Can You Swim?

[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.

[jenluckenbach]

I can swim, but I really don't like the water. I used to, but it just doesn't appeal to me any longer.

My husband never learned to swim.

[pomtzu]

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.

Hey - one good thing about that salt/brackish water is, that it's really easy to learn to swim in. I don't know how anyone could do anything but float in that since there's so much salt (and who know what else ), that it's pretty difficult to sink!!!
Frozen Bay - wings on your plane folded and frozen - you just didn't want to leave RI - did you???

[kokopup]

In the more than 2 years I lived there I know we had all the seasons. I remember my wife trying to raise some flowers with one of those roll out seed things. Never did see anything blooms. The only season that I really remember was Winter. I guess it's because the one's we had were so severe.

I had a Fiat 600 and lived on the last street in RI to be Snow Plowed. Trying to get my car to the main street was a comedy that couldn't be scripted. I would actually put the car in gear engine running, get it into someone else's tire grooves, then get out and push till it just went into the main street then I would run and jump in. Up until the tires finally hit pavement they would be turning but getting no traction. Quite a sight.

IF God had intended for me to battle the perils of winter, I would not have been born in Alabama.

[lvpets2002]

Yup I can swim very well.. At one time was a Certified Life Guard.. They have always said I should have been born as a fish.. Just think Pisces the fish is my sign..

[AdoreMyDogs]

You can't even graduate high school in Michigan without taking and passing swim class. I've known how to swim since I was a little girl and if I could swim every day I certainlly would.

[Puckstop31]

I can swim well. Had a "Rescue Diver" PADI certification when I lived in Florida during my college years. But it has been like 8 years since I dove. Kinda miss it.

[wolf_Q]

Not well...I can doggy paddle the length of a pool that's about it haha. I took swimming lessons as a child but I remember getting shoved under a tube or something at a water park when I was young and it freaked me out. I panic when I can't touch. I wish I could swim well, I still like to mess around in the water, just not water that's too deep for me to touch the ground.

[Genny]

I can't swim. I really REALLY want to learn how though cause I LOVE the water. We go to the river once a month and I want to learn how really bad. My brother is 29 and he told me he'd teach me how, but I'm so shy and there's always other people swimming where we go and I feel dorky out there trying to learn in front of all those strangers so I won't really give him a chance to teach me.

Is it hard to learn after you get oldeR??? How long does it usually take to learn? I desperately want to learn how--use to when I was little I didn't want to take swimming lessons. My mom wanted me to but I didn't want to and now I wish I had of, but I didn't so I can't change that now

[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

[Karen]

Genny, it shouldn't take more than a lesson or two, and don't be ashamed of learning if there are other people there. They likely won't pay any attention at all to what you folks are doing. And if anyone is, they will be proud of you for learning. It is no harder to learn as an adult than as a child, just don't let fear get in your way and you'll do fine! You're never gonna get any younger, so learn now!

[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.