Can you swim?

Moz

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Out of everyone I know, only one other person I've met is unable to swim. I have never been able to swim, depsite taking swimming lessons in school. My version of swimming is pathetically flapping around in the water.
Anyone else here that can't swim? Maybe we should throw a pool party and we can all have water wings.
 

danimarie

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I took swimming lessons for years moving up the swimming ladder!!!

My significant other, however, has never taken a lesson in his life, OR figured out how to swim, therefore he can't.
 

proudkittiemom

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I can swim, although this may sound funny but I dont remember how or when I learned to swim, my earliest memory is swimmin in my grams pool (I was young young) and I had my big orange arm floaties all the time
then I got tall enough to stand in the shallow end with no problem and went from there, but I never took lessons or anything
 

fwan

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I learnt how to float, and then in australia i took swimming lessons with the school (it was compulsery) I cant swim well, but well.. I CAN if there is a shark under me!
 

natalie_ca

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Not very well, and here is why (pasted from another post I made in another thread)

I had a horrid experience during swimming lessons when I was in grade 5. I don't know how it is where you live, but here, at least at that time, swimming lessons were part of our grade school education in grade 5.

I had never had swimming lessons before so they didn't know where to put me. They tried me in pre-beginners but I seemed to be more advanced, so they kept moving me up until I found myself in "intermediate" and on the otherside of the walkway in the deep end... 18 feet deep!

Things were going well, and I was even jumping off the platform and mid height diving boards, and I could swim 5 lengths of the pool.

However, to graduate from the class and advance to the next you had to tread water for 20 minutes. Something I never learned to do and wasn't taught in intermediate class. It was assumed that you were in that class and you should know how to do it from an earlier class.

Everytime I tried to tread water I sunk like a stone. I tried staying near the edge and sticking my toe in a hole in the wall, but the swim instructor noticed and kept telling me to get away from the wall. When I did, I sunk. So finally after I refused to leave the side of the pool she ordered me out of the pool and told me to go to the change room.

I was more than eager to do that!!!

I got out of the pool and my parents had taught me to never walk across someone's path, so I went to walk around behind her. She stepped back and blocked my way which forced me to walk in front of her.

As soon as I was in front of her she pushed me really hard and I went flying into the pool. I didn't even have a chance to catch my breath. I was quite gangly back then and weighed next to nothing, so when she pushed me I flew several feet.

All I can remember is struggling to get to the surface and seeing the lights all distorted above me and desperately needing to breathe. But each time I tried to get to the top, I went further down.

I remember finally taking a breath and how much it hurt, but that the second breath I took didn't hurt at all.

The next thing I remember is throwing up in some guys face. I spent almost 3 weeks in the hospital.

I've been afraid of water ever since. I prefer showers to baths. Water running over my face, causes me to panic even if it's water from the shower or rain. I have to use a wet cloth to wash my face because I can't splash water over my nose or mouth.

I have been swimming since, but only in water that is maybe waist high (any higher and I start to panic), and I float and can swim the front stroke or the back stroke and do the dog paddle, provided that my face remains out of the water...and so long as my feet touch the bottom if I stop swimming.
 

dragoriana

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Around grade 5 or 6 my school were doing lessons, and as i was self concious, ididn't go. I don't think in earlier ages my first school did them and my parents never took me. I taught myself
 

arie85

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Originally Posted by Moz

Out of everyone I know, only one other person I've met is unable to swim. I have never been able to swim, depsite taking swimming lessons in school. My version of swimming is pathetically flapping around in the water.
Anyone else here that can't swim? Maybe we should throw a pool party and we can all have water wings.
I say if you start trying it at early age there shouldn't be a problem.


That's what I did anyway and it did pretty well
 

silentnate

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Taught to swim at an early age- I used to be a member of a swimming club but we moved and I stopped swimming after that...
 

missymotus

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I've been able to swim for as long as I can remember.
 

jaffacake

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No, I can`t swim


Sometimes I`d love to be able to but it just makes me really panicky. We did swimming at school and I learn`t to swim with a float and I could use the float and one arm


If you have a water-wings pool party, can I bring a float?
 

liza24

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Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

Not very well, and here is why (pasted from another post I made in another thread)

I had a horrid experience during swimming lessons when I was in grade 5. I don't know how it is where you live, but here, at least at that time, swimming lessons were part of our grade school education in grade 5.

I had never had swimming lessons before so they didn't know where to put me. They tried me in pre-beginners but I seemed to be more advanced, so they kept moving me up until I found myself in "intermediate" and on the otherside of the walkway in the deep end... 18 feet deep!

Things were going well, and I was even jumping off the platform and mid height diving boards, and I could swim 5 lengths of the pool.

However, to graduate from the class and advance to the next you had to tread water for 20 minutes. Something I never learned to do and wasn't taught in intermediate class. It was assumed that you were in that class and you should know how to do it from an earlier class.

Everytime I tried to tread water I sunk like a stone. I tried staying near the edge and sticking my toe in a hole in the wall, but the swim instructor noticed and kept telling me to get away from the wall. When I did, I sunk. So finally after I refused to leave the side of the pool she ordered me out of the pool and told me to go to the change room.

I was more than eager to do that!!!

I got out of the pool and my parents had taught me to never walk across someone's path, so I went to walk around behind her. She stepped back and blocked my way which forced me to walk in front of her.

As soon as I was in front of her she pushed me really hard and I went flying into the pool. I didn't even have a chance to catch my breath. I was quite gangly back then and weighed next to nothing, so when she pushed me I flew several feet.

All I can remember is struggling to get to the surface and seeing the lights all distorted above me and desperately needing to breathe. But each time I tried to get to the top, I went further down.

I remember finally taking a breath and how much it hurt, but that the second breath I took didn't hurt at all.

The next thing I remember is throwing up in some guys face. I spent almost 3 weeks in the hospital.

I've been afraid of water ever since. I prefer showers to baths. Water running over my face, causes me to panic even if it's water from the shower or rain. I have to use a wet cloth to wash my face because I can't splash water over my nose or mouth.

I have been swimming since, but only in water that is maybe waist high (any higher and I start to panic), and I float and can swim the front stroke or the back stroke and do the dog paddle, provided that my face remains out of the water...and so long as my feet touch the bottom if I stop swimming.
wow! what happened to that person that pushed you in? if it were my parents or me and someone did that to my kid, off to jail you go!!! now wonder you feel that way, im sorry she did that to you!!!




I have been able to swim since i was 6 months old. my mom put me in baby classes, and i jsut took off from there. my ex SO tho, sinks like a stone in any water,lol
 

graciecat

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I can't swim and I've never had any desire to learn, probably because I'm scared to death of water.
If we're on vacation at the ocean or lake I'll go into the water until it touches my knees and that's as far as I'll go.
If I take my kids to the public pool it's the wading, baby pool or the most shallow end for me.
The oldest two have taken swimming lessons, but my Sister had to take them I couldn't stand to see my kids in water that deep.
I have a friend who has one of those above ground pools that's the same depth on all sides.
It's 3 feet deep, so since I'm only 5 feet tall I won't get in it.


If someone offered me a million dollars to go on a cruise I'd turn it down.
There's no way I'm going to get in that much water even if I am on a ship.
 

calico2222

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I can doggie paddle, does that count?
The actual "swimming" thing, as in olympics swimming...ummm...no. I am definitely not graceful in the water, but I can tread water and get to the side of the pool. It's funny...I hate swimming, but I love scuba diving. I think it has to do with the big air supply on my back!

And yes, any activity in water helps you lose weight because of the resistance. You are using more calories just walking around the pool than if you are walking on land, and it's easier on the joints because there isn't as much shock. You don't get hot and sweaty, but man, you're muscles will feel it the next day.
 

arie85

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Originally Posted by Graciecat

I'm scared to death of water.
But you're taking a shower every day, and drink water, and I hope I don't touch a soft-spot but you shouldn't be afraid of water, you can practice on this fear and feel much better afterwards, and I can give you an example... when I was a a kid I was afraid of dogs so much but after a few years I managed to get over it by starting with petting dogs yada yada and now I'm feeling much more better with this... although the latest events happened to my kitty
I don't feel like talking about it because some dogs killed her and it was exactly on the same day I took the 1st pic of her and that's why I don't feel like putting new photos here, so if I'm touching a soft-spot likewise please forgive me.
 

arie85

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Originally Posted by calico2222

I can doggie paddle, does that count?
The actual "swimming" thing, as in olympics swimming...ummm...no. I am definitely not graceful in the water, but I can tread water and get to the side of the pool. It's funny...I hate swimming, but I love scuba diving. I think it has to do with the big air supply on my back!

And yes, any activity in water helps you lose weight because of the resistance. You are using more calories just walking around the pool than if you are walking on land, and it's easier on the joints because there isn't as much shock. You don't get hot and sweaty, but man, you're muscles will feel it the next day.
So if I will try to translate this to Math:


Swimming > Jogging
OR
Swimming < Jogging
OR
Swimming = Jogging

?
 

calico2222

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Originally Posted by arie85

So if I will try to translate this to Math:


Swimming > Jogging
OR
Swimming < Jogging
OR
Swimming = Jogging

?
I would probably say
Swimming > jogging.

I'm not an expert on this by any means! But, if you think about it, if you are doing actual swimming (as in freestyle) you have your arms and legs moving constantly, which brings the heart rate up. Plus you have the added resistance of the water, which would be like jogging with 10 lb weights on your legs. But, your bones and joints don't have that stress of pounding down on the ground...its all muscle work, which will build the muscle and burn more calories.
 

danimarie

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Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

Not very well, and here is why (pasted from another post I made in another thread)

I had a horrid experience during swimming lessons when I was in grade 5. I don't know how it is where you live, but here, at least at that time, swimming lessons were part of our grade school education in grade 5.

I had never had swimming lessons before so they didn't know where to put me. They tried me in pre-beginners but I seemed to be more advanced, so they kept moving me up until I found myself in "intermediate" and on the otherside of the walkway in the deep end... 18 feet deep!

Things were going well, and I was even jumping off the platform and mid height diving boards, and I could swim 5 lengths of the pool.

However, to graduate from the class and advance to the next you had to tread water for 20 minutes. Something I never learned to do and wasn't taught in intermediate class. It was assumed that you were in that class and you should know how to do it from an earlier class.

Everytime I tried to tread water I sunk like a stone. I tried staying near the edge and sticking my toe in a hole in the wall, but the swim instructor noticed and kept telling me to get away from the wall. When I did, I sunk. So finally after I refused to leave the side of the pool she ordered me out of the pool and told me to go to the change room.

I was more than eager to do that!!!

I got out of the pool and my parents had taught me to never walk across someone's path, so I went to walk around behind her. She stepped back and blocked my way which forced me to walk in front of her.

As soon as I was in front of her she pushed me really hard and I went flying into the pool. I didn't even have a chance to catch my breath. I was quite gangly back then and weighed next to nothing, so when she pushed me I flew several feet.

All I can remember is struggling to get to the surface and seeing the lights all distorted above me and desperately needing to breathe. But each time I tried to get to the top, I went further down.

I remember finally taking a breath and how much it hurt, but that the second breath I took didn't hurt at all.

The next thing I remember is throwing up in some guys face. I spent almost 3 weeks in the hospital.

I've been afraid of water ever since. I prefer showers to baths. Water running over my face, causes me to panic even if it's water from the shower or rain. I have to use a wet cloth to wash my face because I can't splash water over my nose or mouth.

I have been swimming since, but only in water that is maybe waist high (any higher and I start to panic), and I float and can swim the front stroke or the back stroke and do the dog paddle, provided that my face remains out of the water...and so long as my feet touch the bottom if I stop swimming.
Oh my god!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is terrible!!! Did anything happen to that instructor??? Putting someone in the hospital and traumatizing them for life seems like it should be grounds for dismissal to me!!!!!!
 

pushylady

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I grew up a water rat!
We always loved to swim. It wasn't until I was about 8 that I actually learned to swim properly, doing all the strokes etc. But in New Zealand every primary school has a little pool and swimming lessons were part of the curriculum.
My DH can't swim though. He had a traumatic experience as a child when taking swimming lessons, and never went back.
He has been scuba diving on The Great Barrier Reef though!
 
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