Learning to Swim

[Futurama]

Has anyone ever learnt to swim by being "thrown in at the deep end"? And for that matter, has anyone ever drowned by this method?!

[Loosehead]

My mum learned when she fell off Southend Pier as a child, does that count?

[delboy3]

My dad had to learn as he got dumped onto an island in a lake by a group of lads when he was small. Otherwise I wouldn't be here!

[Lonnie]

I take my daughter swimming, and a few years ago, a chap turned up with his twin babies, I think they were about two months old, anyway, he just threw them in, then jumped in after them, they still come to the baths, and you've never seen youngsters so at home in the water, a pleasure to watch.

[ronnie963]

my mum was pushed into the water by a swimming instructor when she was 7 she never got back in the water untill she was almost 30 and a friend taught her to swim

[maxi29]

My parents tried it when I was about 6: i hated it, really panicked and wouldn't go back into the water for ages.

[Grunty]

On the other hand, I knew a woman who was pushed in at the deep end, off one of the diving boards. She had to have two steel rods inserted into her spine and was in a wheelchair for a long time.

[qapmoc]

Well, as many people die when a ship sinks even when it happens in warm water I think you can assume that most people will not learn to swim by the thrown in method.

[Nemesis9]

That's how I taught myself. My older sister was in the deep-end, and I wanted to learn to swim, so I just jumped in. These days I'm a qualified scuba diver, and happier in the water than on land.

I wouldn't recommend this method for learning to fly however!

[WaldoMcFroog]

Are you a Southender, Loosehead? I learnt to swim after being pushed of a quay in Leigh-on-Sea, four miles upriver from the hive of scum and villainy that is Southend.

[Loosehead]

Yes I'm originally from Southend, or rather saaaaafend!

[WaldoMcFroog]

Ha. I wonder if I know you... That'd be funny.

[Champagne]

I was pushed in the deep end and died. :o\

[dropgoal3]

i swim competetivley now and thats how i started when i was 6 months old (so ive been told) but i have never had a lesson on the basics of swimming

[Loosehead]

Waldo, I moved to Bournemouth when I was 11. Do you live in Southend now then?

[WaldoMcFroog]

I live in Leigh, which I must grudgingly admit is technically part of Sarfend.

[henke]

I pretty much learned by this method when i was on holiday when i was about 7. Jumped in the deep end and just started flapping because i knew it was either that or i was goin' to the bottom. Now when i think about its kinda scary.

[qapmoc]

Hi Waldo, If you are close to southend, next time you are passing the seafront can you stop and get the recipe for the great doughnut mix that those machines cook while you wait, I have been trying to find a good one without luck so far.

[camioneur]

On my first day in the Police force, everyone of the new recruits were told to stand on the edge of the pool (deep end) and non swimmers take one pae forward. The ones who didn't step forward were instructed to rescue the ones that did!

[stanleyman]

In the 50/60's we used to go swimming in all sorts of unsuitable places like drainage dykes at Vange (there was also a disused seawater pool) and Pitsea and in the muddy creeks at Leigh on Sea. Later when we could afford it we used the old seawater pool at Westcliff. We got wet in any park pool in all weathers and I shudder when I remember breaking ice in one pool to get in. You wouldn't let your kids do it these days.