Learning to swim as an adult

lisajane

Is it easy? Iv seen people swim and they make it look so easy. Im 25 and dont know how to swim. Iv got my first swimming lesson booked. Im not nervous (yet) but what can i expect? Would they teach me to float on my first lesson. Would they give me those kiddie floats? How long would it take to learn to swim?

zardette

Hi there,

I took it up last autumn as my knees were in a bad way. I went with a friend and with mutual encouragement and support and a few lessons I could swim the front crawl (not very well) in a week. With dedication and and love for the pool I went every day for an hour and I could swim all the strokes in a few months.

I would defo say it possible (if you put in the effort) and and very well worth it!

In the first lesson they taught me how to not fear the water.

After that the lessons just really gave me the motivation to practice.

The best way for me was getting my buddy to watch my stroke and to help me find my balance in the water.


So go for it

Z

BossArky

I taught my girlfriend to swim over the past few years, on hols once or twice a year. If you put your mind to it you should be splashing around confidently in a few months.

Here are some things you should aim to learn you progress:

• thread water
• swim across the pool
• swim arcross and back
• swim up
• swim up and back
• swim up and back multiple times (each stroke)

hunnymonster

Lisajane, As the others have said it;s not difficult. If you're not scared of water I would go so far as to say, yes it is easy. I only learned in August 2005 when I was well into my thirties! The teacher will base your lesson on how you are. If you are scared of the water the first thing will be to get you comfortable, if you are ok then getting used to the feeling of moving in the water and then of course they will have to teach you the strokes. Don't worry about it, it should be fun. enjoy it and do come back and tell us how you got on.

JG1

Zardette, where did you go for lessons? I have gone to different classes in Dublin over the past 3 years and have been disappointed. Would love to give it another go.

hunnymonster

JG1, have you gone to group classes or one on one?

JG1

They were always group lessons. I'm thinking one on one might be better for me. I have a fear of the deep end and I think overcoming this would go a long way to helping me improve as a swimmer.

Someone told me that the Markiewicz pool does one on one lessons. Do you know of anywhere else?

zardette

hi JG1,

The lessons where in a group and they were not based in Dublin and even though there were good I wouldn't recommend traveling 3hrs for lessons

What I found good was:
1. Reading and watching the DVD on total immersion
http://www.totalimmersion.net/
2. Getting someone with me to build up my confidence in the water as I was very nervous. Being with someone that you are comfortable with was a key step in gaining confidence in the water.
3. Getting them to help me with the drills that are on this video and to watch my stroke was key to improving. Often it is difficult to see what you are doing wrong yourself.

The one thing I found hard was breathing in the water and I found that learning good body rotation was hard but well worth it once you get it right..

I think the one on one is very good advice and I suppose I got it from my buddy for free (well almost, I did have to make it a few dinners):D
Z

Clseeper

When starting from scratch with adults, confidence in the water is biggest thing to overcome. Once you master that, you'll progress very quickly. Adults are a lot more aware of the dangers with water as opposed to kids which you can just throw into the pool (Not literally but close enough to)

I had a young girl once (mid 20's), in a 4ft pool who was terrified of letting go of the wall as she thought she would be swept away?? We got over that fear quite quickly.

For t he OP: It really depends on the class level/size, how good your teacher is and what your level is. When teaching adults I never ask them to wear armbands (kiddie float??) or are you talking about the kick boards? Kick boards are a vital tool and are used by all levels up to professional level. Personally, for stability, I’d start brand new beginners on woggles first and work up from there.

http://www.gb-sports.co.uk/water_woggles.jpg

How long it will take varies from person to person but if you try everything as best you can and take your time to get it right in the beginning then it shouldn’t take too long. People can progress in as fast as one lesson. My current group are on lengths after 6-8 weeks.

Go for it and push yourself to try everything.

JG1

Thanks. Managed a length in a 25m pool last night even though it was only 5ft in depth! Next, it's a full length in a proper shallow/deep end pool. Just need to overcome my fear. If anyone knows someone who offers one on one lessons in Dublin, please let me know.

liam100

Despite what the the previous posters say learning to swim for the first time as an adult is NOT easy. I've been having one to one lessons for the past 3 months from a swimming instructor in Dublin and am still not able to swim one length of the pool. Mastering the freestyle which is the first stroke you have to learn takes a LOT of practice which you need to do between your lessons. Maintaining correct streamline position with correct coordination of breathing, arm strokes with a good leg kick is very difficult but eventually comes with constant practice. People who say learning to swim as an adult is easy are lying. It takes a lot of work.

Clseeper

I agree that it’s not the same for all adults learning to swim. Some defiantly take longer than others and also depends on their expectations: is it to be confident to do a few widths? Maybe a whole length? Or do they intend to do a triathlon?

The advantage of adults is their real willingness to learn, a much better focus and normally more strength than kids. But as pointed out earlier, there are downsides in that adults can be more wary and need more confidence boasting.

Liam100: Where you starting from scratch at the beginning of the 3 months? What’s stopping you doing a whole length?

Frontcrawl is not the only way to get to that first length. Try some backcrawl to build stamina and work on the kick and reach that hurdle.

I agree that it’s not easy but extremely rewarding none the less.

Burkatron

liam100 wrote: »

Despite what the the previous posters say learning to swim for the first time as an adult is NOT easy. I've been having one to one lessons for the past 3 months from a swimming instructor in Dublin and am still not able to swim one length of the pool. Mastering the freestyle which is the first stroke you have to learn takes a LOT of practice which you need to do between your lessons. Maintaining correct streamline position with correct coordination of breathing, arm strokes with a good leg kick is very difficult but eventually comes with constant practice. People who say learning to swim as an adult is easy are lying. It takes a lot of work.

Liam100, everything Clseeper has said is quality advice & you should defo take note of it. The 1 question I'd have for you before I'd give my opinion is how often do you practice outside of your swimming lessons?
If you're going for lessons once a week you will progress very slowly! You need to get in the water at minimum once a week & practice what you're instructor is showing you for yourself. You'll progress alot quicker & get the satisfaction of teaching yourself! This works extremely well with my students!

If you're getting more then 1 lesson a week & progressing slowly I'd consider changing instructors as a different approach might work for you!(providing you dont have any fears of the water you're overcoming or other factors you haven't mentioned)

liam100

Yes, I started swimming from scratch and didn't have any fear of water. Also I do make a point of always practicing between my once weekly lessons - usually for 1-2 sessions. My problem is the breathing on the frontcrawl which I'm having severe difficulty with. I maintain a streamline position and trickle breathe i.e blow bubbles continuously under water. Usually after the 3rd head turn to the side I'm completely out of breath which stops me swimming in my tracks usually at about 10m approximately. Then I have to start again. What I think may be happening is that my leg kick may be faltering slightly which causes me to sink. Obviously the frontcrawl is the most difficult for breathing because the face is continuously in the water. My instructor has told me that I should master the frontcrawl before attempting backcrawl or breaststroke. Should I change instructors or carry on and hope for the best? I'm stuck on a plateau at the moment. Thanks.

Burkatron

liam100 wrote: »

Yes, I started swimming from scratch and didn't have any fear of water. Also I do make a point of always practicing between my once weekly lessons - usually for 1-2 sessions. My problem is the breathing on the frontcrawl which I'm having severe difficulty with. I maintain a streamline position and trickle breathe i.e blow bubbles continuously under water. Usually after the 3rd head turn to the side I'm completely out of breath which stops me swimming in my tracks usually at about 10m approximately. Then I have to start again. What I think may be happening is that my leg kick may be faltering slightly which causes me to sink. Obviously the frontcrawl is the most difficult for breathing because the face is continuously in the water. My instructor has told me that I should master the frontcrawl before attempting backcrawl or breaststroke. Should I change instructors or carry on and hope for the best? I'm stuck on a plateau at the moment. Thanks.

It's late so this is post is a bit all over the place, but anyway!

Are you breathing every 2nd stroke?

Are you breathing to your dominant side? i.e if you're right handed do you roll
to your right?


If you're struggling with your legs how is your instructor rectifying this?

If the answer to the 3rd question is not enough there's a couple of options.
Option 1 - Get a kickboard & start swimming leg sets till your legs get stronger/technique gets better.

Option 2 - Start training with swim fins. They'll help correct your leg kick & will strengthen your legs & also have the pay off of improving propulsion which in turn should hopefully help with your breathing technique.

TBH thats pretty standard to teach front crawl 1st, then backstroke then Breast stroke. Learn the more efficient strokes 1st! Where are you based & someone might be able to recommend an instructor! As I said before, a different instructor will have slightly different methods that might suit you better.

Clseeper

As always, it’s very hard to correct strokes without actually seeing you swim so take all the advice gotten as just; advice and possible pointers.

Firstly, you are by no means alone in finding the breathing difficult on the frontcrawl, and you wont be the last. I think the majority of posts I’ve written for this forum are on that topic. It requires coordination of all the elements of the stroke to really pull off.
I’m a bit concerned that you say “What I think may be happening”, isn’t that what your instructor is for? They should be telling you what is wrong and how to fix it. I also query why you aren’t attempting the other strokes? Leaving out the breaststroke – ok but the backcrawl nicely complements the progression of the fc without the complexity of the breathing. This can help build up the stamina and fitness level required.

It could be possible that what is required is a step improvement in your cardio fitness to get over that hurdle?

I would hate if one of clients came to me and told me I was doing something wrong just because some faceless people on an internet forum said so – having never seen them swim. Having said that I’d try and communicate a bit more, ask them what you need to improve? Why are they not doing other strokes? What drills you need to work on etc. Then see how it goes. If you’re still not happy, try a different instructor and see.

Good luck.

Burkatron

Clseeper wrote: »

As always, it’s very hard to correct strokes without actually seeing you swim so take all the advice gotten as just; advice and possible pointers.

Firstly, you are by no means alone in finding the breathing difficult on the frontcrawl, and you wont be the last. I think the majority of posts I’ve written for this forum are on that topic. It requires coordination of all the elements of the stroke to really pull off.
I’m a bit concerned that you say “What I think may be happening”, isn’t that what your instructor is for? They should be telling you what is wrong and how to fix it. I also query why you aren’t attempting the other strokes? Leaving out the breaststroke – ok but the backcrawl nicely complements the progression of the fc without the complexity of the breathing. This can help build up the stamina and fitness level required.

It could be possible that what is required is a step improvement in your cardio fitness to get over that hurdle?

I would hate if one of clients came to me and told me I was doing something wrong just because some faceless people on an internet forum said so – having never seen them swim. Having said that I’d try and communicate a bit more, ask them what you need to improve? Why are they not doing other strokes? What drills you need to work on etc. Then see how it goes. If you’re still not happy, try a different instructor and see.

Good luck.

Just want to comment on the bolded part as it's aimed at me. I never said OP's instructor is doing anything wrong but the OP shouldn't be tied to 1 person if they feel the instructors methods aren't working/they aren't progressing. It's like anything else,if you're not happy/have doubts shop around.

Clseeper

Burkatron: That wasn't meant for you but re-reading it now I can see why you thought that - sorry. It was actually more to cover my ass considering all the questions I asked the OP to pose to their instructor. And also my opinion of the standard of some swimming teachers out there (crap). I didn't want to come across as arrogant, godly & "can do no wrong".

francie81

lisajane wrote: »

Is it easy? Iv seen people swim and they make it look so easy. Im 25 and dont know how to swim. Iv got my first swimming lesson booked. Im not nervous (yet) but what can i expect? Would they teach me to float on my first lesson. Would they give me those kiddie floats? How long would it take to learn to swim?

Hey Lisa,

I took up 10 week swimming lessons am now going onto my 5th next week and I have to say apart from loving the water I'd no notion of swimming but now after 4 weeks am proud to say I can atleast swim and loving it although I know I have a long way to go still even probly after the 10 weeks are up but I do intend to practice on my own to keep up the momentum, at the end of the day its like anything else in life of having the confidence in yourself that you want to do it and having confidence in your instructor to get ya there therefore you'll be well on your way like myself and anyone else who wants to learn.
Anyway keep us informed of how your getting on.

Best of luck,
Francie

mickeyfitzray

I started taking swimming lessons just last week. I am really comfortable in the water and have always enjoyed it so I assumed that with proper lessons it wouldn't take me too long to get the hang of it.

After only one class I'm finding it very difficult and quite frustrating. I just can't seem to get a good kick going with the board. I also have trouble with breathing and choking on water that I'm swallowing while trying to breath in. Unfortunately the rest of the class who are supposed to be at the same level as me are whizzing up and down with the board and I'm stuck there looking down at the same tiles while kicking furiously!

I'm starting to regret taking the class as it seems I may have been better off with a more patient one-to-one lesson. The instructor doesn't get in the water, he basically tries to tell you what you should be doing which can be hard to understand without seeing somebody demonstrate it.

The point I'm trying to make is do not think it is easy. It's hard work and you have to be quite fit. I've been going to the gym for the past 6 months and I play 5-a-side every week so I am pretty active but after a 45 minute practice session in the pool my legs get the better of me and I get out of breath easily.

francie81

mickeyfitzray wrote: »

I started taking swimming lessons just last week. I am really comfortable in the water and have always enjoyed it so I assumed that with proper lessons it wouldn't take me too long to get the hang of it.

After only one class I'm finding it very difficult and quite frustrating. I just can't seem to get a good kick going with the board. I also have trouble with breathing and choking on water that I'm swallowing while trying to breath in. Unfortunately the rest of the class who are supposed to be at the same level as me are whizzing up and down with the board and I'm stuck there looking down at the same tiles while kicking furiously!

I'm starting to regret taking the class as it seems I may have been better off with a more patient one-to-one lesson. The instructor doesn't get in the water, he basically tries to tell you what you should be doing which can be hard to understand without seeing somebody demonstrate it.

The point I'm trying to make is do not think it is easy. It's hard work and you have to be quite fit. I've been going to the gym for the past 6 months and I play 5-a-side every week so I am pretty active but after a 45 minute practice session in the pool my legs get the better of me and I get out of breath easily.

Hey Mickey,

Your only starting out fairplay to ya but you got to remember learning to swim at a later stage in life takes time with alot of people just doesn't happen overnight, I've read all what you said and I was in your position in fact I wouldn't be much ahead of ya even though am at 'Intermediate' level. Don't worry about everyone else being ahead of ya because if you do then nerves will get the better of ya, the instructor should know how far on you and everyone else is and he/she should address the situation before moving on.
The instructor being in the pool makes it a whole lot easier I totally agree with you on that but another thing too is that its very important you try your best to go swimming as often as possible outside of the lessons which is what am trying to do myself with another guy I met from the previous beginner class.
All I can say is if you really want to do it stick at it like anything else it will come to ya like it will anyone else and remain focused when in the pool as I think relaxtion is half the battle when it comes to being able to swim.
Anyway let me know how your getting along yeah?

Best of luck,
Francie

mickeyfitzray

Yeah that's true... I think relaxing is a huge part of it. Not letting frustration get the better of you. Especially when trying to breathe and kick properly. I fully intend to get the better of it though that's for sure!

Luckily enough I'm a member of the place I'm getting lessons in so I'll be practicing as much as possible.

One other thing I will say in case this might put any learners off. Even though it can be frustrating and quite hard work it's still hugely enjoyable to be in the pool. Even though I'm not properly swimming it's still a great feeling after going for a dip in the morning.

francie81

mickeyfitzray wrote: »

I started taking swimming lessons just last week. I am really comfortable in the water and have always enjoyed it so I assumed that with proper lessons it wouldn't take me too long to get the hang of it.

After only one class I'm finding it very difficult and quite frustrating. I just can't seem to get a good kick going with the board. I also have trouble with breathing and choking on water that I'm swallowing while trying to breath in. Unfortunately the rest of the class who are supposed to be at the same level as me are whizzing up and down with the board and I'm stuck there looking down at the same tiles while kicking furiously!

I'm starting to regret taking the class as it seems I may have been better off with a more patient one-to-one lesson. The instructor doesn't get in the water, he basically tries to tell you what you should be doing which can be hard to understand without seeing somebody demonstrate it.

The point I'm trying to make is do not think it is easy. It's hard work and you have to be quite fit. I've been going to the gym for the past 6 months and I play 5-a-side every week so I am pretty active but after a 45 minute practice session in the pool my legs get the better of me and I get out of breath easily.

mickeyfitzray wrote: »

Yeah that's true... I think relaxing is a huge part of it. Not letting frustration get the better of you. Especially when trying to breathe and kick properly. I fully intend to get the better of it though that's for sure!

Luckily enough I'm a member of the place I'm getting lessons in so I'll be practicing as much as possible.

One other thing I will say in case this might put any learners off. Even though it can be frustrating and quite hard work it's still hugely enjoyable to be in the pool. Even though I'm not properly swimming it's still a great feeling after going for a dip in the morning.

It's like this if you get the breathing right your on your way because it seems to me the sequence is kicking, arms then the breathing for the basic freestyle. Am not even concentrating on the breathing just yet as am trying to practice getting the legs and arms in motion, the same goes for the backstroke just can't get the arms moving with the legs but I know in time it'll fall into place.

Yep I have to say am delighted I took up swimming because I always loved the pool never feared water so the frustration of not being able to swim you know.

Good stuff then you should be there as often as possible you'll have it in no time just don't think about it, if I wasn't working I'd be problably going everyday if not every second day.
Again let me know how its going for ya am off shortly for my 3rd installment should be fun:D

Francie

Tommy Target

Going too finally get back in the pool

Not scared of water ..but have had lessons before (many moons ago)and they were soul destroying..was a instructor who loved himself because he was an accomplished swimmer and scuba diver etc

I couldnt grasp basic parts and he demeaned people who lagged behind and stuff

So i have taken a couple of weeks off work too find lessons and get started
I live in Dublin and i am a member of a well known gym that has a separate pool and i live close by The National aquatic center in blanch..so no excuse there

Will keep fellow wannabee swimmers like me posted..

Any ideas suggestions would be great


Thanks all

SasQuatch88

Hey guys, said i'll give it a shot, as this is something i want to get good at..
I was a tad scared of the water, but since i've been on holidays and been splashing about in the pools there, i decided i might bite the bullet and get some lessons.
What i'm wondering myself and the main thing that could help me a lot, is treading water, just thinking to meself if i could get that down i wouldn't have much of a problem.. well at least in staying afloat, doing lengths is a bit down the line for me.

All advice is welcome!

redarmy1929

I'm also looking for private swimming lessons if anyone can recommend a teacher

Cheap as possible as well.
Thanks

igorbiscan

The main thing about swimming is getting the breathing right n gettin used to your head been under water n realising your not goin to drown,once your comfortable with this the actual swimming part is easy,
breath out when your under the water coming up for air n draw in when your above the water,once you get this right your elected..

CorkonianRebel

At the start of the year I vowed to learn how to swim as a new years resolution so I got private lessons but I didn't make much progress. I think the teacher was one of those guys who was a great swimmer but couldn't teach it. He would just say do this and when I couldn't do it, he wasn't able to explain what I should do. I think its because he was a gym instructor who could swim as opposed to a swimming instructor if you get me.

I felt like a fool as I was in a pool with everyone swimming around and I was scrambling for the side of the pool to get my head above the water every time! It was so frustrating, it put me off the whole idea until recently when I saw an ad about group lessons in a pool and there would be no one else in it.I'm only half way through the lessons and I can just about swim. I just need to keep practising it as I have the idea but just need to improve technique. The good thing about group lessons is you can watch and learn from others as we all take turns and it gives you a chance to recover your breath! I was worried it would be everyone staring at you as you do your turn but its actually like a support group! Everyone gives encouragement and I'm slowly getting there!

Burkatron

redarmy1929 wrote: »

I'm also looking for private swimming lessons if anyone can recommend a teacher

Cheap as possible as well.
Thanks

Where abouts are you based & tbh you're not going to get decent private lessons on the cheap. Most clubs they're atleast double (probably more) the price of group lessons so as the instructors aren't undercutting them!

igorbiscan wrote: »

The main thing about swimming is getting the breathing right n gettin used to your head been under water n realising your not goin to drown,once your comfortable with this the actual swimming part is easy,
breath out when your under the water coming up for air n draw in when your above the water,once you get this right your elected..

Shhhhhh, don't tell everyone

SasQuatch88 wrote: »

Hey guys, said i'll give it a shot, as this is something i want to get good at..
I was a tad scared of the water, but since i've been on holidays and been splashing about in the pools there, i decided i might bite the bullet and get some lessons.
What i'm wondering myself and the main thing that could help me a lot, is treading water, just thinking to meself if i could get that down i wouldn't have much of a problem.. well at least in staying afloat, doing lengths is a bit down the line for me.

All advice is welcome!

To be honest, treading water is a skill that you need to be able to relax while doing. IMO you're not going to be able to relax in water deep enough you have to tread if you cant swim & make it to the side! Ideally you need to be able to swim first! If you get a decent instructor swimming lengths inst that far off when you consider how long in life you haven't been able to swim!!

redarmy1929

Burkatron wrote: »

Where abouts are you based & tbh you're not going to get decent private lessons on the cheap. Most clubs they're atleast double (probably more) the price of group lessons so as the instructors aren't undercutting them!

I'm from Clondalkin but can travel anywhere really.

I have been quoted a price of €50 per lesson so far, seems abit steep, unless its Michael Phelps teaching me

kieraflynn2

Does anyone know of any intensive swimming lessons or private swimming lessons in Cork City?

anigheh

I decided i was not going to go on another sun hol without learning to swim... so my 40th bday pressie to me was swimming lessons, wen u get over the fear of water it easy to learn how to swim. but its bloody hard work.......:rolleyes:

anigheh

I have been quoted a price of €50 per lesson so far, seems abit steep, unless its Michael Phelps teaching me [/QUOTE]

That is shocking!!! there is no way u should be paying that much, the price for private lessons in my local pool is €20 and that was over a year ago with the recession it could be less now.....

redarmy1929

anigheh wrote: »

I have been quoted a price of €50 per lesson so far, seems abit steep, unless its Michael Phelps teaching me

That is shocking!!! there is no way u should be paying that much, the price for private lessons in my local pool is €20 and that was over a year ago with the recession it could be less now.....[/QUOTE]

yeah i know, guess some parts of Dublin were never hit by it.

20-30quid is what im looking for really

Burkatron

redarmy1929 wrote: »

That is shocking!!! there is no way u should be paying that much, the price for private lessons in my local pool is €20 and that was over a year ago with the recession it could be less now.....

yeah i know, guess some parts of Dublin were never hit by it.

20-30quid is what im looking for really

Was this in the city centre!? That sounds about right! If you were up towards the Northside I'd be able to help you BUT I doubt you're going to travel to Portmarnock for swimming lessons!

nedelosion

:eek:

i'm going to lesson number 3 tomorrow! i have a fear of water, and am basically forcing myself to do this, the only way i could get myself to do it with out getting upset in the pool was to have one to one lessons with an instructor and with my 7 yr old daughter (she can swim) , i wasnt going to let her see how stupidly petrified i was of what was goin on day one was ok my instructor is fab she knows if i need a minute to calm down or when to push me, i think the key is who teachs you and how comfortable you are with them.....i have friends who are lifeguard trained but i couldnt learn with them it had to be a stranger i dunno why..... i so far have floundered in water cried and gotten frustrated but ya know what i got over it.....and im going to do it all again tomorrow and pay someone to watch me while i do it but ill get there......trust yourself people...and dont do a me on it and get emotionally attached to your kickboard.....apparently its going tomorrow :eek:

Burkatron

nedelosion wrote: »

:eek:

i'm going to lesson number 3 tomorrow! i have a fear of water, and am basically forcing myself to do this, the only way i could get myself to do it with out getting upset in the pool was to have one to one lessons with an instructor and with my 7 yr old daughter (she can swim) , i wasnt going to let her see how stupidly petrified i was of what was goin on day one was ok my instructor is fab she knows if i need a minute to calm down or when to push me, i think the key is who teachs you and how comfortable you are with them.....i have friends who are lifeguard trained but i couldnt learn with them it had to be a stranger i dunno why..... i so far have floundered in water cried and gotten frustrated but ya know what i got over it.....and im going to do it all again tomorrow and pay someone to watch me while i do it but ill get there......trust yourself people...and dont do a me on it and get emotionally attached to your kickboard.....apparently its going tomorrow :eek:

Well done! It sounds like your making serious strides & a few more weeks you wont know yourself!! Are you getting your face in the water? I couldn't gather that from your post? When you realize you'll move easier through the water without the float just by staying streamlined (basically flat & stretched) you wont want it back!!! Good luck

nedelosion

Burkatron wrote: »

Well done! It sounds like your making serious strides & a few more weeks you wont know yourself!! Are you getting your face in the water? I couldn't gather that from your post? When you realize you'll move easier through the water without the float just by staying streamlined (basically flat & stretched) you wont want it back!!! Good luck

yep face in water not a problem, its the needing to stand up and not being able to without swallowing water and my heart busting out of my chesst in panic that is the problem lol

Burkatron

nedelosion wrote: »

yep face in water not a problem, its the needing to stand up and not being able to without swallowing water and my heart busting out of my chesst in panic that is the problem lol

Hmmm, I don't want to be undermining your coach but has she thought a basic breathing technique when you get in the water? Before every class get in the water, take a big breath in & let yourself float as you slowly breath out, the objective of this excercise is to relax in the water but control where you're going .

• If you feel you have to at 1st hold the wall then eventually graduate to free floating.

• When you relax & breath out for long enough the 1st part of your body to drop will be your legs as they're furthest from the lungs! Let this happen & keep breathing out your mouth slowly!

• As you breath out you'll lose buoyancy & eventually sink to the bottom!
  You'll find that this takes quite a while when you control your breathing showing you actually how much air you have inside you & will allow you to be more confident in how long you can actually stay face in the water for! I have a begginer hitting 45 seconds off the bat but he's an exception, anything over 15 seconds is great!

• The other thing that begginers (some coaches ) don't pick up on is the musclses you use to breath out. You need to use your cheek (buccinator) muscles! Simply inflate your cheeks when you breath in & use them to gently force the air out your mouth. This takes pressure off your Neck (mainly scalene) muscles & is much more comfortable. I've fixed breathing in less then a minute for a few people just by getting them to do this!

The other effect of sticking your head in the water for ages is lack of oxygen to the brain so you get that doped up relaxed feeling so either way you'll be more confident! (This part is a joke btw....just incase someone thinks I'm 100% serious) :P

Hope this helps!

nedelosion

thank you will defo try this today!! she has shown me but not in as much detail....its defo a confidence battle! but hey if little kids can do it so can i!!
(tried the floating thing before i got totally lost and had to be pulled by a little toerag back near the shallows by my foot(shame) but if your an adult and ya cant laugh at yourself its pretty sad,

thegreengoblin

Hi all,
Like the OP I decided to bite the bullet and get some one on one lessons. I started around last August with the intention of getting one lesson a week and take it from there. However, being a dad to two young kids has ensured it hasn't worked out as planned and I also got a shoulder/neck injury, and my lessons have probably been averaging one every two weeks.

I started out quite fearful of water but gradually got a grip of that and was kicking with a board and face down in no time. A while back I got rid of the board and was able to kick for the wall from about 10 metres. I started practising strokes and felt I was really getting somewhere.

However, last week my instructor asked me to try some floating in the water and I stalled. I can just about let go of the wall and float but I have to be near the wall. I'm just not comfortable yet in open water and I feel this will hold me back unless I get it sorted.

My instructor is top class by the way. He doesn't just say 'do this, do that'....he explains things to me and is encouraging but firm in getting me to try things out. But the classes are adding up and I'm conscious of the fact that I have spent a fair bit of money on lessons at this stage.

Any tips/advice to help me through this stage would be greatly appreciated!

alandublin33

I know its easier said than done but swimming is all about conquering your fear/nerves because after you do that the rest is just technique , and you wont sink if u just relax in the water and thread slowly.

thegreengoblin

Thanks Alan, what you're saying makes perfect sense but I just can't relax enough. As soon as I start to lose control of my bearings I get panicky and it all goes pear-shaped.

The thing is I know deep down that this is the most crucial stage for me and the importance of it is playing on my mind so much. I have another lesson tomorrow so I'll give it a really good shot then.

Weylin

lisajane wrote: »

Is it easy? Iv seen people swim and they make it look so easy. Im 25 and dont know how to swim. Iv got my first swimming lesson booked. Im not nervous (yet) but what can i expect? Would they teach me to float on my first lesson. Would they give me those kiddie floats? How long would it take to learn to swim?

watch this http://youtu.be/DgZ5-oatDg8
there ia LOADS more on utube:D

lorcan122

thegreengoblin wrote: »

Thanks Alan, what you're saying makes perfect sense but I just can't relax enough. As soon as I start to lose control of my bearings I get panicky and it all goes pear-shaped.

The thing is I know deep down that this is the most crucial stage for me and the importance of it is playing on my mind so much. I have another lesson tomorrow so I'll give it a really good shot then.

What I would suggest is, that you use two floats and when you lie on your back you will stay up in the water, gradually reduce the float to one, and then try with none at all. You can hold the floats, by putting your two hands on top of the floats, or cross them over your chest.

Weylin

very good "learn how to swim"tutorial
http://www.swimsmooth.com/

thegreengoblin

lorcan122 wrote: »

What I would suggest is, that you use two floats and when you lie on your back you will stay up in the water, gradually reduce the float to one, and then try with none at all. You can hold the floats, by putting your two hands on top of the floats, or cross them over your chest.

Well, I managed to float on my back holding a float underneath my head, which is not something I had even tried before. I also put the float across my chest, kicked for a bit and then turned over onto my front and kicked on. My instructor wants me to try and hold my my arms above my head with hands interlocked and start floating on my back. That's my next step...hopefully!

lorcan122

Try holding a float in your hands at the beginning and kick, and then get rid of it, and kick.

kris71

Just be careful with holding a float underneath your head, a lot of funny things can happen there, some people have problems standing up from this position so if you are reading this and considering trying it for the first time, don't try it on your own. To be honest I wouldn't recommend that exercise at all, instead try to achieve balance (horizontal position) with one hand on the wall, try to stand up a few times, with your hand still on the wall, once you ready to let it go try it again with your both arms by your side but still close to the wall, just in case if you need to hold on to it. It will also give you some confidence as the wall is there waiting for you if anything goes wrong. When you feel ready, move away from the wall, but please make sure that someone able to help you is watching you, just in case if you start panicking. I've seen this happen so many times that I just can't stretch enough how important it is to make sure you have some supervision while trying to stand up from the back crawl position for the first time.

I'm not a big fan of floats as I honestly believe that in most traditional ways of using them they place buoyancy in a wrong (unnatural) place, I'm not saying I'm not using them at all but I try to stay away from them as much as I can.

"My instructor wants me to try and hold my my arms above my head with hands interlocked and start floating on my back" It is a great way to improve balance and streamline, but its also quite difficult, so my advice to you, stretch and breath out strongly through your nose when you go underwater soon you will discover why .

Both links posted by Weylin are great source of swimming drills, but be under no illusion they won't replace swimming instructor, main problem with self learning is that you can't really see yourself drilling, and trust me what you do in reality is usually different from what you think you are doing, I know it sounds like some poor defense for an old school of teaching but every time I do a video analyze with people who swim on a really descent level, when they are watching themselves for the first time they are usually shocked as in their head their technique is looking at least 'slightly' different

I'm not saying DVD's and streamed videos are a bad way to learn or improve your swimming technique, just make sure you have some feedback going on other then your own perception as it can be strongly misleading.
Another thing with youtube videos... just remember that anyone can upload a video on yt, and I've seen some bad examples out there that I wouldn't recommend to anyone, so if you find something interesting ask for a second opinion from people who know this topic a bit better here or at least read some comments on this video. GoSwim.tv is always high quality and I can recommend them without looking at it same goes to SwimSmooth and Totalimmersion.

thegreengoblin

kris71 wrote: »

"My instructor wants me to try and hold my my arms above my head with hands interlocked and start floating on my back" It is a great way to improve balance and streamline, but its also quite difficult, so my advice to you, stretch and breath out strongly through your nose when you go underwater soon you will discover why .

Could you expand on that a little please!

kris71

Well with stretching its easy, the more you stretch the more balance you will get so your chances for staying up are much greater, also your streamline will improve so you will move through the water faster and easier by piercing through it rather then pushing it around, soon you will discover that water doesn't like to be pushed around and if you push it to hard it will fight back

But I'm guessing its the second one you are interested in, once you are on your back your nose is pointing up, when it submerges water likes to flood it a bit, while you are in a nose down position the air pressure in your nose is usually sufficient to stop water from getting in (if not just breath out gently through it), when you are in a nose up position however air is quickly pushing its way through the water to go up being replaced by the water, if you continue to breath out through your nose I can give you 99% warranty that no water will get into it, if you wont then God help you First time is always funny so just mind my words and relax remember after all its only a bit of water, you drink liters of it every day another spoon is not going to kill you.
(its only 99% as there is a chance you wont breath out strong enough)

Good luck, once you will click on it its much easier then it looks at the begging