Swimming

[Born Hunter 17,751]

Funny this topic should come up...

I really want to be a good swimmer, not just swimmer but good in and under water, have done for a few years now. I mean I can swim to save my life but not competently and that is not something I'm happy about. Anyway, a few months ago I swallowed my pride and signed up for 1-2-1 tuition with a local Uni and have been having 'lessons' every Saturday. 

I've found out so much shit that was wrong with my stroke and now have a much better grasp of things, technically. I've also come to realise I'm not naturally suited to water  which is probably why I have found it so hard all these years. I watch many folks swim absolutely effortlessly, not even with particularly good technique and I'm genuinely in awe... and disgrace!

Anyway, now I'm having a few months just putting everything into practice and I might pick up the tuition again if I feel I need/want it. For anyone considering it, personally I really enjoyed the 1-2-1 tuition experience/dynamic and would 100% recommend finding a decent swim school (not just some poxy leisure centre classes).

Swimming will always be hard for me because my technique has to be bang on otherwise the whole stroke becomes unsustainable but it's not about being a champion for me.

[mackem 26,258]

Some people are just not natural swimmers Born,i can swim but I am not exactly the man from atlantis,both my kids oddly swim like fish,are super confident in water,both have scuba certification to advanced open water and ones done a free diving course.

 

[Born Hunter 17,751]

Just now, mackem said:

Some people are just not natural swimmers Born,i can swim but I am not exactly the man from atlantis,both my kids oddly swim like fish,are super confident in water,both have scuba certification to advanced open water and ones done a free diving course.

It sounds so obvious but how buoyant you are makes a hell of a difference. It's frustrating when people who are naturally buoyant and gone on to be confident swimmers tell me that I "must not be relaxing". 

It all became very apparent when my instructor had me doing a few lengths of just kicking with one arm stretched out and the other by my side focusing on rotating to breath. She told me "your ear should be flat on your shoulder at all times to stop you lifting your head and causing your legs to drop" (legs dropping is the bane of my life in the pool ). So I said hesitantly "okay, but how do I breath because if my ear never leaves my shoulder I'll always be under the water"....... She looked confused so I demonstrated. Not in a millions years! So we worked on a solution but it just makes everything f***ing hard! Ha

[Born Hunter 17,751]

12 minutes ago, mackem said:

both my kids oddly swim like fish,are super confident in water,both have scuba certification to advanced open water and ones done a free diving course.

And I think that's brilliant.

[mackem 26,258]

Just now, Born Hunter said:

And I think that's brilliant.

Its all about building their confidence in the water,i was never as fortunate as a kid,i learnt to swim in the river wear avoiding the turds,condoms and disintegrating bog-paper 

[THE STIFFMEISTER 15,703]

14 hours ago, Bosun11 said:

Swam all my life. Can't remember when i was taught to swim, by my grandfather, because i was so young.

Progressed into swimming clubs and made it to the City of Liverpool Swimming Club and county class events. Had trials for GB but would only have made it if i could have gone to Uni but i never wanted to do that. My only slight regret is that i loved boxing but the two clashed, i was training up to 9 sessions a week in the pool and i was always a better swimmer, so i had to stop boxing... 

Stopped competitive swimming aged 18 and at 19 got myself a job with the Liverpool Inshore Rescue Service on the Mersey, a job i really loved. Couple of years later and i'm doing extra work Lifeguarding and got a full time position. Was both teaching swimming to both adults and kids and also teaching Lifeguarding and became a trainer for the Fire Service. Both the Lifeguard teaching and the Mersey Rescue stuff earned me a Presidents Commendation from the Royal Life Saving Society and i went to the Guildhall London to recieve it.

For nearly 30 years now I've been managing swimming pools (and sports centres) for a living and still train Lifeguard teams in national competitions and on occasion get in and compete too... Still get a buzz from it aged 52..!!

And the best bit, is that i taught my 9 year old daughter to swim and she is now a competitive swimmer in a local club. Knowing how hard the sport is, i never want to be a pushy parent, so as long as she wants to do it, i'll always be there for her and i'm proud to say, she loves it...!!!

Yep, all my life i've lived with the smell of chlorine....

I was waiting on you to post something . 

Brilliant mate. 

I am a decent swimmer , I could probs push a mile out without training . I’d be licked though. 

About 4 or 5 years ago I had my stroke assessed etc ,  I got such a lot from 2 hours of teaching it made me so much more confident in the water. 

I don’t know why more people don’t get it done . 

[jiggy 3,209]

I got lessons but my coach kept distracting me for some unknown reason 

[waltjnr 6,630]

On 27/05/2019 at 00:07, gnasher16 said:

When we was 16/17 odd me and a few pals drove out to a place called Larkswood in Chingford a couple of times one summer to get amongst the treacles all laying about in their bikinis.... it was an open air pool surrounded by fields,none of us could swim properly but we,d hovver around the girlies flexing up like absolute berks....one time in full view of a bunch of raving sorts me and a pal started mucking about in the water and i fell under,going into a complete hysterical panic flapping my arms and legs about for what seemed like an eternity fearing my time was up.....eventually i feel myself being stood up by a lifeguard and having finished coughing and spluttering i look around to see my mates and the girlies we,re trying to impress in absolute fits of laughter at the fact the water only came up to just above my knees !.....needless to say that physical and emotionally traumatic event scarred me and i avoided swimming pools after that so conquering my fear and learning to swim later in life was quite an achievement for me 

was that near a Cemetery, Gnash? Think i used to go there as a kid when i lived in walthamstow .

[WILF 46,641]

18 hours ago, Bosun11 said:

Swam all my life. Can't remember when i was taught to swim, by my grandfather, because i was so young.

Progressed into swimming clubs and made it to the City of Liverpool Swimming Club and county class events. Had trials for GB but would only have made it if i could have gone to Uni but i never wanted to do that. My only slight regret is that i loved boxing but the two clashed, i was training up to 9 sessions a week in the pool and i was always a better swimmer, so i had to stop boxing... 

Stopped competitive swimming aged 18 and at 19 got myself a job with the Liverpool Inshore Rescue Service on the Mersey, a job i really loved. Couple of years later and i'm doing extra work Lifeguarding and got a full time position. Was both teaching swimming to both adults and kids and also teaching Lifeguarding and became a trainer for the Fire Service. Both the Lifeguard teaching and the Mersey Rescue stuff earned me a Presidents Commendation from the Royal Life Saving Society and i went to the Guildhall London to recieve it.

For nearly 30 years now I've been managing swimming pools (and sports centres) for a living and still train Lifeguard teams in national competitions and on occasion get in and compete too... Still get a buzz from it aged 52..!!

And the best bit, is that i taught my 9 year old daughter to swim and she is now a competitive swimmer in a local club. Knowing how hard the sport is, i never want to be a pushy parent, so as long as she wants to do it, i'll always be there for her and i'm proud to say, she loves it...!!!

Yep, all my life i've lived with the smell of chlorine....

Outstanding mate, what a great post 

[WILF 46,641]

3 hours ago, Born Hunter said:

It sounds so obvious but how buoyant you are makes a hell of a difference. It's frustrating when people who are naturally buoyant and gone on to be confident swimmers tell me that I "must not be relaxing". 

It all became very apparent when my instructor had me doing a few lengths of just kicking with one arm stretched out and the other by my side focusing on rotating to breath. She told me "your ear should be flat on your shoulder at all times to stop you lifting your head and causing your legs to drop" (legs dropping is the bane of my life in the pool ). So I said hesitantly "okay, but how do I breath because if my ear never leaves my shoulder I'll always be under the water"....... She looked confused so I demonstrated. Not in a millions years! So we worked on a solution but it just makes everything f***ing hard! Ha

Roger that mate......I’m the same, like a f***ing iceberg !

All my life people have been saying “you just float”......nah, not me unless the crown of my head counts !!

I have taught myself a bit to swim on top but not enough for anything more than a lark in the pool.......but, still love the water and can swim like a fish under the surface.......if only I had gills ! Lol 

Edited May 28, 2019 by WILF

[WILF 46,641]

I hated swimming with the school when I was a kid, they used to take us to Greenwhich baths and there was an old bird with a fag hanging out of her mouth who used a big stick to push you away from the side of the pool.

I went under one time and came up choking and was trying to get out at the side and the ugly old c**t is whacking me with the stick to keep me in......that was me after that, sick note every week and feet up on the ILEA bus for a couple of hours !

[Born Hunter 17,751]

5 minutes ago, WILF said:

I hated swimming with the school when I was a kid, they used to take us to Greenwhich baths and there was an old bird with a fag hanging out of her mouth who used a big stick to push you away from the side of the pool.

I went under one time and came up choking and was trying to get out at the side and the ugly old c**t is whacking me with the stick to keep me in......that was me after that, sick note every week and feet up on the ILEA bus for a couple of hours !

I fully expected that anecdote to end with you pushing her in while she was harassing some other drowning child, stealing her last fag and then beating her with her own stick as she tried to get out!

[shaaark 10,706]

10 minutes ago, WILF said:

I hated swimming with the school when I was a kid, they used to take us to Greenwhich baths and there was an old bird with a fag hanging out of her mouth who used a big stick to push you away from the side of the pool.

I went under one time and came up choking and was trying to get out at the side and the ugly old c**t is whacking me with the stick to keep me in......that was me after that, sick note every week and feet up on the ILEA bus for a couple of hours !

Lol should've dragged the old witch in by her broomstick, and slapped the old hag! Lol. Of course, at that age when you're in school, you don't think like that, especially when you're panicking and flapping about in somewhere well out of your comfort zone 

[Born Hunter 17,751]

1 minute ago, W. Katchum said:

Or her bein black an that’s where his hatred started

And the smoking! 

[gnasher16 30,046]

4 hours ago, waltjnr said:

was that near a Cemetery, Gnash? Think i used to go there as a kid when i lived in walthamstow .

Thats it mate yes just a short walk to Chingford Cemetery.....it got closed down sometime in the 90,s but is still an indoor swimming pool/sports centre today.