How important do you think learning to swim really is?

[Falconhoof1]

My DS 9 hates being his head wet or putting his face in the water. He had a meltdown a year or so ago at swimming lessons and I stopped taking him. When I've taken him to the pool myself he just wades about in the shallow end and refuses to go deeper even with me holding him and a pool float. I've always thought it important but considering the stress he goes though, is it really? Barring any freak accidents he's not likely to be in a watery environment if he never wants to go swimming.
My personal feelings are that he's missing out on the fun of swimming. But if he doesn't see it as fun and never wants to, is that an issue?
I never had any problems like this with my DD 13. She just wanted to do it, but he's so different. What do you think?

Sorry that accidentally went bold, I was trying to put a * by Dad, to note that he couldn't swim until he had retired.

The key thing for non-swimmers around water is to wear a life jacket. A buoyancy aid is not enough (even for a swimmer really) And a lot of people don't know the difference.

I would find it very depressing to have tow avoid water.

I posted yesterday about how I think swimming is an essential life skill.

I’m lucky - both my parents were brilliant swimmers and me and my brother went from babies. We are both now great swimmers.

Years ago I had a boyfriend who couldn’t swim. It became a bit of a problem. He couldn’t go on a beach or pool holiday, or on a boat trip as he couldn’t swim and was frightened of the water. I bought him a pack of adult swimming lessons and he said he felt embarrassed going.

Only 20% of adults in the UK can’t swim. That means that 80% can. Your son is going to be one of the few who can’t.

Swimming is also one of the best forms of exercise. My 73 year old mum goes swimming twice a week. Is fitter and slimmer than most girls I know. It has great health benefits. If he can learn now - it’s easier than an adult.

Now I don't understand that.
My dad can't swim and he has been boating all his life. He wears a life jacket but he doesn't have any fear of the water.

A beach holiday? Loads of people just paddle or sunbathe.
A pool holiday? Just stay in the shallow end.

Being unable to swim doesn't have to go hand in hand with fear of the water.

Oh - and on statistics - these will be based on number of drownings per category. Ie. In the category of people who can't swim, what percentage drown. Not an overall total where of course the number of swimmers would be higher.

"I would find it very depressing to have tow avoid water."

So would I, but the point is for some (albeit not all, but certainly my DH), it's not depressing at all, because he doesn't like it. He has no problem avoiding water because he doesn't like it.

I guess it's the same as me avoiding exercise. I hate it, know I should do it, but I really don't like it, so I don't do it. It's not depressing to avoid, because I hate doing it in the first place...

My dad avoided water for yrs. he can swim but he has an ear problem.
From someone who was sports mad as young man, slowly he had to give up lots of sport, now he only walks for exercise (& not a lot of that). His identical twin happily swims lots. It's bewildering to see my dad's clone comfortably swimming.
But Dad still doesn't like swimming.
I wish he could easily push that door open, instead, and find it fun. Outlets for physical activity when you're 75yo can be few.

Hmmm, these stats say that three quarters of drowning victims were non swimmers and the swimmers that did drown had been involved in accidents in swimming sports.

I don’t think the previous ones stated are broken down in to categories.

Being able to swim a length in a warm pool is fuck all use if you fall in to a river or lake. I'm just reposting what I posted this morning - I was never a great or keen swimmer, but when I fell in a river as a teenager (cycling along a riverbank) there is no doubt in my mind that my basic swimming skills saved my life. That's not say that swimmers can't drown - of course not - but you give yourself a much better chance if you know how to swim. And my own situation illustrates that you don't have to be taking part in watersports to end up in water. My own dcs have tried all kinds of sports, but swimming is the only one I insisted they pursue to a reasonably competent level at an early age. That doesn't mean they are safe from drowning, but at least it gives them a fighting chance in an emergency.

Swimming lessons are a red rule in our house until yr 4/ 800 Metres. It's naive not to insist on it