Who taught you how to swim?

[d182]

Did you learn how to swim via certified lessons or on your own (maybe a family member taught you how)?


"But Lisa Okun, a co-ordinator at Safe Kids Canada, says that unless a parent is a certified instructor, they should leave swimming lessons to the professionals.

“Kids should be taught to swim by people who are certified and have been trained in swimming instruction and know how to teach kids what to do in the water,” she says, adding there’s a skill progression that’s important to get right, and keep age-appropriate."


^I guess its common to learn through formal lessons from a lifeguard. I thought the quote above was ironic cuz I learned to swim through means completely opposite of what she's saying.

Personally, I learned to swim when I was 6. We lived in a townhouse complex with a pool so I basically had unlimited access during the summers. Anyway, it was my mom who taught me how to swim - funny thing is, she wasn't even in the water when it happened and she doesn't know how to swim herself. When I started to learn, I had already spent lots of free time playing in the pool so I was comfortable around water. I remember trying to learn and getting really frustrated but eventually I had an epiphany moment where I put everything together and swam from one of the pool to the other (width of the pool).

My mom's instructions when she taught me: "look at the other kids! Move your arms faster, now use your legs!" Something along the lines of that. I still picture those days with her supervising at the pool in long pants, long sleeves and a straw hat in the middle of summer lol Anyway, ever since then, I've loved going out for a swim.

TLDR - I learned to swim without a lifeguard after being given the freedom to play in the pool without any pressure of learning how to swim in the first place.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/parenting/teaching-kids-to-swim-does-it-have-to-be-left-to-the-experts/article4410500/

[Manatus]

Did you learn how to swim via certified lessons or on your own (maybe a family member taught you how)?



^I guess its common to learn through formal lessons from a lifeguard. I thought the quote above was ironic cuz I learned to swim through means completely opposite of what she's saying.

Personally, I learned to swim when I was 6. We lived in a townhouse complex with a pool so I basically had unlimited access during the summers. Anyway, it was my mom who taught me how to swim - funny thing is, she wasn't even in the water when it happened and she doesn't know how to swim herself. When I started to learn, I had already spent lots of free time playing in the pool so I was comfortable around water. I remember trying to learn and getting really frustrated but eventually I had an epiphany moment where I put everything together and swam from one of the pool to the other (width of the pool).

My mom's instructions when she taught me: "look at the other kids! Move your arms faster, now use your legs!" Something along the lines of that. I still picture those days with her supervising at the pool in long pants, long sleeves and a straw hat in the middle of summer lol Anyway, ever since then, I've loved going out for a swim.

TLDR - I learned to swim without a lifeguard after being given the freedom to play in the pool without any pressure of learning how to swim in the first place.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/parenting/teaching-kids-to-swim-does-it-have-to-be-left-to-the-experts/article4410500/

Same as you, pretty much. On a nice tropical vacation, one of those giant landscaped pools, got tired of splashing in the kid area while watching dad "explore" the whole pool, so I basically just followed what he was doing, very slowly. My younger sister was the complete opposite, she went to organized swimming classes with a whole bunch of kids, certified trained instructor and lifeguard etc., in an Olympic spec pool, learned how to do each stroke by the book, corrected and repeated etc. Interestingly enough, I love swimming and still swim every chance I get, whereas she never really does it anymore even though she's technically a much better swimmer. I guess to her it was like piano lessons, you gotta do it every week because Mom makes you, whereas for me I always associated swimming with fun from the very first time I did it.

In my opinion swimming and other sports can be some of the most fun things for a kid or an adult. Of course you should do it safely, but the more and more that you force them to train as a "little pro" (unless they want to), the greater the chance of ruining that. Things like swimming, tennis, soccer etc. can so easily be like games that a kid will look forward to for a whole week and love being active... but so many people turn them into just another lesson (and an expensive one, trainers aren't cheap), and who wants more school?

[longitude]

Death.

I almost died one day, and that taught me how to swim.

[peanutz]

I actually don't remember who taught me and how I learned. Could've been my cousins (5-7 years older than me); my aunt; or my dad.

In some capacity you can certainly learn on your own. I still cannot do the breaststroke, however. :O

My dad taught me to ride my bike. :]

[flashy_mcflash]

Took swimming lessons from Parks & Rec from a very early age.

[LaserEnvy]

I can't swim. I sink straight to the bottom.

[dragon_drift]

I saw people swim and imitated their actions. However, I still can't swim on my back.

[Stock R]

Learned through City Parks & Rec programs. Went through all the levels. Then taught kids for a few years myself.

And then realized, all the stuff they taught me was absolute garbage. Can I swim? Sure. But I'm the frigging slowest swimmer in the world. Ends up the City/Red Cross style swimming lessons are about "safety" and not about efficiency/effectiveness/etc.

If you learned stuff like the below about swimming, you got fooled.

1) Front stroke - 'S'-pull.
2) Breast stroke - waterline stays at forehead
3) Elementary backstroke - this isn't even a real stroke

Now I have the joy of un-learning all the stuff I was taught and trying to teach myself proper swim mechanics.

[D-Roc]

From what I recall I learned mostly on my own with some guidance from my older siblings.

[sandikosh]

No one taught me how to swim. I taught myself never in water higher than kneee level.

[Sylvestre]

Most people don't actually know how to swim. What I mean by that is that most people are adept at swimming about 15-20m but beyond that, they actually get in trouble (and that's not accounting for stamina or fitness - just improper technique and breathing).

[Piro21]

I took a few intro classes at a community center to learn the basics (how to float and tread water), then read up on the internet about proper strokes, breathing techniques, etc. The rest was just practice.

I'm not surprised by this though. This is Canada, where nobody is allowed to know anything unless they're 'certified'.

[natalka]

I remember taking lessons from when I was five years old - not sure how much I knew before then.
We took lessons at our city swimming pool - through school during the winter (school division paid as part of phys ed), then I would take the next set of lessons in the summertime. Ended up going as far as my Bronze Medallion.

[iEyeCaptain]

I still cannot do the breaststroke, however. :O

I could say something very mean here. But I won't. 0=D. But you can probably guess what I was going to say! ;)


I saw people swim and imitated their actions. However, I still can't swim on my back.

I can teach you, cumpare. Boy price.

OP:

I went to swimming school with certified instructors. $20/hour in 1994.

[dchimera]

Death.

I almost died one day, and that taught me how to swim.

Lol. My older sister learned the same way when she was a little kid. Went down a waterslide that led to a deep pool when she couldn't swim. She was forced to figure it out right there. We later tried the same thing for me, but that was at a wavepool...bad idea...

[d182]

I can't swim. I sink straight to the bottom.

I think its tough to learn the older you are cuz you lose any confidence that you may have had in your younger days AND you have a mindset where fear just takes over.

[sylpherware]

Swimming lessons at around age 7-8.
Still can't open my eyes under water without goggles tho... Is that a natural talent or can it be trained?
I tried practicing it in a sink, but they hurt as soon as I open them.

[peanutz]

I could say something very mean here. But I won't. 0=D. But you can probably guess what I was going to say! Please, just be mean to me. I prefer when people just say what they think. Just as long as it's not *stupid*.

Having said that, YES IT WOULD PROBABLY HELP IF I HAD BIGGER FAT-FILLED PECTORAL BUOYS TO KEEP ME AFLOAT. :razz:

[flexwong]

Took lessons when I was a kid and couldn't do it. Hated water. Took them again when I was about 12 and for some reason, was able to figure it out! Went on for a bit more, all the way to level 9 or 10 and then stopped. Good enough.

[Buggy166]

fear of drowning taught me how to swim.

[AudiDude]

Lessons. IIRC, they had:

Tadpole
Guppies
Water sharks
Barracuda

and I think there was one more and then Life Guard.

I skipped the first two because the parents said I was too big and could fall on and hurt the other kids. I took it all the way to Life Guard. They didn't want to give it to me because of my age. We did CPR, rescue techniques, treading water for extended periods of time and well as being submerged for extended periods of time. Lots of relay swimming, breast stroke etc. I have no fear of water and swimming, but respect water as you only need two inches to drown in.

My mom had us do everything. I also took figure skating. When our school would go on trips to the local pool or ice rink, there were three of us who had so much more advanced skills , it wasn't funny. One of schools gave us a badge for earning a certain level, but it was three levels beneath my red cross ranking, so of course I got it with ease.

[stealth]

Swimming lessons for a few summers at Runnymede collegiate as a small boy.

I still suck at swimming...I sink, and also swimming in lakes seems way harder than swimming in pools. I think I'd just focus on trying to float/tread water if I was ever in a real jam.

[Xiaohaibao]

I still do not know how to swim. :(

My parents wouldn't let me go to the pool when I was little, and when I was older I was too ashamed that I couldn't swim so I didn't go.

I would like to take lessons now but I'm ashamed because I'm so old.

[wilsonlam97]

I still do not know how to swim. :(

My parents wouldn't let me go to the pool when I was little, and when I was older I was too ashamed that I couldn't swim so I didn't go.

I would like to take lessons now but I'm ashamed because I'm so old.

Don't be ashamed adult land creature. Let the swim teach you and you teach the swim.

[dibksbgon]

Both. I did all the lessons when they were called tadpole and guppy and so forth and then the colours and then the Bronze things, then NLS to become a lifeguard. Gave me my first job really.
But when I was only a couple years old I would jump off the diving board and the side into the deep end (with no fear according to my mom) to follow my big brothers.

Swimming is a basic life skill and so important. Also important is to know you do not drink and swim which has been responsible for so many drowning deaths in Ontario and Quebec this year. The little tots that have drowned is the result of poor supervision. But back to the older folks, excluding the alcohol factor, they have all been poor swimmers. Not blaming them, but it is so important you know your limitations and respect the potential dangers of water without being fearful (which is mitigated by taking swimming lessons).

Sidenote: It can be helpful when looking for a job in your later teenage years.
There are always oodles of lifeguarding jobs through the cities and private companies for the summer.

[Revva7]

For me, I learned mostly through taught lessons through our local swimming pool. I was an only child and was not involved in sports officially through school. I always enjoyed the water as a child and my family lived on the coast, so we were on the water all the time.

[Catherine111]

Sorry to say that i don't know how to swim. :(

[Forhad]

From my big bro. He taught me how to swim.

[RolandCouch]

I still do not know how to swim. :(

My parents wouldn't let me go to the pool when I was little, and when I was older I was too ashamed that I couldn't swim so I didn't go.

I would like to take lessons now but I'm ashamed because I'm so old.

It's ok. Swimming lessons can be expensive. Not everyone can afford them.

[althetrainer]

I am surprised to hear so many of you don't know how to swim. It's such a life skill!

Growing up in Hawaii we were surrounded by water. As kids we went to ponds and oceans almost every day and we needed no instructors, just kept on dog paddling until we could float and move around and that was it. :lol:

I never really learned the proper strokes until I went to university. I ran long distance until my shin splints became so bad that my running coach sent me to work out in a swimming pool. It was then a Canadian, the lifeguard on duty, who told me that my arms and legs were all wrong! :-0

I spent almost a month in the pool to rehab my legs and at the same time learn how to swim. That was it... swimming daily for a month under the supervision of a lifeguard. I ended up getting certified as a water safety instructor and later on becoming a swimming instructor in an university when I moved to the mainland.

The ironic part of me being a swimming instructor is that I can't teach my own son how to swim. Unlike Hawaii, swimming facilities are very scarce in Calgary. Public swimming pools are always overcrowded and it's impossible to do teaching there. So I ended up sending our son to swimming lessons and I got to watch on the sideline. Every now and then I pay to go into the pool (after his lesson hour) to polish the skills that he needs to work on.

[aplayaz2000]

YMCA

good development program
and good swimming exercise

[Jimboski]

Sorry to say that i don't know how to swim. :(

+1 :(.

[stealth]

It's ok. Swimming lessons can be expensive. Not everyone can afford them.

I see what you did there...lol.

[goodguy90]

My popsss.

[netgeek]

Growing up at a very young age my parents made me start swimming lessons with certified instructors. Glad they did.

[tkl]

I sink about 2 foot under the water when I do the front float. I can't count the # of people who tried to teach me but I can't do it. That is my biggest sports regret in life. You miss out on so many types of water sports.

[Jucius Maximus]

Took swimming lessons when I was a kid.

To this day, both of my parents cannot swim.

[xlc_88]

My father pushed me into Wonderland's wave pool and I almost drowned. lol.

I later took swimming lessons after getting over my drowning experience. I now know most basic strokes...working on butterfly stroke.

[Mars2012]

I'm a rock, but I made sure my three children can swim like fish.

[Kunman]

an old man with a very long bamboo stick...srsly no joke

[CSR]

Youtube videos and practice at the community pool

[adelfoxy]

Actually i can't swim but i interest with it.....

[forthewinwin]

Mother and Father put me in swim lessons and a lifeguarding program.

[Techgeek32]

I had some swimming lessons when I was little. I really loved them so I kept swimming in pool for four years. It's one of the best sports little kids and adults can do.

[dealseeker2011]

It's kinda weird but I really don't know how to swim. Though, I never tried to learn. But I guess I will someday. Every time I am at the beach i felt like I will be drown. I'm just afraid of water.

[aquacrayon]

nobody. that's why i can't swim.

[d182]

nobody. that's why i can't swim.

your name suggests otherwise :)

[zerg00]

parents signed me and my sister up for swimming class during the summer

i gave up at the diving part at around grade 5

[at1212b]

It seems like the next generation of people will all be swimmers since parents seems to be giving their kids lessons in everything nowadays.

I grew up in downtown Toronto in the mid 80's, where my elementary school actually gave swimming lessons (I think it was once a week for a few months). We had a community center close by (Boys and Girls Club) so our whole class would walk there.

This happened in grade 1 and grade 2. I moved out in Grade 3 so not sure if it was still offered then. From what I heard afterwards, cutbacks to budgets resulted in no more swimming lessons being offered in elementary school in the late 80's.

From what I remember, they tried many techniques to get you comfortable in putting your face in water, through the use of 'fludder'boards and holding the edges while putting your face in water and kicking. And as someone mentioned, one day, it was like magic.. floating and swimming in the water with control. Another exercise that really helped was the Dead Man's float.


Additional Memories:
-They would also split the class up from the kids who could swim and those who couldn't.

-First time getting into the deep end was sure scary. Learning to doggie paddle was cool. They would hold a pole right in front of you in case you started to sink.

-In Grade two, first time swimming backwards on the deepend was nerve-wracking. I remember seeing someone walking along the edge pacing with me while I was swimming along.

-First time jumping off the deep end, you could elect to jump in by yourself or jump-in while holding the pole which is why I did.

Looking back, I am super grateful and lucky that the school offered it, and was able to learn at a young age when it's easier, as my parents would have not provided it.

[Setz]

You mean to tell me that people don't instinctively know how to swim? I've had no formal training (or informal training); I just went swimming one day and it was smooth sailing from then on.

[peanutz]

You mean to tell me that people don't instinctively know how to swim? I've had no formal training (or informal training); I just went swimming one day and it was smooth sailing from then on.Different strokes for different folks.

[dibksbgon]

You mean to tell me that people don't instinctively know how to swim? I've had no formal training (or informal training); I just went swimming one day and it was smooth sailing from then on.

People panic. Panic causes people to drown. People do not know how to do the very basics like treading water or just floating.

I mentioned it in my other post but I am beyond furious this summer with the number of people who have been drinking and swimming.

[valinrace]

I attend swimming lessons when I was in grade 2, I know the basic swimming techniques.

[AudiDude]

People panic. Panic causes people to drown. People do not know how to do the very basics like treading water or just floating.

I mentioned it in my other post but I am beyond furious this summer with the number of people who have been drinking and swimming.

This.^

You can be in extraordinary shape and if you panic, you can die. You can be in extraordinary shape and if you attempt to retrieve someone who is panicking, you could die from them taking you under, or from not knowing how to hold a person and swim. If you swim at the ocean and have no idea how to deal with a rip current, you will exhaust yourself as you get pushed away from shore, even though you are swimming towards it. Then you could very easily die. Lessons teach you how to deal with rip currents and undertows.


A rip current is a horizontal current. Rip currents do not pull people under the water–-they pull people away from shore. Drowning deaths occur when people pulled offshore are unable to keep themselves afloat and swim to shore. This may be due to any combination of fear, panic, exhaustion, or lack of swimming skills.

When I was 12 or 13 my buddy fell into a fast flowing river and I had to retrieve him. The current was so strong it sucked the shoes off of his feet. He was panicking and crying as he clung to a tree. If you don't have proper training to remain calm and to know what to do, things may not end well. Thank God I did not have to go to my buddies parents and tell them he is dead because I could never forget having to do something like that.

[aquacrayon]

your name suggests otherwise :)

it's my favorite crayon...

[jacobe]

I feel bad. I can't swim.

[Jimboski]

I feel bad. I can't swim.

Well then go take some lessons, It's never to late to have the skills to swim!

[Setz]

People panic. Panic causes people to drown. People do not know how to do the very basics like treading water or just floating.

I mentioned it in my other post but I am beyond furious this summer with the number of people who have been drinking and swimming.

I feel you. I like to think of myself as an excellent swimmer, but I can recall last summer I was at a water park in Ottawa, and I was in the wave pool in the deeper area, jumping in sync with the waves. The lifeguard closest to me signaled near me (to the person behind me) and caught me off guard with the whole whistle and etc. I was then out of sync and whenever I jumped, I would never go above water.

Terrifying experience; I had a friend pull me above water so I can regain my sync with the waves.

[Dwight10]

My cousin has taught me how to swim. At first i was very afraid about swimming but now swimming is very easy to me. I enjoy it much.