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Original poster

How did you learn to swim?

58 replies

ChaconiaQueen · 20/06/2024 16:41

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.

OP posts:
PuttingDownRoots · 20/06/2024 20:19

I don't remember not being able to swim. I presume the early lessons were in the learning pool, which was 10m long,about a metre deep.

I remember the lessons when I was 8 or 9 though... every few months we did distance challenges to try and get the next badge. 100s and 1000s of metres.

It was one of my biggest disappointments with my children's lessons in England after living abroad. They get taught technique... but not the stamina bit. They had their early lessons abroad and stamina was a huge part of it.

Ringonrighthand · 20/06/2024 20:24

I love swimming and I go regularly now, I’m trying to teach myself front crawl, I just can’t get the breathing quite right. Any tips?

Natsku · 20/06/2024 20:24

I don't remember learning to swim, I just remember that I went to swimming lessons so assume I learnt there.

DD, on the other hand, just figured it out one day by herself. She was 4 and me and my mum took her to the swimming pool and she just went under water and swam a few strokes. After that she started swimming longer and longer, but only under water. It was months before she figured out how to swim with her head above the water!

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harenerr · 20/06/2024 20:37

I learned in school swimming lessons, from the age of about 7-11. We walked to the nearby pool and had lessons once a week, but I can't remember if it was only certain times of year. I remember using armbands at the start then dropping to one armband and using floats. We never used noodles. I learned front crawl, back stroke and breast stroke, but not butterfly. I never got good enough to swim in PJs and get a brick from the bottom. But I got my 400m certificate, swimming around and around the pool.

My parents never learned to swim, they grew up abroad far from the coast and there were no pools. They never took me swimming as a child, and didn't pay for any lessons. I used to go swimming at the pool with friends (parents didnt come) when I was about 11.

RedYellowPinkGreenPurpleOrangeBlue · 20/06/2024 20:47

My dad taught me. He loved swimming, and took me to the local swimming baths from when I was 2 years old. I can't remember not being able to swim to be honest.

Took our daughter - now nearly 30 - to swimming lessons when she was 3 years and 10 months old. She could swim within a few lessons, and got her one-length certificate after 10 lessons. Just after her 4th birthday.

spiderlight · 20/06/2024 23:51

@RitaIncognita - that's lovely! Thank you for sharing.

AmelieTaylor · 21/06/2024 00:09

Like others I don't remember not being able to? My Dad used to take me 'to the baths' (swimming pool) just for fun, not to 'teach' me, he'd let me ride on his back for ages (don't know how he did it!!). I have a vague recollection of (when I was around 7) of having to do so many widths of the pool 'properly' before he'd play crocodile or whatever. He'd also throw things to the bottom of the pool for me to get. He taught me how to go really deep & on holiday in France they had the deepest pool ever and we spent so much time that holiday trying to get to the bottom of the pool! He let/encouraged me to jump & dive in the deep end of a pool & generally to not be scared. Despite my Mum doing the 'Eee be careful' (she hates getting her ears wet!)

My Dad was THE BEST ❤️

afaloren · 21/06/2024 01:48

I was taken ‘swimming’ from a baby, and had lessons very young. My mum says when I was 4 I handed her my armbands, said, ‘I don’t need these anymore Mummy,’ and just swam off! She was Shock

ForGreyKoala · 21/06/2024 01:53

I learnt in the school pool at primary school. We swam all the time, and went to the pool out of school hours too (in NZ). In the summer holidays I would be at the pool at all three sessions it was open, morning, afternoon, and evening.

Haven't been in a pool for years now!

Mum2aTeen · 21/06/2024 01:54

I was in learn to swim since I was 3 or 4 then went into squad training and was in swimming clubs and did swimming at school.

I'm in Australia where it's pretty important to learn to swim we had so many beaches lakes creeks rivers pools everywhere it's really rare to meet someone who doesn't know how to swim I know of one but also maybe with our upbringing friends etc here you spent most weekends at the beach or pool or at the lake always surrounded by water.

Hugocraft · 01/07/2024 21:42

I always love water I don't even know how I was able to learn. I was going with parents on holidays and it was hard to keep me out of water. At age of 6 I was confident swimmer I didn't have swimming lessons. I was always watching swimming Olympics on TV. In secondary school I was excluded from swimming lessons as I was too good compared to rest of my pears. At age 24 for 2 years I lived in the house with heated pool and was watching YouTube to improve my techniques and swimming everyday. At age 35 I did PADI. Now 45 and going back to have my first swimming lessons to correct what I'm doing wrong🤣
My dream when I was a child was to be in the swimming club but my parents couldn't afford it.
I follow swimmers and coaches on Instagram.
I think swimming is the most amazing sport.
My kids are confident swimmers I have spent hours with them swimming and sent them to swimming lessons but they not that passionate about water like me.

FortunateCatsGlugDaquirisAllEveningBlindly · 14/01/2025 15:24

Dad threw me in.

Not a technique I would advocate 😂

But by the time I was 7 I had my 2 mile badge. Possibly the only thing I ever achieved that my mother bragged about.

username2851 · 14/01/2025 15:28

5m as a kid from school lessons. But only really got good as an adult using YouTube!

mollymazda · 14/01/2025 15:30

as a child.. my mum threw us in the deep end and it really was a case of sink or swim!

as an adult, i took swimming lessons

i've never had a fear of water, but i joined a Tri club and needed to learn how to front crawl

WhisperingTree · 14/01/2025 15:31

I didn't grow up in the UK and my dad taught me swimming when I was very young. I can't remember how and when I learned. I just know I have always been able to swim. I don't like swimming in the UK though. The pools are always cold and the changing rooms dirty. It maybe I don't go to David Lloyds though.

WhisperingTree · 14/01/2025 15:33

The reason I mentioned not UK is that I went swimming all the time during school holidays as a kid. Swimming was very cheap. They are outdoor pools and lots of beaches. It's a very warm place where the beaches are open with lifeguards 9 months of the year.

MumChp · 14/01/2025 15:45

I learnt at school. I went to an independent Scandinavian school. We has swimmning lessons for 5 years. After that my parents insisted that I had swimming lessons for another 5 years at the local pool.

FortunateCatsGlugDaquirisAllEveningBlindly · 14/01/2025 15:45

username2851 · 14/01/2025 15:28

5m as a kid from school lessons. But only really got good as an adult using YouTube!

😬
Seen some absolutely horrendous instructional YouTube swimming videos. Some of them have made me ashamed to be a teacher and to have trained swimming teachers.
You must done really well with your selections.

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 14/01/2025 15:48

I went to swimming lessons at the local pool as a child. I was scared of being out of my depth, found it horrible to put my head under the water and generally absolutely hated it, but I learned. I still loathe public swimming pools, but I like going in the sea or in a lake (although I never swim far).

DilemmaDelilah · 14/01/2025 17:07

I knew 'how' to swim from swimming lessons (in a freezing cold sea pool being shouted instructions from the side) when I was quite small - but couldn't actually swim. About 15 years ago I taught myself. It helps that I'm fat - the extra blubber helps with buoyancy, and my technique is dreadful - but I can now swim.

DustyMaiden · 14/01/2025 17:13

I learned to swim when I was 2 years old, we would go to the park every day during the summer. There was a paddling pool I could swim but touch the bottom with my finger tips if I got scared.

FortunateCatsGlugDaquirisAllEveningBlindly · 15/01/2025 12:37

AmelieTaylor · 21/06/2024 00:09

Like others I don't remember not being able to? My Dad used to take me 'to the baths' (swimming pool) just for fun, not to 'teach' me, he'd let me ride on his back for ages (don't know how he did it!!). I have a vague recollection of (when I was around 7) of having to do so many widths of the pool 'properly' before he'd play crocodile or whatever. He'd also throw things to the bottom of the pool for me to get. He taught me how to go really deep & on holiday in France they had the deepest pool ever and we spent so much time that holiday trying to get to the bottom of the pool! He let/encouraged me to jump & dive in the deep end of a pool & generally to not be scared. Despite my Mum doing the 'Eee be careful' (she hates getting her ears wet!)

My Dad was THE BEST ❤️

Regarding your final sentence, could we be related? 😀

My Dad did lots of those things after throwing me in and fostered an enormous love of swimming that has stayed with me to this day and has given me a career that I love.

My Dad was THE BEST….fight ya 😂

Cosycover · 15/01/2025 12:42

I went on holiday on year aged 11 and like the OP I just started swimming by accident.

MifsBr0wn · 15/01/2025 12:44

School, it was mandatory and we had a professional swimming coach. Essential skill to have.

ChristmasTunesAlready · 15/01/2025 12:44

I remember having swimming lessons when I was in primary school (not arranged by the school) and then later in primary school, I remember going swimming on a Friday afternoon with my class. We were split into groups depending on our ability...I remember there being a group for less able swimmers who did basic stuff in the shallow water, I was in the "silver group" in the deep end...there were also "gold" and "life savers" groups in the deep end as well. The "life savers" wore t-shirts and shorts over their costumes.
I'm sure my mum used to take me and my brother swimming regularly from a young age as well.

I take my 3 year old DD to the swimming pool on a regular basis (usually weekly), just myself to get her used to being in the water. She used to cling to me like a wee koala bear, but she's becoming more independent now and wanting to swim on her own...doesn't like going on her front so stays upright, but can move some short distances now.