How many people do not know how to swim?

[MutherjuggZ]

this is very true. in school we had a day they had us fully clothed in the 18' end of the pool. it was a fight to stay a float for 5min.

I know I'm one hell of a swimmer, but I doubt I can swim for shit when I'm fully dressed

[CJ]

I know I'm one hell of a swimmer, but I doubt I can swim for shit when I'm fully dressed

I fell through some ice when I was around 10 years old wearing boots/heavy clothes, etc. and came up under the ice, couldn't get through by hitting it, had to find the hole I fell through. I think a lot (if not most) people that drown and it's blamed on 'not able to swim' is a panic induced event.

[Nash B.]

I know I'm one hell of a swimmer, but I doubt I can swim for shit when I'm fully dressed

I'll bet your PFDDs would keep you afloat.

[forbes]

well for me, when i hit the water, and can't touch, i go into panic mode and use all my energy trying to stay afloat that i'm so wore out after a minute i can't go anymore. and the more i get water on my face the more i work at staying afloat which wears me out even sooner. i just keep a calm presence when i'm water

[CJ]

well for me, when i hit the water, and can't touch, i go into panic mode and use all my energy trying to stay afloat that i'm so wore out after a minute i can't go anymore. and the more i get water on my face the more i work at staying afloat which wears me out even sooner. i just keep a calm presence when i'm water

So you're saying it's a mental panic thing - not really an inability to swim, but a panic that creates a situation where you prematurely expire or fail to think clearly to save yourself.

[46Tbird]

I don't get it either. I grew up with a pool and am a relatively strong swimmer though, so maybe I'm biased.

When I see a person that can't swim, I really think of how feeble humans can be. It's COMPLETELY in their mind. Infants that are one-hour old are fantastic swimmers. And there are grown adults that drown in two feet of water because they panic.

Basically everyone can swim; you would have to have a physical disability not to. So all it takes is getting over the ridiculous fear of water (WTF??) and you can do it.

[forbes]

So you're saying it's a mental panic thing - not really an inability to swim, but a panic that creates a situation where you prematurely expire or fail to think clearly to save yourself.

i really think so. i think everyone can swim naturally, but the mental state of not being sure or just scared of drowning makes the mind overwork the body. i have never heard of someone falling in the water and just sinking like a lead weight. i know i can splash around and gasp for air a good minute before i take a full breathe of water. and when that happens it's game over

[kingjason]

well for me, when i hit the water, and can't touch, i go into panic mode and use all my energy trying to stay afloat that i'm so wore out after a minute i can't go anymore. and the more i get water on my face the more i work at staying afloat which wears me out even sooner. i just keep a calm presence when i'm water

Just lay there like a dead person and take deep breaths. I too can do this all day long and have scared the shit out of people before. When you take a deep and your lungs fill you will bob to the surface. As long as your lungs are full you will be well above the water with your face out. Let the air out and you will start to sink, then just take another deep breath. Its very calming. I actually like to lay face down for minutes at a time and then just bob up for a breath of air every now and again. It is like water therapy. LOL I think when you have a pool growing up you just learn little weird things. I loveeeee the water, I use to go out to Joe Pool and swim across with a boat following.

[forbes]

I don't get it either. I grew up with a pool and am a relatively strong swimmer though, so maybe I'm biased.

When I see a person that can't swim, I really think of how feeble humans can be. It's COMPLETELY in their mind. Infants that are one-hour old are fantastic swimmers. And there are grown adults that drown in two feet of water because they panic.

Basically everyone can swim; you would have to have a physical disability not to. So all it takes is getting over the ridiculous fear of water (WTF??) and you can do it.

have you ever drowned? i have a fear of water. i am sure most burn patients have a fear fire

[CJ]

Just lay there like a dead person and take deep breaths. I too can do this all day long and have scared the shit out of people before. When you take a deep and your lungs fill you will bob to the surface. As long as your lungs are full you will be well above the water with your face out. Lat the air out and you will start to sink, then just take another deep breath. Its very calming. i actually like to lay face down for minutes at a time and then just bob up for a breath of air every now and again. It is like water therapy. LOL I think when you have a poopl growing up you just learn little weird things. I loveeeee the water, I use to go out to Joe Pool and swim across with a boat following.

Agreed. When I was a kid, I use to flip over those air rafts with all the cup holders in them. Then I'd sit upside down beneath them slowly sucking the air out of each cup holder on the bottom of the raft. It made my mom think I was dead and stuck under the raft. Everyone had a laugh.

[CJ]

have you ever drowned? i have a fear of water. i am sure most burn patients have a fear fire

I've drowned once, and blown my hair off/caught on fire 3 separate times, and I've been run over by a cadillac. I don't have any misplaced fears of water, fire, or cars. I think it's all in how old you were, and how you deal with trauma.

[kingjason]

have you ever drowned? i have a fear of water. i am sure most burn patients have a fear fire

More then I care to remember or close to it. Apparently I fell out of a boat at Possom Kindom as a child and sunk like a rock. I think they were trying to KILL ME. LOL

[kingjason]

Agreed. When I was a kid, I use to flip over those air rafts with all the cup holders in them. Then I'd sit upside down beneath them slowly sucking the air out of each cup holder on the bottom of the raft. It made my mom think I was dead and stuck under the raft. Everyone had a laugh.

HAHAHHAHA Holy shit yes. With the big island rafts too or anything that had an air pocket.

[kingjason]

I also use to just lay at the bottom looking up with my parents scuba gear. LOL I know I know I have issues.

[46Tbird]

have you ever drowned? i have a fear of water. i am sure most burn patients have a fear fire

Nope. I could always swim, lol.

The difference is, you have hundreds of opportunities to be in a safe swimming environment where you could deal with your fear. You could go to the pool every week to attain a comfort level with the water by standing around the shallow end, dunking your head under water, small steps like that. I can't do that with fire.