Learning to swim as an adult

[Dogtrousers]

A long time ago I took lessons to learn how to do front crawl. I could swim, but not very well. The instructor was very patient but I never "got it".

Then I wrecked my knee and my surgeon told me on no account ever to do breast stroke - which is the only stroke I ever learned - because of the rotational stresses on the knee. After my operations I spent a lot of time in the pool doing rehab stuff - mainly front crawl leg action but without the arm stuff that I never learned. Once that was over I've not been swimming since.

But anyway, that doesn't answer the OP. I have had swimming lessons as an adult, and the instructor was very nice and patient. But I was a bit useless. So I would say go for it. You may enjoy it.

 

[cougie uk]

OK, so this couldn't be further away from cycling-related matters, but I'm going to jump in anyway, for want of a better place to ask the question...

Has anyone learned to swim as an adult?

I was never taught properly and have avoided water all my life. Frankly, I'm scared of it. The rest of my family loves swimming, especially in the sea and rivers. but I am never able to join them. I would like to change this about myself, and hopefully lose my fear of water, which I think comes from knowing that I might not be able to save myself if I fell in.

I'm embarrassed about my inability to swim but I know there are classes for adult learners. Has anyone had swim-teaching as an adult, and has it been successful?

Yes. I mean I learned to swim at school - a width or two and then left it a few decades with no more than splashing.

Then I thought I should sign up for an ironman triathlon so I had to learn properly. The local Tri club had good beginner sessions so that made a huge difference.

I'm not a brilliant swimmer but I can do a couple of miles crawl without needing a breather.

I'd definitely go for it.

 

[Regular.Cyclist]

I’ve never been fearful of water and had swimming lessons as a kid but to no avail. No matter what I do I simply can’t propel myself forward.

Having added running to my repertoire several years ago I have done a few duathlons and if would be nice to add swimming to make up the triathlon. I went to a number of adult swim classes before lockdown but the sa problem persists. Despite video analysis there is nothing obvious I seem to be going wrong to I guess it just isn’t for me.

 

[gzoom]

I leant to swim a few years back (39 years old!), did it for my children really so we could all enjoy the pool on holiday. it.

I learnt to swim at 32 for the same reason. I set my self a target of doing a half Triathlon as a motivation factor

I went to the local council run adult swimming class, it took me about 6 months to go from not been able to put my head in water to doing my first 25 meter length.

It took ALOT of hard work, apart from the lessons, I would go to the local pool and embarrass my self by trying to 'swim' making loads of splashes and getting no where!!!

The effort and hardwork was 100% worth it, I even managed to NOT finish last in the swim leg of the half Triathlon .

A few years on, am now really proud to say my daughter at aged 6 is 100% comfortable in water. Can do 10 meter with ease, and loves water. Am trying to persuade my wife to learn as well, but she isn't having it .

Overall, as others have said. It's not easy, it does require hard work and perseverance, but its 100% worthwhile. It's hard to imagine missing out on not been able to swim these days, it really is one of the most 'fun', unique and relaxing experiences in life.

 

[bikingdad90]

I take my eldest to swimming lessons once a week, they way they taught the basics was brilliant, each element of a stroke was broken down into stages.

For example;

1. To learn how to kick, they hold a float with theirs arms outstretched and then kick their legs making sure to point their toes,
2. To learn how to do over arm front crawl they hold the float with one arm and swim with the other arm but don’t kick their legs.
3. Then they practice alternating hands before progressing into the final stage where everything is compounded and tried together.

Because they learnt the technique and put it all together the kids just glide through the water. My eldest is at the point now where he can alternate between all the strokes and swim lengths for a full 30mins, some lessons now focus on spinning in the water and diving in etc, he is better than me!!!!

 

[cougie uk]

I’ve never been fearful of water and had swimming lessons as a kid but to no avail. No matter what I do I simply can’t propel myself forward.

Having added running to my repertoire several years ago I have done a few duathlons and if would be nice to add swimming to make up the triathlon. I went to a number of adult swim classes before lockdown but the sa problem persists. Despite video analysis there is nothing obvious I seem to be going wrong to I guess it just isn’t for me.

I've seen people not bending their ankles whilst trying to swim and actually going backwards.
There must be a reason for your issues.

 

[Regular.Cyclist]

I've seen people not bending their ankles whilst trying to swim and actually going backwards.
There must be a reason for your issues.

I’m sure there is. Unfortunately the cause has not yet been identified.

 

[postman]

Yes I started aged 21,after my mates held me under the water about 14 years old i never went near a swimming baths.But at 21 I took myself down to a pool under supervision of Leeds city council.Free lessons.I took to the breast stroke straight away.I stayed behind after lessons and joined the public sessions,I looked so good one girl asked me to teach her.I was so bloody shy I said no,missed out on some dates maybe.Anyway now aged 72 I can have fun when on holiday in the pool,I also swim in the sea,but across the beach not out away from it,I want to know I can touch down when needed.I am so pleased I got over my fear.

 

[presta]

I just thought I'd mention unlearning to swim. After about 5 years of swimming up to 5 days a week I had to give it up when it caused ear trouble, and never swam for decades after that. Then about 5 years ago I decided to give it a try again, and see if I could tolerate just one shortish session a week.

Anyhow, I went down the pool, got changed, then walked up to the deep end and jumped straight in just as I always used to (I can't stand the "ooh, ahh, eee" as the cold water creeps up your legs descending the steps). It never occurred to me that I wasn't still a competent swimmer, so I went straight to the bottom, and I thought I wasn't going to come back up again for a moment! After frantically clawing my way to the surface and grabbing the handrail, I swam awkwardly back to the shallow end.

It took a session or two before I was able to move effortlessly in the water again at will, then within a year or so my ear started playing up, so I quit all over again.

I took myself down to a pool under supervision of Leeds city council.

Have you been in the Grade II listed Edwardian bath house at Bramley? I went in there back in the days when my cousin used to live in Calverley Lane almost opposite the bath, but that was when I couldn't swim.

 

[Gwylan]

Learned as a teenager because it was required as part of an entry test. Just pig headedness and the captain of swimming being a chum.
Met the standard, just.
Never the strongest or most enthusiastic swimmer.
Swimming for me is about survival.
Staying dry and out of the water are my prime objectives.

Have never enjoyed wading ashore and spending the rest of the trip drying off.

But it is good to know that if necessary I could in the past float about for an hour or doggy paddle to the shore or a pick up. Now the cold water would finish me very quickly.

Decide why you want to do it and go for it

 

[postman]

My baths were Union Street ,John Lewis store sits about on the same site nearly,and Meanwood Road long gone.But I learned to swim at the International pool which was short of a couple of inches if my memory is correct.

 

[GlamorganGuy]

I learnt to swim at 32 for the same reason. I set my self a target of doing a half Triathlon as a motivation factor

I went to the local council run adult swimming class, it took me about 6 months to go from not been able to put my head in water to doing my first 25 meter length.

It took ALOT of hard work, apart from the lessons, I would go to the local pool and embarrass my self by trying to 'swim' making loads of splashes and getting no where!!!

The effort and hardwork was 100% worth it, I even managed to NOT finish last in the swim leg of the half Triathlon .

View attachment 658185

A few years on, am now really proud to say my daughter at aged 6 is 100% comfortable in water. Can do 10 meter with ease, and loves water. Am trying to persuade my wife to learn as well, but she isn't having it .

Overall, as others have said. It's not easy, it does require hard work and perseverance, but its 100% worthwhile. It's hard to imagine missing out on not been able to swim these days, it really is one of the most 'fun', unique and relaxing experiences in life.

View attachment 658186

Amazing story and so inspiring, congratulations and thanks v much for sharing!

 

[KnittyNorah]

OK, so this couldn't be further away from cycling-related matters, but I'm going to jump in anyway, for want of a better place to ask the question...

Has anyone learned to swim as an adult?

I was never taught properly and have avoided water all my life. Frankly, I'm scared of it. The rest of my family loves swimming, especially in the sea and rivers. but I am never able to join them. I would like to change this about myself, and hopefully lose my fear of water, which I think comes from knowing that I might not be able to save myself if I fell in.

I'm embarrassed about my inability to swim but I know there are classes for adult learners. Has anyone had swim-teaching as an adult, and has it been successful?

I didn't learn to swim until I was in my 20s. My mother had been an excellent swimmer - she had swum for Manchester Schools as a girl in the 1920s - and was SO disappointed that I did not 'take' to it. I had lessons with school, my parents paid for me to have private lessons, I was never actually scared of the water BUT I never learnt to swim and gave up trying at the age of around 14/15.
A combination of circumstances when I was in my early/mid 20s impelled me to 'try again'. I was working in a hospital which had an indoor heated pool available in the staff sports and social club, I was on-call for the long Easter weekend and I was planning to go out to work in the Middle East the next year. I had also found a book in the local library that assured readers that if they followed the instructions in it , they WOULD learn how to swim. It was mainly about breathing. I put the book, open at the appropriate page, in two sealed plastic bags and set off to the pool.

I will never forget discovering that I could swim. It was Good Friday and it was snowing outside but the pool had an all-over glass cover like a geodesic dome. Big flakes were coming lazily down as I actually swam - following the book's instructions - across half the breadth of the pool.

Although my previous lessons and teachers had taught me what to do with my arms and legs, none of them had spoken of controlling my breathing and - even more importantly for someone with pathological myopia - I had always been forced to remove my glasses before getting in the water. With eyesight of minus dioptres in double figures, only by wearing my specs in the water could I see where I was in the bloomin' pool!

By the end of the Easter weekend I was confidently swimming lengths in the small pool and I just regret that I was never competently taught as a youngster. I have long since forgotten the name of the book which enabled me to learn to swim; I would have liked to have written to the author to thank him or her.

 

[Gwylan]

I didn't learn to swim until I was in my 20s. My mother had been an excellent swimmer - she had swum for Manchester Schools as a girl in the 1920s - and was SO disappointed that I did not 'take' to it. I had lessons with school, my parents paid for me to have private lessons, I was never actually scared of the water BUT I never learnt to swim and gave up trying at the age of around 14/15.
A combination of circumstances when I was in my early/mid 20s impelled me to 'try again'. I was working in a hospital which had an indoor heated pool available in the staff sports and social club, I was on-call for the long Easter weekend and I was planning to go out to work in the Middle East the next year. I had also found a book in the local library that assured readers that if they followed the instructions in it , they WOULD learn how to swim. It was mainly about breathing. I put the book, open at the appropriate page, in two sealed plastic bags and set off to the pool.

I will never forget discovering that I could swim. It was Good Friday and it was snowing outside but the pool had an all-over glass cover like a geodesic dome. Big flakes were coming lazily down as I actually swam - following the book's instructions - across half the breadth of the pool.

Although my previous lessons and teachers had taught me what to do with my arms and legs, none of them had spoken of controlling my breathing and - even more importantly for someone with pathological myopia - I had always been forced to remove my glasses before getting in the water. With eyesight of minus dioptres in double figures, only by wearing my specs in the water could I see where I was in the bloomin' pool!

By the end of the Easter weekend I was confidently swimming lengths in the small pool and I just regret that I was never competently taught as a youngster. I have long since forgotten the name of the book which enabled me to learn to swim; I would have liked to have written to the author to thank him or her.

Wonderful

 

[GlamorganGuy]

I didn't learn to swim until I was in my 20s. My mother had been an excellent swimmer - she had swum for Manchester Schools as a girl in the 1920s - and was SO disappointed that I did not 'take' to it. I had lessons with school, my parents paid for me to have private lessons, I was never actually scared of the water BUT I never learnt to swim and gave up trying at the age of around 14/15.
A combination of circumstances when I was in my early/mid 20s impelled me to 'try again'. I was working in a hospital which had an indoor heated pool available in the staff sports and social club, I was on-call for the long Easter weekend and I was planning to go out to work in the Middle East the next year. I had also found a book in the local library that assured readers that if they followed the instructions in it , they WOULD learn how to swim. It was mainly about breathing. I put the book, open at the appropriate page, in two sealed plastic bags and set off to the pool.

I will never forget discovering that I could swim. It was Good Friday and it was snowing outside but the pool had an all-over glass cover like a geodesic dome. Big flakes were coming lazily down as I actually swam - following the book's instructions - across half the breadth of the pool.

Although my previous lessons and teachers had taught me what to do with my arms and legs, none of them had spoken of controlling my breathing and - even more importantly for someone with pathological myopia - I had always been forced to remove my glasses before getting in the water. With eyesight of minus dioptres in double figures, only by wearing my specs in the water could I see where I was in the bloomin' pool!

By the end of the Easter weekend I was confidently swimming lengths in the small pool and I just regret that I was never competently taught as a youngster. I have long since forgotten the name of the book which enabled me to learn to swim; I would have liked to have written to the author to thank him or her.

Thanks for your inspiring reply! I am also v short sighted which has done nothing for my confidence in water over the years! Really appreciate your response and I will keep you updated on my progress.