When did you learn to swim? How? Where?

[srkdvr]

Well let me see, I was 9 or 10 visiting my Aunt and Uncle and they had a big lake in back of there house. We had all gone down to swim or play in the water (I at the time did not know how to swim). They were all swimming and having a good ole time as I was too, the water was about chest deep on me. I was playing and jumping around, and guess what.... I jumped up and when I came down there was no ground. I had jumped off a ledge, so it was a matter of survival. I had watched them swim so I just did what I had seen them do and swam till I could stand up. From that day on I hit the water just like I had been swimming forever and ever.

Rich :mean:

 

[JustAddWater]

I do not remember not being able to swim. I moved to California, from Chicago, when I was 8 and started swimming/body surfing in the ocean about age 9. My father started building my comfort level in the water at a very early age and this progressed to actual swimming. I started to swim competitively at 10, and had swimming lessons to work on form.

 

[Ranz]

I was about 5 at the YMCA, and I swam for about five mroe years after that with the blow up thingys on my arms hehe
Ranz

 

[CuriousMe]

I was about 5 or so years old. I grew up on Long Island....my Mom made a decision early on that we would all know how to swim well....something about her not worrying about us when we went off boating and to the beach when we were teenagers.

Anyway, started at around 5 with the Red Cross's classes and went straight up through Lifeguard. I never wanted to work as a LifeGuard....but since I was swimming competively at that point in time, I was generally around the water. I just wanted to know how to help someone without making myself a second victem.

My parents swore I was part fish as a child. It was nearly impossible to get me out of the water.

 

[DameDykker]

I was always in the water as a child. Sitting in 3 uinches of water in the sand just by the water line. I don't remenber learning to swimm as there was no pool in the town where I grew up. I DO remember going for swimming lessons in an open water area off the beach. However, it was a cold summer an the changing facilities were uncompeeling so I never showed up more than once.

The consequenses are that my swimming technic is less than perfect. I'm only really comfortable with the bach crawl. This is due to my bad eyesight and my need to wear glasses will swimming at that point in time. Now a days I fortunately swiched to contacts - and wear mask or swimming googles when swimming.

 

[mattiedread]

Started Red Cross swimming lessons in a salt water tiny little protected area at 3 1/2 and kept going until just before Jr. Lifesaver which required you be 16 and I was about 12. Started surfing at 8, waterskiing at 10, smoking at 16 and scuba diving at 34, go figure.

 

[wackodacko]

i was thrown into a pool and had to survive!! AAAHH! anyway.. then i swam in a team all the way til high school.. looking at tiles is boring.. scuba is better

 

[DivePartner1]

YMCA lessons when I was about 10. Thanks Mom and Dad!

 

[Rockhound]

when I discovered swimming underwater. My dad got me a mask and I loved swimming around on the bottom looking for stuff (lots of trinkets for kids in public pools). But, I couldn't swim on top (oh, shut up. I don't know why). I went from side to side of the community pool by swimming across and popping up to grab hold of the coping (the tile lip of the pool). I even did this in the deep end, so I guess I was lucky I didn't drown.

A year or so later, when I was 6 or 7, my dad sent me to formal classes, but I was booted out after only a week or so. I hated those classes. We held onto the sides of the pool and kicked endlessly. The we floated around like jellyfish.

Then, later, they expect us to swim "racer style". I was chunky (okay, FAT), not at all coordinated, and I was spoiled by my mask. I wanted to SEE where I was going and annoyed and hurt by the teasing of the instructors.

Finally, they FAILED ME. "He'll never learn to swim" they told my father. I was soooo embarrassed.

The next day, my dad took me to the lake and, in 10 minutes, taught me to swim "his way", which was like Johnny Weismuller (the BEST Tarzan) did it on those old B/W movies. ......LifeSaver style, my dad called it. After those ten minutes I was swimming like a fish and I never stopped.

I still swim that way, which is probably terribly inefficient. But, I've done a couple of mile swims, so it works for me. I've tried the "reggler crawl" and do it sometimes just for a change, but I always go back to my old way. While I'm very comfortable in the water, I like seeing where I'm going.

I've noticed that my boys, 6 and 9, are starting to swim the same way, although they are doing well with their swim lessons.....

.

 

[Rosie]

I've always loved the water and swam from a very early age, although I didn't learn to do 'proper' strokes, as opposed to doggy-paddle, until I was 12! I learnt from an army instructor in a cold pool - it certainly motivated me to get moving!

cheers
Rosie