How did you learn to swim?

[ChaconiaQueen]

I learned to swim as a child and guess how? I couldn’t swim and hated whenever water went up my nose, the pain! I used to swim wearing inflatable armbands or a rubber ring around my waist/chest but one day, I forgot to wear my inflated rubber ring. I just walked straight into the public swimming pool without my inflated rubber ring and started swimming around as normal like a pro🤣🤣, close to the edge of the pool when I noticed a lightness around my waist. At first I was horrified and scared as the realisation set in but these feelings were soon followed by excitement, happiness and pride. I shoutied over to my friend “look, look, I forgot my swimming ring and I’m swimming without it! I can swim, I can swim!” This is totally true!

if you want to learn to swim, take swimming lessons, you will succeed. Once you learn it’s like riding a bIke, you never forget how to do it.

I even swam for my secondary school, won and received a trophy. I used to take my son swimming and go with my friends but I only swim now when I go on my holidays but I will try to start visiting my local Swimming Pool soon. I love swimming.

My wonderful, crazy, funny dad taught me to swim by taking me into the sea in Dorset one very cold day and saying we could only get out when we'd swum five strokes. We did it pronto, got out and had hot chocolate and toasted cheese sandwiches by a bonfire. I was elated and couldn't wait to get back in and swim swim swim.

This is an even funnier story when you know that my dad was a swimming teacher for a living.

I love to swim, it's one of the great pleasures of my life and I still swim in the sea nearly every day five decades after that first icy swim.

My parents taught me when I was quite young. I don't even remember not being able to swim.

I never trusted that I could swim, would stiffen up and sink, and kept putting my foot down in the pool.

My grandad taught me to swim in the Mediterranean. He took me into the water on days when there was just a swell, no breaking waves. We would stand where I was just in my depth and play a game that had me letting the swell pick me up and put me down, pick me up and put me down. (Magical! I still love doing this.) I found myself swimming without even noticing.

I learnt off a concrete harbour slipway on the south coast at about the age of 10.

I learnt at school, probably age 5-6. We used to get the coach to a nearby pool every Tuesday, and every week I would be sick on the coach!

My mum taught me when I was three. I had one of those swimsuits where you inserted the floats- it was called a polyotter or something. I went on to club swimming but quit when I was 11.

Wonderful memories eh? My mum used to take my brother, sister and I swimming but I owe it all to my inflatable rubber ring🤭😂

We lived opposite the public baths, and it was essentially our playground. My brother taught me to swim when I was about 6 or 7.

I had awful group swimming lessons at about 9 years old where I was absolutely terrified, barely let go of the side and learned nothing, followed by equally awful school lessons in secondary where the non-swimmers were just dumped in the shallow end and left to stand around shivering while the PE teacher concentrated on the good ones who swam for the school. I decided at that point that I would never be able to swim, but my lovely boyfriend at uni had other ideas and took me to the pool every morning when I went to visit him over the summer, and by the end of the first morning I had swum a width. I just needed someone I trusted in the water with me, not shouting and berating me from the side. I'm still crap, don't get me wrong, but I can just about stay afloat and go forward a little bit now! I made sure my DS started lessons much younger, and my friend who's a former competitive swimmer took him several times and went in with him to get him started, have fun and build his confidence.

I was one of two non swimmers in my primary school class. I don't think they really knew what to do with us. I loved the water from a very early age but just couldn't swim. My dad used to take us swimming a lot though and I was absolutely determined to learn by myself. So I just kept persevering and got there in the end, aged around 10. Not sure my technique was that good but I was moving along! I'm now quite a strong swimmer I think

I love all of your experiences, how amazing!

We were bussed to the local pool in primary school every Wednesday for lessons.

I was 24, and seeing tiny children confidently swimming used to make me feel inadequate. I hated cold water, hated going underwater, or not being able to feel my feet on the bottom of the pool. Eventually, living abroad in a warm climate, booked swimming lessons. By the end of the first lesson I was swimming, and not long after swam a mile in a charity swim. The warm water, kind and gentle encouragement , gave me the confidence needed after all those years!

Practising in the local pool (sorry for boring answer). We had armbands when we were tiny, then when I was 5 they came off. I would launch myself forward with my feet and make breast-stroke movements, initially floating for a bit on the momentum of the launch, and gradually managing to swim a few strokes, until I could swim properly from standing, so to speak..

I could swim confidently by the time I was six, though I have never been a sporty person so won no prizes for speed or style and still don't!

I also had horrible experiences of childhood swimming lessons which left me with no confidence in the water. I remember having lessons on Saturdays, and the teachers were very shouty and made me cry most weeks! We also had swimming lessons with school in years 3 and 6, where they only focussed on the “good” swimmers and didn’t pay any attention to those of us lacking in confidence.

I don’t think it helped that my mum can’t swim either, so I likely inherited some of her fear of water.

Like a PP, my boyfriend (now DH!) at university ultimately taught me how to swim. We’d go to the pool every Wednesday afternoon after lectures for an hour or so, and it was so nice to have 1-2-1 lessons without any pressure. One day I went for a swim by myself and managed to swim a mile! I was so proud. Swimming is now my favourite form of exercise and I do it as much as I can.

In the North Sea with my father. I walked on my hands in the shallow water with my body parallel to the surface then just lifted my hands.

it just happened, I didn't learn. I was about 7 or 8 and would pretend to swim hopping on one leg in the water than one day I realised I could lift both legs up at once and kick and move forward through deeper water.

I think it's instinctive as long as a child is relaxed and enjoys playing in the water.

I got as far as my 10meter badge in primary school but never had lessons after. My older cousins and brothers would throw me in the water to make me better but it wasn’t exactly the confidence boost I needed.

I met my best friend at 24, her DF was an Olympic swimmer and she taught me how to use my arms and legs properly. I’m not a strong swimmer, I have struggled with upper body strength all my life, but can hold my own and would at least stand a chance in an emergency as I educated myself on safety as I know I’d never last if I was to relying on pure strength.

Neither of my parents could swim, my DBs could splash around but doubt either swims properly as none of us had proper lessons and as adults they have always refused to go swimming.

My DCs have lessons and will continue too for as long as I have say. Thankfully my DH is a strong swimmer and swims with the DCs.

This thread has reminded me of this poem, which is not only about swimming but about life itself.

First Lesson by Philip Booth

Lie back daughter, let your head
be tipped back in the cup of my hand.
Gently, and I will hold you. Spread
your arms wide, lie out on the stream
and look high at the gulls. A dead-
man's float is face down. You will dive
and swim soon enough where this tidewater
ebbs to the sea. Daughter, believe
me, when you tire on the long thrash
to your island, lie up, and survive.
As you float now, where I held you
and let go, remember when fear
cramps your heart what I told you:
lie gently and wide to the light-year
stars, lie back, and the sea will hold you.

I learned at a young age initially in private group lessons and then with the school. The local baths were the old style with changing cubicles around the edge of the pool - yes, I’m that old! My instructor was a large man who wore a three piece suit and stood on the side of the pool. I had a canvas belt around my waist and after lowering myself down the steps in the deep end, he pulled me across the pool by a rope attached to the belt!

I have no idea how I learnt to swim, fear possibly, but I did and when the belt came off after a few lessons, I was able to do a width with quite a decent stroke. I was the only one in my class able to swim a length when I started going with the school.

Swimming was a skill my parents insisting on us learning so we could join them in their late evening swims in the sea on holiday in N Wales. We’d just strip off to our underwear, parents included, and go for a swim after an evening walk. I later swam competitively for a while for a club.

In the river Severn. My mum taught me and said the river level went down cos I swallowed so much.

My dad was key to teaching us because he enjoyed it so much and it was part of our lives from a very early age. He could swim like a fish and we used to go regularly go to the river and pools. I think that built up the confidence in being able to enjoy water. I became an assistant swimming teacher during my college years which helped me improve my stroke.

Swimming is my happy place. When I can’t sleep I think about my head in the water and the rhythm of the strokes; it’s very calming.

I did an intensive course over the Easter holidays at primary school

In the pool every morning at 8 for 2 whole weeks.

Went from a non swimmer to getting my 50m badge by the time I went back after Easter.

Unexpectedly interesting reading all these different ways people learned to swim.

I was never taken swimming as a kid besides the mandatory one half term of school swimming lessons.
As a 10 year old I used to go to the lido with school friends and could manage to doggy paddle to keep up with them all.
Now I go swimming about 3 times a week because I just love the feeling of being in the water.
I’m not graceful nor am I quick, I do breaststroke with my head above water because I’m scared of water in my eyes/up my nose etc but I now swim 3 miles a week and I bloody love it!