Swimming

[Cloverjo]

When did you learn to swim, if ever? Were you taught at school, by parents or did it come naturally?

I only learnt at the age of 26 when a neighbour taught my son in her pool.
During school swimming lessons I was left to flounder in the shallow end. I'm still very uneasy in swimming pools and the sea.

I'm asking because I've just read a newspaper article by a Times journalist who had been 'fake-swimming' for his whole life. I used to feel ashamed of not being able to swim, but perhaps it is quite common.

[jno]

I can just about propel myself in calm seas but with long-standing RSI in my shoulders I can't make much headway against currents (for some reason I'm better on my back). I learned when I was at school, but obviously not very well.

But I've always liked Shelley Winters' line in the Poseidon Adventure: "In the water I'm a very skinny lady" (just before she drops dead).

No need for shame, just take care in the water.

[Prudie]

From a very early age, probably 2 or 3 - but then I was an RAF brat in Singapore until 5 and spent every day by the pool or on the beach.

[maggiebee]

My mum was a distance swimmer and I can't remember a time I couldn't swim. Think she took me swimming from a few months old.

[douglas9401]

I could probably save myself if I fell into a boating pond but I've no interest in swimming, never have had.

[naomi24]

I can't remember being unable to swim.

[-SharonA-]

Swam from an early age, cannot remember who taught me. Love swimming and even swam for my school.

[pastafreak]

Like you, I was left to flounder at the shallow end. Not very well lit, and I couldn't wear my glasses, so all in all very disorientating. Never learned.

[jakep]

Very nearly drowned in the sea when I was about seven. When I recall it I can still feel the terror.
Could not cope with swimming lessons at school.
I had private lessons as an adult but that did not work out. So I don’t swim.
Only time I’ve ever regretted it was on a Corfu boat trip when everyone else was jumping from the boat into the crystal clear sea :-(

[Patsy33]

Always played in the sea, brooks and the like, but couldn't swim until I was 10 years old, where I was taught in the school's new swimming pool.

[ummmm]

At the age of 4. I fell in a lake and nearly drowned and my mum and Nan took us swimming every week after that. My uncle used to take us every weekend as well.

[Cloverjo]

I do feel I missed out a bit. While my friends were treading water and chatting at the deep end of the pool on holiday I'd be clinging to the wall at the shallow end.

I had to be dragged out of the pool on my holiday last year as I got into trouble halfway across a very small width. Embarrassing!

It looks so easy, but is very hard to do.

[Gromit]

I was swimming at an early age and I remember it came naturally. So I was a proficient by the time we went with school.
I swim now in my fifties, 60 lengths every week. I find it very soothing and meditative.

[snags]

Around 3/4. A relative had a house on the south coast here and Grandparents retired to Malta so we were lucky to spend many weekends at the former and weeks of the summer holidays at the latter: if you could'nt swim you missed out.

[Cloverjo]

I wish I could do that, gromit. I used to go to a pool to swim lengths. I'd be ok as long as I could be right by the side. If anyone got into 'my' lane I'd be stuck.

[shaneystar2]

From a very early age as I was born by the sea and not blowing my own trumpet but I'm a good swimmer and used to swim regularly.I can't remember not being able to swim.I now live by the sea again and wish we had a decent pool here as I would take it up again as it would help my mobility.
There used to be lovely open air pool here but the council filled it in and I wouldn't dip a toe in the one that's here now on the sea front ,it's so dirty.
Funnily enough my Dad who spent a large part of his life at sea never learnt to swim.

[jno]

I believe sailors in the olden days usually didn't, shaney, it was regarded as tempting fate.

[Gromit]

Cloverjo
My local pool in Stockport has 3 lanes roped off which are dedicated swimming lanes. There is a anti-clockwise rule, so we have an up and a down, and then the middle lane for passing/overtaking. No one gets in the way, though jams can develop behind very slow swimmers.
I am not particularly fast, a 25 metre length will take me a minute. I do 60 lengths in an hour which works out as 1500 metres (or a metric mile).

[shaneystar2]

They were in Cromer for the Antiques Road Show yesterday and Fiona Bruce was chatting to a lifeboatman and he said the same.In the old days most of the men couldn't swim yet went out to rescue people in a type of rowing boat.They didn't worry about not being able to swim as if they went overboard it just meant they would drown quickly instead of flailing about trying to save themselves in heavy seas.

[ummmm]

I used to have lessons, offered to us, and jeez did he make us work hard.

Free of charge in a council pool.

My OH is really nervous around water.

[carolegif]

Nearly drowned in a swimming pool at 4 years old. I did learn to swim, but seem to have lost the knack, terrified of being out of my depth. Love to go in the sea, but don’t like swimming in it. I remember Chay Blye saying he couldn’t swim when he sailed round the world, but he said it wouldn’t have helped as he would have drowned or died of cold in the ocean anyway!