir, grow a set and enjoy the ocean.
Sharks also enjoy eating testicles. Saw it on shark week. So no, still not going in.
Any adult who doesn't swim, I'd bet that there's more fear to it than inaccessibility. It's a pretty common fear as a kid. From there you just don't bother trying to learn I guess.
Working on the 1600m right now. Having real trouble with my endurance and mastering "the flip" though, so I can never go more than 400 meters without taking a quick breather. Good sprint swimmer, though.
Swimming is one of the best exercises you can do. Great cardio, no impact on the joints. My favorite workout is laps, and then jumping over to the Hottub, Sauna, and Steam room to relax. Keep rotating for a few hours. You'll feel like a million bucks after.
Working on the 1600m right now. Having real trouble with my endurance and mastering "the flip" though, so I can never go more than 400 meters without taking a quick breather. Good sprint swimmer, though.
Swimming is one of the best exercises you can do. Great cardio, no impact on the joints. My favorite workout is laps, and then jumping over to the Hottub, Sauna, and Steam room to relax. Keep rotating for a few hours. You'll feel like a million bucks after.
As for Oceans, I'd be more scared of riptide than sharks. Swimming in the ocean, more than just 3 feet of water, isn't easy. And if you get into trouble, you can't just grab on to the ledge like a pool.
Love the water. I've swam in pools, ponds, creeks, rivers, lakes and oceans.
I'm an average swimmer though. My rule of thumb is to use a life jacket in any bodies of water with a current or a deep *** bottom.
I'm an average swimmer though. My rule of thumb is to use a life jacket in any bodies of water with a current or a deep *** bottom.
Swimming in lakes in kinda creepy. At least an ocean, it's just sand and you're generally never over 6 feet deep. But a lake, if you anchor your boat out in the middle and jump in... nothing but murkiness for hundreds of feet beneath you.
I usually need a beer or two before I swim in a lake that isn't off a dock.
I usually need a beer or two before I swim in a lake that isn't off a dock.
Says the guy who STILL can't hit a curve ball.
:baseball: ( ball leaving pitcher's hand )
( mav's goofy *** swing is right about here )
( ball ends up in catcher's mit over there--------> ) :baseball:
OP: I learned how to swim when i was 4. Taught both of my kids how to swim when they were 4.
Swim, yes! I do laps in pools to keep up my cardio. It's really helpful during the summer, the resistance the water has and it cools you off in the summer helps your cardio out a lot. Wouldn't swim in a creek, lake, quarry or river by choice. Only if I had to save someone one. The end of Lake Barkley where I fish all kinds of water snakes. No thanks.
didn't realize so many people had issues swimming or certain issues regarding swimming until recently. Although my mother was head over the red cross swimming instruction during summers where I'm from so I've been taught since an extremely young age. It must be fear because swimming is easier than getting a degree at UNC. There's nothing at all to it.
I do agree with an above poster though, if you're a mature teen or young adult / above and can't swim, slap your parents.
I do agree with an above poster though, if you're a mature teen or young adult / above and can't swim, slap your parents.
They taught you? I thought the guys that failed that horrible swim test were sent home. That's why I thought it was crazy that the recruiter didn't ask me if I could swim. I could swim so it didn't matter.
In my little town I only knew of one pool and it was at a country club. Us poors didn't have access to it. We swam at "swimming holes" up and down the creek. I don't remember not knowing how to swim. There were not any adults anywhere around. Yet I can never remember ever hearing of anyone drowning. I suppose I learned by getting "thrown in." Happened that way with just about everybody. Nobody had swimming trunks. You just hoped that there would be a pair of cut off jeans laying around there. If not you just jumped in butt naked. Only two or three times a summer did any girls show up. They showed up as a group in obviously a planned outing. That was a big deal for the boys. Girls (nor boys) wore shorts back in those days. To see a girl in a bathing suit (pre-bikini or two piece)) was a great thrill.
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I'm taking my kids up to the lake in a few weeks, but I'll be gone throughout the day. I'm actually terrified of them swimming even with my wife around. And it's a clear lake up in Michigan.
How clear is clear? Even some of the cleanest lakes in the adirondacks you can't see past 8 or 10 feet.
Hopefully you have an area where they can wade in, or swim and touch the bottom if they are older.. If they go on a boat I'd definitely make them wear life jackets.
Hopefully you have an area where they can wade in, or swim and touch the bottom if they are older.. If they go on a boat I'd definitely make them wear life jackets.
I have been swimming in KY Lake off and on for 25 years. I had two encounters with water snakes near the shore. One very funny one where the snake and I saw one another and both turned and swam away. Never any encounters in deeper water. I have seen video of a rattler cruising the lake and figure that would not be fun.
The water snake with bands is one I have dealt with. The diamondback water snake is much larger. I have seen them more in Barkley. They often stand in water more than lie on top.
Jump in....they will leave.
I worked up to swimming 1600m, but never could do a flip turn. I did learn how to breath on both sides. I was slow as molasses in January doing it too. An average hs swimmer would have done the same distance in half the time. Good work out though.
I passed the swim portion of my scuba certification by swimming on my back. I don't recall the distance, just that there was no time limit, use any stroke, don't touch the sides of the pool. Resting backstroke then.
I don't get in anything over 5' deep or over 5' high. I'm 5'7". I can stand flat footed a long time before I drown. Plus it's hard to break your neck at that height.
This rule has served me well.
This rule has served me well.
That's funny it swam away too, glad that it did. Always heard that most snakes are afraid of people as you are of them. I never tested that theory though. The one that gets me is the water moccasin, seen two of them fighting in San Antonio in a creek that ran though downtown, thought that was odd for the city. My Grandpa used to shoot them if they were around when we fished. I was at Barkley in May fishing off a bridge, great catfish spot and a wooded area on the other side, good fishing spot on that side too but was where I encountered the water snakes with the bands. Oddly enough the side with snakes, I caught more on. Think I saw snakes about 8-10 times that day. All but one was the water snake with the bands. Can't remember what the other one looked liked. Barkley has been the place where I've had my most experiences with snakes.
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I never had to be taught, I just jumped in and swam as a kid. I don't get what's so hard about it.
I grew up swimming in ponds, rivers, gravel pits, lakes, and swimming pools. I learned how to tread after my father told my 2 brothers to pitch me off the dock. Used to be able to hold my breath for 2'.....free diving regularly up to 25'. Got all swimming merit badges in the Scouts. Was a lifeguard at the local State Park pool. Eventually achieved SCUBA certification in a dank/murky lake. In college I finally took formalize classes....beginner, intermediate, and advanced. "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears...in...rain. Time to die."
Now, I'm fat....can't hold my breath more than 30 seconds.....doubtful I could save anyone's life.....but I can still tread water enough to keep my beer safe.
Now, I'm fat....can't hold my breath more than 30 seconds.....doubtful I could save anyone's life.....but I can still tread water enough to keep my beer safe.
Can swim. Can't float. Had to get a waiver signed by the effing Secretary of the Navy (John Lehman) to get out of boot camp. Could do everything to pass the 3rd Class Swim Test EXCEPT the 5 minute prone float. My bucket list is to make it to the Dead Sea to prove that there is ONE human that will sink in the Dead Sea. (or maybe I'm not really human...)
I used to fail the swim test at scout camp because I couldn't float on my back for 2 min. I was a skinny kid, could swim, but just not enough body fat to float. I'd spend 20 min treading water while I tried.