Can You Swim?

[Digger]

In Australia most are taught to swim at an early age however people seem to be drowning in greater numbers here! Many are not Aussie by birth or are visitors to our country. Alcohol and perhaps drugs are often featured in the events.

 

We have surf patrols on main beaches this time of year and they do a marvellous job sometimes rescuing dozens every day in summer, but there are a lot of drownings in inland waterways too, once again alcohol a common theme.

 

So the big risk here is water, not wildlife it seems! People make their own choices though and in a lot of cases those choices bring them undone. We have warning signs in all main languages on most beaches and some rivers...when will they learn? Of course the beauty of our beaches is compelling and we spend many more man hours in the water here than most other countries, but it begs the question, can you swim?

 

This is an article about just one state NSW.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-3...hes-14/8153894

[Thunderchild]

In Australia most are taught to swim at an early age however people seem to be drowning in greater numbers here! Many are not Aussie by birth or are visitors to our country. Alcohol and perhaps drugs are often featured in the events.

 

We have surf patrols on main beaches this time of year and they do a marvellous job sometimes rescuing dozens every day in summer, but there are a lot of drownings in inland waterways too, once again alcohol a common theme.

 

So the big risk here is water, not wildlife it seems! People make their own choices though and in a lot of cases those choices bring them undone. We have warning signs in all main languages on most beaches and some rivers...when will they learn? Of course the beauty of our beaches is compelling and we spend many more man hours in the water here than most other countries, but it begs the question, can you swim?

 

This is an article about just one state NSW.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-3...hes-14/8153894

I float like a rock, so no swimming for me.

TC

[Digger]

I float like a rock, so no swimming for me.

TC

 

 

OK so Ohio is landlocked except you are on the Great lakes so the water you are likely to encounter is fresh and it's much harder to float in fresh than in salt.

 

Have you ever swum in salt TC? It's a lot easier, other than the waves and rip of course.

[Rabs]

Yeah I can swim... I was taught when I was young.. actually I swam for my school in a local competition.

 

HOWEVER.. when I was very young and needed water wings to swim one time I was on holiday with my parents.. We all got out of the pool and were waiting to use the showers.. while I was waiting I got bored (my wings were off) and I jumped back into the pool and almost drowned... Luckily a couple of people around the pool spotted me and fished me out...

 

Also even though I can swim I don't really like swimming in the sea... I just hate not knowing whats under my feet..

 

I have been in the dead sea, now that's an experience and you get the pleasure of knowing theres no life in there cos its too salty so is safe as far as that goes.

[Cougar]

In Australia most are taught to swim at an early age....

 

That is my experience as well, growing up in Southern California....

 

[surfpup]

Been on the water all my life. I always take it for granted that everyone can swim, but I guess I shouldn't.

[Big Bill]

I was forced to learn to swim. Kept getting myself into deep $hit

[surfpup]

I was forced to learn to swim. Kept getting myself into deep $hit

 

That's twice now I've gone to type +1 and realized I could just click + like the old days.

[quapman]

I'm as land locked as you can get. Yet I still find it strange when I meet people who can't swim.

 

I love water.

[Rookery]

I never learned to swim and never ever had any interest in doing so. My daughters can swim and my grandchildren will learn as soon as they are old enough.

[SteveFord]

Sure, I learned when I was a toddler but nearly got swept out to sea in a rip tide. Luckily, I bumped into somebody's legs and he reached down and picked me up.

Been swimming ever since.

 

[Digger]

Yeah I can swim... I was taught when I was young.. actually I swam for my school in a local competition.

 

HOWEVER.. when I was very young and needed water wings to swim one time I was on holiday with my parents.. We all got out of the pool and were waiting to use the showers.. while I was waiting I got bored (my wings were off) and I jumped back into the pool and almost drowned... Luckily a couple of people around the pool spotted me and fished me out...

 

Also even though I can swim I don't really like swimming in the sea... I just hate not knowing whats under my feet..

 

I have been in the dead sea, now that's an experience and you get the pleasure of knowing theres no life in there cos its too salty so is safe as far as that goes.

 

 

Yeah but the hardening of your arteries....Grin~

[Digger]

I was quite young when my parents got me lessons and school also had lessons and competitions as I grew up.

 

I ended up being a good swimmer quite early on. By 12 I was experimenting with snorkelling and dad made me a handspear. By 14 I had qualified as a SCUBA diver, in fact my qualifying ocean dive was on my 14th birthday. I spearfished for a many years until I got my first underwater camera and then it was all u/w photography.

 

At 70 I can still swim alright and those early years swimming and diving have built my lungs up and lung function tests recently rated me as having lungs like a 20 year old. (never smoked because of the diving)

I took up swimming and diving early to counter bronchitis and was completely cured.

 

I wouldn't like to get in a difficult situation though at this age as the strength just isn't there now.

 

I just can't conceive of being anywhere other than near the water and even now live in the east of my state with rivers, oceans and lakes all around me.

 

I love being on the water and usually take my boat out once or twice a week fishing. This year was an exception and hoping to get back to it regularly in 2017.

[sparquelito]

I am not a proper swimmer.

 

It is true that I swim cardio-laps every other morning, religiously, and dig-in for 30 to 35 minutes of lane swimming every outing, like my life depends upon it.

Which it pretty much does.

 

I used to be a distance runner, but now my damaged knees and hips are at the point where there is no more running in my future.

Unless I want to have all my large joints replaced.

 

Swimming every other morning allows me to get the overall body workout and the cardio that I need to stay alive.

 

Looking back, my brother Stacey and I never got any formal coaching as we grew up on the fundamentals of paddling, stroking, and breathing.

About all we ever got was when our dad would throw us in the deep end of the Holiday Inn pool, invariably during one move to another Army station in the 1960's, and yell, “SWIM, you pusssies!”

To this day, I swim about like a gut-shot deer.

 

I later surfed longboard on the North Shore of Oahu while living there from 1997 to 2001 (stationed there in the Army myself) almost every day.

I lived in the ocean, and loved surfing.

But surfing a longboard isn't exactly swimming, truth be told.

It's hard paddling, and then riding it in.

 

Proper swimmers can do the proper 'crawl', and look like a speedy Johnny Weissmuller or Mark Spitz in the pool.

 

I thrash hither and yon, looking very much like a clumsy six-month-old German Shepherd.

 

I do a form of the Navy Survival Side-stroke on the lap out, and the Navy Survival Backstroke on the lap back.

Steady, back and forth, until the 30 minutes is up.

Then it's time for the sun to come up, and so I shower and get dressed to proceed to the airfield where I work.

 

Breakfast on the way, because I am always STARVING after swimming.

 

Anyway, I'm gonna shut up now.

[Digger]

I am not a proper swimmer.

 

It is true that I swim cardio-laps every other morning, religiously, and dig-in for 30 to 35 minutes of lane swimming every outing, like my life depends upon it.

Which it pretty much does.

 

I used to be a distance runner, but now my damaged knees and hips are at the point where there is no more running in my future.

Unless I want to have all my large joints replaced.

 

Swimming every other morning allows me to get the overall body workout and the cardio that I need to stay alive.

 

Looking back, my brother Stacey and I never got any formal coaching as we grew up on the fundamentals of paddling, stroking, and breathing.

About all we ever got was when our dad would throw us in the deep end of the Holiday Inn pool, invariably during one move to another Army station in the 1960's, and yell, “SWIM, you pusssies!”

To this day, I swim about like a gut-shot deer.

 

I later surfed longboard on the North Shore of Oahu while living there from 1997 to 2001 (stationed there in the Army myself) almost every day.

I lived in the ocean, and loved surfing.

But surfing a longboard isn't exactly swimming, truth be told.

It's hard paddling, and then riding it in.

 

Proper swimmers can do the proper 'crawl', and look like a speedy Johnny Weissmuller or Mark Spitz in the pool.

 

I thrash hither and yon, looking very much like a clumsy six-month-old German Shepherd.

 

I do a form of the Navy Survival Side-stroke on the lap out, and the Navy Survival Backstroke on the lap back.

Steady, back and forth, until the 30 minutes is up.

Then it's time for the sun to come up, and so I shower and get dressed to proceed to the airfield where I work.

 

Breakfast on the way, because I am always STARVING after swimming.

 

Anyway, I'm gonna shut up now.

 

 

Mate, you sell yourself short as it about survival in the water, not style!

[sparquelito]

Mate, you sell yourself short as it about survival in the water, not style!

 

 

This IS true, Digger.

And I have come close to losing my life a few times, on the North Shore, off Panama City Beach, Florida, and off the coast of Monterrey, California.

 

Most times it was when larger-than-expected big waves came in.

One time it was just alcohol and youthful inexperience.

 

And I managed to churn on and make it in, and survive the horrible experience, each time.

 

I guess I am doing something right!

[rguerra]

I learned to swim at age 6. Went through the Red Cross program progressing through Advanced Swimmer by age 10. Junior Lifesaving at 13 and Senior Lifesaving at 14 but couldn't actively get certified until I was 16.

My dad was from Cuba and he never did learn to swim! My mom was a swimmer and forced the issue and I'm glad.

[jdgm]

Yes.

4 times a week.

['Scales]

I swim 1000m four or five times each week and am competent in freestyle and breaststroke (I like to mix it up). Very useful whilst trying to drill song lyrics into your head as its 30mins without much distraction. Even people who can swim ok will drown at our beaches and rivers if they aren't water aware - the power in a wave, rip or current is always way beyond what people expect. I feel so very upset when I hear of kids drowning as it is all about education and supervision, but too late..only time for regret now.

[Notes_Norton]

<...> can you swim?<...>

 

Yes.

 

And with a snorkel and fins I can free dive to 65' (20m) in one breath (bragging).

 

But then I grew up near the ocean.

 

Notes

[surfpup]

And with a snorkel and fins I can free dive to 65' (20m) in one breath (bragging).

 

And back?

[pappy]

Learned early on to swim. My Dad was an avid swimmer and made sure that we had lessons. I did the red cross training and went on to be certified and did lifeguarding for two years. I also surfed for many years and have surfed up and down the east coast and cali. Since I have moved to Ga. I rarely get in the water now. The lakes here are colored red with the Georgia clay, and after a rainstorm, they are horrible to swim in. Have had my fair share of being tumbled on the bottom after falling off my board. You learn to relax and pray that it will release you before your lungs give out. You are in it for the ride, learned the hard way not to struggle in that circumstance.

[Mr. Gibson]

I can but it looks like I'm being attacked by a shark when I do.but made sure the kids took lessons.

[MrNylon]

Yes, I can swim. It's a good idea in south Florida to know how.

[Retired]

Yes. My dad taught me when I was little. He threw me in a lake and said swim! Well I at least learned the survival kick then. But I've been swimming ever since in pools, lakes, in the pacific and Atlantic oceans. Snorkeling in Hawaii off Waikiki and Surfing there. Snorkeld over small sharks once, that made me very nervous but I really prefer the land unless I'm in a boat.