How do people NOT know how to swim?

[MotionMan]

QueBert, where do you live?

MotionMan

 

[Twista]

Im black- I have no idea how to swim.

 

[Rifter]

IMO you need to be suicidal not to know how to swim, there is just to many ways to be stuck in water and knowing how to swim will make the differance between life and death. I have a friend that was walking beside a pool at a party one night and fell in, started flailing around like a lunatic splashing water everywhere then stopped moving after 30 seconds, we all thought he was screwing with us and playing dead, when in reality he did not know how to swim and had started to inhale water. I jumped in and dragged him out and he coughed up a bunch of water, if i had not im unsure if anyone else would have saved him intime i was the only sober person there at the time.

 

[waggy]

How can you be younger than your son?

fall on your head a lot eh? you should wear the helmet more. it will keep you safe.

 

[Anubis]

I grew up on a intercoastal waterway at a house with a pool and walking distance from the beach.

My parents taught me how to swim before I can even remember. I don't have any memories of learning to swim or a time I can remember not knowing how.

grew up 100 feet from the ocean, learned at the same age. and if you didn't learn before you were in grade school you got lessons for free through the school, we had swimming class at the Y where everyone was thought to swim

 

[Udgnim]

my Mom can't swim

it's a completely mental thing. she's afraid of how it feels to float and panics.

learning how to swim obviously would solve that issue but she can't learn how to swim if she can't handle floating without assistance

 

[zerocool84]

I know many people that don't know how to swim. I do but it's not so uncommon growing up in a large city.

 

[rh71]

I took a swim class in college - never was thrown in the water at a young age to learn. I still couldn't do the breathing correctly by turning sideways during that course. So I'm just swimming with my head up which is tiresome which means I can only do like 1 lap. But hey, at least I won't drown when it counts. Can also float on my back if needed.

 

[GWestphal]

I learned to swim at <1yr. I am weirded out by non-swimmers as well. Just move your damn arms and legs!

 

[djnsmith7]

I would think any good parent would take the time to teach their child how to swim. It's part of life. But as we all know, there are a lot of not-so-good parents. Quite sad, actually.

And for those parents that don't participate in the process of teaching their kids how to read, well, that's just outright horrible. Those people don't deserve to be parents.

 

[rh71]

I learned to swim at <1yr. I am weirded out by non-swimmers as well. Just move your damn arms and legs!

I do - it's that whole water in the nose thing that SUCKS! How do swimmers do it? Just become immune over time because it's bound to happen right?

 

[pepperbegs]

I grew up a thousand miles from the Ocean. Tried to take swimming in high school but it didn't fit my schedule. I was told, "You are taking gym again."

 

[trigun500]

I was a swim instructor through college. Over half of my clients/students were 40+ adults that didn't know how to swim.

I had one dad who's daughter drowned in a lake when they were on vacation. They spent hours trying to find her. He was unable to swim at all...one of the last lessons I gave him he swam under water through the deep part of the pool..he came out of the surface sobbing saying "..if only I was able to do that a year ago I may have been able to save her.." He now works part-time as a lifeguard.

Please learn to swim before you take your kids swimming....

 

[Mixolydian]

Kick your legs while paddling with your arms. How fucking hard is this? Not to mention the human body is naturally buoyant. You don't need to "know" how to swim, you just do it.

 

[Sureshot324]

Some people don't know how to throw a proper jab either.

Pretty much any real fight turns into a wrestling match, so knowing how to throw a proper jab isn't necessary or even useful.

 

[MotionMan]

I do - it's that whole water in the nose thing that SUCKS! How do swimmers do it? Just become immune over time because it's bound to happen right?

For some people, it does not bother them.

For me, I learned how to blow a little air out of my nose while under water to keep the water out. It is so much a part of my swimming that I don't even think about it now.

MotionMan

 

[MotionMan]

How to Learn to Swim as an Adult

https://vitals.lifehacker.com/how-to-learn-to-swim-as-an-adult-1828577309

MotionMan

 

[Zanovar]

ive not read it all obviously.But evereybody should learn to swim.and if you dont i will drown you.

 

[GeekDrew]

Additionally, I've realized that my muscles are probably a huge reason why I can't swim. My reaction time to most things is extremely slow. It takes me multiple seconds to start walking at a normal pace after being seated. If I've been standing in position, it takes even longer. I also have a really poor sense of balance. I _WANT_ to learn how to swim... I just haven't been able to figure it out, and haven't had time to take 1:1 lessons yet.

Many years after I made that post, I now know that I was correct. I have Myotonia Congenita, and both chlorine and cool temperatures are known to exacerbate symptoms; it's no surprise that I wasn't able to learn as a kid. I still want to learn how to swim sometime, but at least now I know it'll have to be in a heated and non-chlorinated pool.

 

[Alpha One Seven]

My brain is full of fuck when it comes to people who dont know how to swim.

Discuss.

Or ride a bike, or fix their own car... the world is full of head scratching events.

 

[brianmanahan]

or fix their own car

meh, for anything more complicated than tires/oil/filters, i'll just pay someone to do it

actually i wish i didn't even have to own a car, looking at moving somewhere where public transportation is all i need

edIt: also posting in timewarp thread

 

[ImpulsE69]

I was going to say "...or be able to look at things from a perspective other than their own" but thought it would go over peoples heads.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Or how can people not know how to think before they fuck? TROJANS!!!

 

[purbeast0]

I'm going to be getting SCUBA certified in the next few months and while I know how to swim just fine, there is a portion of the process where you have to tread water for 10 minutes straight. It's not necessarily treading, but more like a "don't drown for 10 minutes and don't touch the side of the pool" so you are allowed to slowly swim, float on your back, etc. My problem is that I'm a sinker and can't float for shit so I'm already psyching myself out about this. In the end I'm hoping it's a lot simpler than I am expecting but it's just not something I've really ever tried or practiced.

 

[rh71]

There is a fairly easy way to learn.. Jump.

Learning is really your only choice

Never taken to class/instruction as a kid. Parents can't swim. I had to get an "allergy to chlorine" note for HS gym swim as I wasn't prepared and they don't exactly teach. I took a course in college and I couldn't get the breathing down to do it 100% proper (hate water in my nose). I know the freestyle technique and can swim a lap with my head above water the whole time, which makes me super tired. I can jump in a pool and save someone, but if you throw me in the ocean, I'm gonna have to dead-man float most of it.

Had my kids do swim instruction at 6yo and they ranked up all the levels relatively quick before 8yo. It definitely should be done early. But the trick is don't pay for lessons too early as it takes them a long time to gain levels if they're not of age yet - their friend started at 6 months old and didn't finish until 7yo. In other words, you'll be paying $$$ for a lot of instruction. Of course, you could always just teach them to be proficient enough to survive, on your own. Either way, it's a huge relief knowing they can swim because we don't have to worry for camp or when they go to a friends' house with a pool.

EDIT>> lol I already responded back in 2012.