Can You Swim?

[blue]

Learned to swim as a kid but the best swim instruction I got was for river self rescue and USMC swim quals.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

I can swim, but not so good! I can swim to the opposite of the swimming pool, but then I am exhausted ! I also always have to be sure I am not in deep water; as soon as I cannot touch the ground anymore I just PANIC........ ; hmmmm, great swimmer hey

[zoey]

Yes, I love to swim and was even a lifeguard. I think everyone should learn to swim. It surprises me when i see tips on pool safety for kids, but learning to swim isn't even on the list!

[Cataholic]

I can swim. We grew up with a pool, so it was kind of a requirement, or lose out on a lot of summer fun.

I have this one piece bouyancy suit for J. It has the floaters in the top part and he loves it. I tried once to have him in the pool without, and he sank.

Maybe next summer we will look into swimming lessons. I do think it is a life skill one should have- not so much to save another person (as I don't think knowing how to swim means you can save another person from drowning) but, as a way to save yourself.

[kokopup]

I am an OK swimmer. Grew up swimming in pools, lakes, creeks, rivers and Gulf. I should be a excellent swimmer since My father was A Navy Survival Instructor for Pilots. I am self taught and never set foot in a pool with my father until I was grown. I did my best swimming sub-merged and could stay under for close to 4 minutes.

[Pinot's Mom]

I think I'm the third one to say this in response to this poll...

I grew up on Narragansett Bay, I was always on boats, I have always known how to swim. Comes in handy when you grow up jumping off cliffs into Breton Cove, jumping off boats to cool off when there's no wind to fill the sails, bailing out of a boat in general, or being pushed off by your brother!

[kokopup]

I have memories of Narragansett Bay myself but most are not related to swimming. My cottage,located in East Greenwich, actually backed up to the Bay when I was stationed at Quonset Point. The strongest memory is the fact that it was frozen. When salt/brackish water freezes it is cold.

[kitten645]

I too cannot remember NOT swimming. Every summer for years we took lessons. Joined the swim team, water ballet, certified lifeguard etc etc. I will admit to being rusty though. I haven't swum consistently in quite a few years but I bet with practice I would get right back in the "swim" as it were!
I will say I've never wanted to scuba dive. But I think that's more of a claustaphobic thing. I think I like swimming because it keeps me ABOVE water in the AIR! I think I would likely panic if I scuba dove.
Claudia

[Alysser]

I swim pretty well, I won't say I'm 'excellent' as I've never tried swimming as an actual sport, but I seriously love the water - especially the ocean. I had swimming lessons when we first got our pool, funny thing is I used hate water.

[K9karen]

A very vivid memory is that. at a young age, my folks took the family to a swim club on weekends. Having been in the pool with a lifesaver on all day, and loving it, I must have had a dream about diving off the deep end and swimming all around. Only thing is, that's what I did the next day when I ran ahead of the family. I really did go down for the count when rescued, screaming, kicking. I had some CPR or something, was more embarrased than anything, put on my lifesaver and ran back in.

I try to swim but always sink. I can back float, swim under water.
If my feet don't touch the bottom, I panic. Nobody swam but my dad. OK, I think swim lessons are warranted in the future.