How many people here can't swim?

Forest Master · 23-08-2011 01:43PM

Imagine you couldn't swim, drive or cycle.

Malari · 23-08-2011 01:45PM

Forest Master wrote: »

Imagine you couldn't swim, drive or cycle.

That's nothing. There are some people whose parents were so poor they couldn't give them legs and they never learned to walk until they could afford a pair of their own.

Whippersnapper · 23-08-2011 01:48PM

I can't swim and I can't drive.

Never got lessons. Simple as.

irishgirl19 · 23-08-2011 02:09PM

No I'm 19 and can't swim.I hope to get around to it some day.Tried learning in primary school when we were about 7/8 but couldn't grasp it.

theteal · 23-08-2011 02:12PM

So it appears that those ads with the westlife lads were a bit of a waste of money. . .very unusual for this* country

*this meaning that

RayM · 23-08-2011 02:30PM

I had some swimming lessons when I was a child. I hated it though, and haven't been in a pool since. I can't really swim, but if my life depended on it I could probably (just about) stay afloat.

WindSock wrote: »

It's mad how many Irish people can't swim, is it down to schools? It's a skill everyone should know. Throw the kiddies in to the sea.

I don't really understand this. Why should everyone know how to swim?

starlit · 23-08-2011 02:33PM

No cannot swim due to a few reason.

fontanalis · 23-08-2011 02:39PM

RayM wrote: »

I had some swimming lessons when I was a child. I hated it though, and haven't been in a pool since. I can't really swim, but if my life depended on it I could probably (just about) stay afloat.

I don't really understand this. Why should everyone know how to swim?

It's very good exercise, and you won't impress the Swedish ladies beach volleyball team wearing a pair of inflatable arm bands.

KnifeWRENCH · 23-08-2011 02:40PM

I can't swim. I didn't like water when I was a kid and was too nervous to learn. Then, when I had gotten over that, I had the self-conscious teenage years and was too embarrassed to learn to swim because I was a bit overweight and didn't want anyone to see me without a tshirt on.

I do want to learn some day though.

bullpost · 23-08-2011 02:46PM

Grew up close to the sea and can swim but my parents didnt.

Married a girl from a seaside town and none of her family swim afaik.

sausagehead wrote: »

lived all my life in a seaside town with a great big beach
couldn't swim to save my life, hate the sight and smell of swimming pools as well

Alun · 23-08-2011 03:03PM

Can't swim, am scared stiff of the water, and go into a mad panic whenever I sense that chloriney swimming pool smell. All this despite a grueling, scary 3 years of "lessons" (and I use the term loosely) at school. I just didn't float like all the other kids, but just sank ... maybe I had heavy bones or something, I don't know.

I can't say it bothers me though to be honest ... sailing, windsurfing, canoeing etc. don't interest me one bit.

the_syco · 23-08-2011 03:03PM

Yes, I can swim; have been swimming since before I was 10 years old. Also I'm a qualified lifeguard.

KnifeWRENCH, irishgirl19: lots of swimming pools do adult swimming classes.

moonflower · 23-08-2011 03:42PM

I Heart Internet wrote: »

I can swim - just not very efficiently. I'm confident in any depth of water and can float/thread water for quite a while. So I'd say I'm pretty safe. But I've frequently thought of getting lessons to drastically improve my technique so i could swim for proper distances (say, more than 100 m).

It's a strange thing - I've run marathon's, so it's not a stamina thing - swimming (as badly as I do) knocks the wind out of me.

Same as this, I can swim but I don't get anywhere fast. I hate it when I go to the pool and they only have lanes open because I always feel like I'm getting in peoples way. It also makes me far more tired than other types of exercise do.

I had lessons as a child and I used to be able to swim quite well but I wouldn't mind getting one or two lessons now, just to be reminded of how to properly do the strokes.

IvyTheTerrible · 23-08-2011 03:49PM

I can swim, learned when I was about 6 or 7 and love it still. Amazing really that we all learned to swim seeing as my parents hate the water and have irrational fears of it. When I have kids I will definitely get them swimming as soon as possible. It's great exercise and fun.

IvyTheTerrible · 23-08-2011 03:50PM

moonflower wrote: »

Same as this, I can swim but I don't get anywhere fast. I hate it when I go to the pool and they only have lanes open because I always feel like I'm getting in peoples way. It also makes me far more tired than other types of exercise do.

I had lessons as a child and I used to be able to swim quite well but I wouldn't mind getting one or two lessons now, just to be reminded of how to properly do the strokes.

I used to be a member of a pool where they had lanes open but they had two special ones at the end for "fast" swimmers so they wouldn't get pissed off at people going slower in the other lanes. It worked pretty well.

--LOS-- · 23-08-2011 03:51PM

I can't......I can kinda stay afloat for a bit, do the doggy paddle, but that's it. Had swimming lessons as a kid but not for long as the chlorine in the pool just killed my eyes, my skin. I'd love to be able to swim though, people always promising to teach but they never do >_>

Caraville · 23-08-2011 03:58PM

I Heart Internet wrote: »

I can swim - just not very efficiently. I'm confident in any depth of water and can float/thread water for quite a while. So I'd say I'm pretty safe. But I've frequently thought of getting lessons to drastically improve my technique so i could swim for proper distances (say, more than 100 m).

It's a strange thing - I've run marathon's, so it's not a stamina thing - swimming (as badly as I do) knocks the wind out of me.

It's funny cos I can't run for $hit but I could swim for ages without getting tired. Now I'm not very fast or fit but I just love swimming and love being in the water. I swim a few times a week. I hate running and that's something I really want to get good at because it's something I've always found hard and kind of embarrassing that I'm so bad at it

WindSock wrote: »

It's mad how many Irish people can't swim, is it down to schools? It's a skill everyone should know. Throw the kiddies in to the sea.

I'm actually shocked too at the fact that around a third of people here say they can't/don't swim. That's a massive number! I don't understand though why schools are being blamed for that, I mean it shouldn't be the school's job to teach a child to swim. Some schools bring kids swimming, but they're not obliged to- parents should be responsible for it in my opinion. My mother could never swim but brought us to lessons every weekend when we were in primary school. If I ever have kids, they're going to be thrown into the pool as early as possible so that they never have a fear of water.

The only down side for me swimming is that my sight is pretty bad so I can't see without my contacts & I don't like wearing them in the pool- I don't bother with goggles then cos I can't see anyway! I absolutely love the feeling of exercising without getting overheated, the pool keeps you cool. It's a brilliant hobby and a skill I'm very grateful to have.

DEFTLEFTHAND · 23-08-2011 04:38PM

Iv a number of family members who worked in the Merchant Navy who never learned.

dfx- · 23-08-2011 04:46PM

Nearly drowned in my first lesson as a child..I took that as a good indicator that my life was better if it was led while away from being in water.. :pac:

Now, of course, I'd probably sink first...

Liam Byrne · 23-08-2011 04:49PM

Shenshen wrote: »

Never cross a bridge, then, just to be on the safe side

What if the other side of the river IS the "safe side" ?

My name is URL · 23-08-2011 05:10PM

Even if I could swim, I don't think I'd go to a swimming pool to do it. How can anyone find that to be an enjoyable experience? I can't imagine a worse way to spend my leisure time than swimming around a chlorinated pool full of often loud strangers and their dangly bits.

MadameGascar · 23-08-2011 05:38PM

I took lessons in baby infants with my primary school for 20p every week back in the day. Didn't learn too much, wasn't enthusiastic with an innate fear just of Drogheda swimming pool, it was really atrocious. It was so bad I actually ended up learning in the Boyne!

I taught myself since & love being in the water, its a great feeling being comfortable in it. I've also noticed that plenty more people in Ireland can't swim or are afraid of water than through some other countries in Europe. Anyway there are some babies out there when it comes to the water. Every time we go to the beach my cousins ( 3 brothers in their 20's) stand in the water with most of their clothes on, shivering, but keeping front for as long as it takes,

fontanalis · 23-08-2011 05:42PM

My name is URL wrote: »

Even if I could swim, I don't think I'd go to a swimming pool to do it. How can anyone find that to be an enjoyable experience? I can't imagine a worse way to spend my leisure time than swimming around a chlorinated pool full of often loud strangers and their dangly bits.

Don't worry about the chlorine. It's just there to kill the piss.

lamai · 23-08-2011 05:51PM

I Heart Internet wrote: »

I can swim - just not very efficiently. I'm confident in any depth of water and can float/thread water for quite a while. So I'd say I'm pretty safe. But I've frequently thought of getting lessons to drastically improve my technique so i could swim for proper distances (say, more than 100 m).

It's a strange thing - I've run marathon's, so it's not a stamina thing - swimming (as badly as I do) knocks the wind out of me.

I went for lessons every week in primary school - that was great.

I get funny looks when i tell people I can't cycle (or at least not confident on the open road) but I do think being safe in water is far more important.

I watched a guy in the pool the last day on a swimming lesson, he ran 2.35 for his first ever marathon, but he was totally out of breath after one lap. People who raced when they were younger make it look easy. I could swim, but not great. I am a year at it now and will do a 1.9k swim in 2 weeks in the sea. I would still not consider myself a good swimmer. And I get lessons every week. I will be a good swimmer by next year I think. But the only real people I see swimming properly are the people that learned it correctly when they were young

Abi · 23-08-2011 06:01PM

I can swim, took lessons throughout primary school, and continued using local pools after.

I'm actually really surprised at the amount of people saying they can't swim, seems to be more common than I thought.

bnt · 23-08-2011 06:37PM

I'm not very good at it, but at least I can stay afloat and keep moving. When I was about 10 we were on holiday near Durban (South Africa), and I was swept out to sea by an undercurrent - but didn't panic, and made it back by myself. Only years later did I twig that I had been in real danger, it didn't feel like it at the time ... :cool:

Crackle · 23-08-2011 07:59PM

I can't because I never bothered to learn and have never had any interest in doing so. The same would be true of a lot of people I know.

FloatingVoter · 23-08-2011 08:16PM

Competitive swimming / fast lanes etc. are a whole different ballgame. There shouldn't be any pressure on people to learn to swim fast. Choose to do that if you want. Basic survival skills are more important than the ability to do quadratic equations.
You fall off a boat and are waiting for rescue, treading water* will save you (maybe). Being able to swim 50m in under 20 seconds will not be of any use.

*Treading water is what Jack/Leo was doing at the end of Titanic before he ehhhm

...but those were freezing waters.

rubadub · 23-08-2011 08:55PM

Magic Beans wrote: »

If you don't go near water you can't drown. I know two people who drowned, they were both swimmers. Fear is your friend.

Same logic could be applied to walking, or many other activities people do.

I also wonder if drowning victims are more likely to be non-swimmers or swimmers. -swimmers obviously being more likely to be in water, but if there is an accidental fall in water etc. So even though they put themselves in the environment where drowning can occur they might be less likely to drown in their lifetime.

found this

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/drowning/article_em.htm

One-quarter to one-third of drowning victims have swimming lessons. Although drowning equally affects both sexes, males have a rate three times higher than females because of increased reckless behavior and use of alcohol.

Ickle Magoo · 23-08-2011 09:02PM

FloatingVoter wrote: »

You fall off a boat and are waiting for rescue, treading water* will save you (maybe). Being able to swim 50m in under 20 seconds will not be of any use.
.

I'd say treading water will only exhaust you quicker - floating is where it's at if you are waiting for rescue...the swimming comes in if you have a life-boat handy that you need to get to - or you happen to have capsized in a shipping lane, or close to shore.

How many people here can't swim?

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