Swimming lessons for the deaf?

McChubbin

I have a question for any fitness/swim instructors who might be on Boards.
I'd love to learn how to swim again after years of being put off due to bad experiences. The main problem, however, is that I can't wear my hearing aids in the water and without them, I'm about 80-90% deaf-and that's before my head goes underwater.

What I would like to know is this: Are there any special classes I can take that involve some sort of signal system?
I don't known sign language so that might limit things a bit. At the moment, I'm looking into swimming as a form of gentle excercise owing to my ongoing back troubles and to lose a few pounds I popped on over the Christmas period.

In the past, I've had one-on-one lessons but the last instructor was rude, impatient and completly unsympathetic to my needs. This resulted in an incident where I was left underwater as he had let go of me and I was unable to hear his instructions, thus resulting in me nearly drowning.

I can use one of those Styrofoam aids to a certain extent but unless I can feel the bottom of the pool with my toes, I don't have much confidence in my abilties. I'd love to be able to swim laps and do breast strokes but even just to learn the fundemental basics would be a great help to me.

Agent Smith

Have you contacted the IDS? If memory serves me correctly, they have the details of Deaf swiming classes. Admittadly its been a long time since i've been in contact with them

rubadub

You should also ask on the swimming forum http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=973

It might be easier to get waterproof hearing aids if there are such things.

mazroo

Contact the NAC 6464365.. They are highly accessable and classes are inclusive. There waterpolo with hearing difficulties play and train there so even if not they can point you in the right direction

McChubbin

rubadub wrote: »

You should also ask on the swimming forum http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=973

It might be easier to get waterproof hearing aids if there are such things.

As far as I'm aware, there's nothing water proof on the market but since I'm due to get new ear pieces cast soon, I'll definately be asking around in the NRB about it.

In regards to the Irish Deaf Sports Association, I've just sent them an email to enquire for information. does anyone know what the cost of lessons might be? Ballpark figure?

the_syco

Maybe ask the people @ http://www.irishdeafsports.net

Couple of Deaf related links: http://www.kerrydeaf.com/links/index.html

seanybiker

my sister started swimming a couple of years back. Only as a hobby, nothing major. She obviously could not wear her hearing aids either. I dont remember her mentioning anything about special classes.

the_syco

How deaf are we talking about? With some degree of loss of hearing in both ears (able to hear if those talking talked loudly), and got qualified to be a life guard a couple of years back. Can you hear (and make out the words) if someone talks loudly at you? Or not?

Mellor

I swam with a deaf girl in Stewarts in parlmerstown. The pool is owned by the hospital, so the coachs are used to working with people who have physical or mental handicaps.

WHIP IT!

Mellor wrote: »

I swam with a deaf girl in Stewarts in parlmerstown. The pool is owned by the hospital, so the coachs are used to working with people who have physical or mental handicaps.

Was also going to suggest giving these a ring, they would definitely point you in the right direction if nothing else.

the_syco

Mellor wrote: »

I swam with a deaf girl in Stewarts in parlmerstown. The pool is owned by the hospital, so the coachs are used to working with people who have physical or mental handicaps.

If your arm length is anywhere near 2.6 feet, your nails will scratch the bottom of the pool when stretched out (used to swim there on the way back from FAS) in the shallow end.

Seriously though, if you have a hearing-aid, you will probably hear them. Make them aware of this, and it shouldn't be a problem. My only problem was I also need glasses, so that went against me more than the loss of hearing Heck, when I taught kids in the beginners lane, I'd nearly go hoarse shouting, as they won't hear you otherwise.

McChubbin wrote: »

I'm about 80-90% deaf-and that's before my head goes underwater.

Now, I acknowledge this, but as I don't know what 100% hearing is, meh. I probably have 40% hearing loss (not sure, though). If you can understand what they're saying to you, that's pretty much it. If you can lip read, even better (I don't).

Two things I learnt when learning to swim, and when teaching people to swim:

When telling people how to swim, you must demonstate it. Big loud hall echoy hall with other people shouting, meh. But I could see their demonstrations, and got on fine.

Secondly, a good teacher will correct you until you get it right. And that ain't easy. As a teacher, you must constantly get someone to improve. Even with a class of 10 or 12 people, that wasn't easy.

Mellor

the_syco wrote: »

If your arm length is anywhere near 2.6 feet, your nails will scratch the bottom of the pool when stretched out (used to swim there on the way back from FAS) in the shallow end.

I can't remember the exact depth, btu its more than 2.6 feet.
If you are scraping the bottom there is something wrong with your technique, (you don't ever have your arm pointing vertically down)

Two things I learnt when learning to swim, and when teaching people to swim:

Which is a bit strange if you teach.

A masters team, and a swim team both use stewarts. As do people training to be lifeguards. None of these find the dept a problem. Turns are not an issue in the shallow end.

the_syco

Mellor wrote: »

A masters team, and a swim team both use stewarts. As do people training to be lifeguards. None of these find the dept a problem. Turns are not an issue in the shallow end.

Cool. It was for me, so I thought I'd let them know.

McChubbin

the_syco wrote: »

How deaf are we talking about? With some degree of loss of hearing in both ears (able to hear if those talking talked loudly), and got qualified to be a life guard a couple of years back. Can you hear (and make out the words) if someone talks loudly at you? Or not?

If I'm not wearing hearing aids, I can't hear anything quieter than a party popper going off right next to my ear.
Found that one out the hard way. *ouch*
Got in touch with Irish Deaf Sports and their suggestion was simply to talk it over with an instructor in a standard pool.
Not very helpful, TBH. I've had bad experiences with swim instructors in the past-they either treat me like a paper doll as they've no idea how to handle a deaf student or they treat me like something nasty stuck to their shoe.

the_syco

McChubbin wrote: »

Not very helpful, TBH. I've had bad experiences with swim instructors in the past-they either treat me like a paper doll as they've no idea how to handle a deaf student or they treat me like something nasty stuck to their shoe.

Maybe look for places where the instructors are voluntary, as opposed to you being in their path to their monthly pay check.