I wish I had some brilliant suggestions for ya. I've never NOT known how to swim. Been swimming since I was 3, then took SCUBA and all that nifty stuff. My gf, on the other hand, is a hydrophobe. She's terrified of water! Anything bigger than a bathtub bothers her. So she can't really swim. Best thing I can tell you is to take the adult classes at the Y or wherever. Don't be embarassed.