Can you swim?

[Eternal_Freedom]

Yeah I can swim. I was initially unable to as the doctors were not sure what immersion in chlorinated water woudl do to my already fucked up eyes.

Got the go-ahead at 11. Jumped straight in and started swimming straight off. Worked up through the levels available in England. I love swimming, it's a wonderful sensation.

Played water polo semi-professionally for a while before going to uni. I consider myself a very strong swimmer, though I am not fast I can do endurance swimming rather well.

[Jon]

Yep. Learning to swim is a mandatory part of the school curriculum in the UK, and in fact I think recent changes were enacted to ensure those who still haven't learned by their teens are given extra lessons until they are able to.

[Edi]

Yes. I was taught from probably two years onward by my parents. The apartment building where my parents live has a sauna facility with a 12.5 meter swimming pool and we have a summer house on a lakeshore, so I learned to swim early and fairly well. Haven't been swimming a whole lot in years, so I'd need some practice to rebuild technique and stamina.

[J]

So, can you swim?

Sadly, despite what my custom title may lead one to conclude, I cannot swim.


Actually, that's a lie.

If you can, at what age did you learn to do so, and how proficient are you at it?

I've been swimming for as long as I can remember, I know I started swimming before starting school and we have baby pictures of my parents taking me for dips in the water...hmmm...probably two or three years old at the latest I'd guess. We lived by the ocean in my childhood and before we were out of junior school my sister and I were on the beach and swimming in the bay every summer. I'm a bit out of practice these days, then again out of practice is relative, I used to put in 15-20 hours every week when I was on the national team.

[Chardok]

My Grandfather insisted that I be able to swim. said it'd save my life (I would later find out that he lost a soldier in San Diego who was on guard duty one night, fell off a dock and drowned).

Anyway - I took swim lessons for four years, and then some advanced survival swimming crap in the army which sucked monkey nuts but I'm pretty much drown proof. I mock the ocean everytime I step into it. I have zero respect for nature and dare her to try - just TRY to take me out with water.

[J]

I mock the ocean everytime I step into it. I have zero respect for nature and dare her to try - just TRY to take me out with water.

Sharky in the water!

[Darmalus]

I can swim, and I learned early enough that I can't remember ever not being able to swim. I enjoy swimming, and I am proficient at it, but I've never been in a competition or anything, so I'm not sure how good that is.

On a side note, since this thread made me think of it, when I went through boot camp who and who could not swim was sharply divided by race, which I found rather perplexing.

[Chardok]

Stereotypes exist for a reason. I personally thought/still think it's hilarious when I meet an adult who is afraid of the water/can't swim (Guess I'm an a-hole like that). I remember getting ready to deploy to Panama there were a few dudes who didn't want to/were too afraid to swim and they got over it toot suite.


...Or did they? now that I think on it, I think they may have been not de...ployed for that reason....maybe they spent the deployment mowing the lawn in the rear whatever; point is it was hilarious.

[Bob the Gunslinger]

I learned to swim at a very young age. I don't even remember my early lessons. I was on a swim team in middle school, but I'm not in very good shape now and my technique is pretty bad because of it.

I only know one person my age who can't swim, and he grew up in Puerto Rico and Florida, so I am confused.

[Terralthra]

I learned to swim young. Swam competitively in high school and college, still swim regularly and love it.

[Ahriman238]

Practically have gills. Had lessons from about 3 to 12. Most of the later years were stuff like diving and how to vary your strokes depending on wheter you're swimming for speed or endurance. One time they brought in SCUBA gear and got us checked on it.

Not a summer has gone by without at least weekly visits to a public swimming pool, ocean beach, or a relatively hazard-free lake. Set a record for the mile swim at summer camp. Tried swim team for a couple of years, but it never really interested me to be competitive about it.

Don't think I've really met anyone who couldn't swim, but then, I live thirty minute's drive from the ocean, and there's at least a dozen public pools that are closer.

[weemadando]

What Australian can't?

Those being rescued by the surf lifesavers.

Oh. You mean asians. [/Bondi Rescue reference]

[aerius]

I can swim but not that well, I'm fine in a swimming pool or a beach where I'm within 100-150M of shore on a fairly quiet lake, but throw in some larger waves and I'm in trouble. If I'm on a boat and it goes down a mile from shore I'm probably fucked unless I have a lifejacket or something that floats to hold on to. Throw in some waves & current and I'm guaranteed to be a statistic without a floatation device. Parents made me start swimming when I was 5 or so, I spent the next 6-7 years taking lessons and getting all the badges, then after that swimming was avoided as much as possible.

[starslayer]

I think my first lessons were at age 4. I can still swim, but I'm not a huge fan of it for whatever reason. I'm in pretty bad shape right now, but I could swim a good distance when I was active in Scouts.

[Questor]

Learned to swim at a really young age. Swam competitively until I moved to a place with no nearby public pools (ICY MOUNTAIN HELL, New Jersey).

Am way out of shape in most ways, but can still swim for endurance pretty well, although my flipturn form is unfortunately compromised at the moment.

[Solauren]

Yeah, I can swim.

Now you made me remember something that is making me smile too.....

[Cecelia5578]

Meh, I'll be the contrarian and say that, even though I took lessons as a youngster, I absolutely hated it and had no aptitude for it. Later in high school I ran cross-country and long distance in track, and enjoyed/was much better that sport. I tried lap swimming one winter in high school to stay in shape, and discovered that my bony little body at the time wasn't made for the water. I later got in pretty good shape in the Army, but none of that involved swimming.

[phred]

I learned how to swim when I was about 9. I pretty much taught myself by being in the water most of the summer.

I'm not the best swimmer by any stretch of the imagination, but I can stay afloat in pretty much any body of water I find myself in. I just wish I could do it a little more often nowdays.

[Imperial528]

I can't even imagine not being able to swim, I've known for so long. Even the swimming lessons I remember I did very well at from the start, and that was around when I was 3-4. I was in water much earlier than that though, since the first house I lived in had a pool and was a short drive from the coast.

[Singular Intellect]

Our mother took us swimming regularily when we were infants. Obviously not swimming independently, but the result is my brothers and I are extremely comfortable in the water. We can swim for hours easily.

I actually prefer spending most of my swimming time free diving underwater with goggles and a pair of flippers. The deeper the better.

[tim31]

What Australian can't?

Those being rescued by the surf lifesavers.

Tourists and old people don't count

THAT SAID! Growing up I didn't know anyone who couldn't swim, especially it being part of the curriculum until year six. Most kids in my grade did their bronze star life saving cert before high school. But after moving down here I'd meet a lot of people who couldn't swim competently; had to send my kids to classes.

[PeZook]

I mock the ocean everytime I step into it. I have zero respect for nature and dare her to try - just TRY to take me out with water.

Yeah...you must be really popular with sailors

[Shroom Man 777]

As a child, I went to the beach and the water reached my waist and I screamed in horror.

[open_sketchbook]

Love a swim

[Bob the Gunslinger]

Yeah, I can swim.

Now you made me remember something that is making me smile too.....

Which is...?

Why else would you bring it up if you didn't want to share?