Learning to swim as an adult

[skeetly]

I'm in the middle of sorting out my fear of swimming as an adult.
Got freaked out as a kid and avoided it for years.
When the kids were little I would go in with them but I'd be terrified.
Anyhow. Best thing I did was get some good goggles. One less freaky thing to worry about
Not sure I'd go tombstoning yet but I can swim again now

I suppose one way to build confidence is to get to part of a pool where, if you touch the bottom, your mouth and nose are just under the water line, but on tippy toes your above the water line. This may get you used to occasnonally bobbing your head underwater. waddle from one side to the other at this point of depth.

And make sure there is always someone with you who will help, and dont be afraid to say "enough, i've had enough!"

Personally, I love swimming and being in deep water...I used to enjoy seeing if I could reach the bottom of the diving pools, havn't tried it in a while!

I have got a pair of goggles somewhere, might did them out when I feel ready for them.

i love swimming. good for myc, had a simmilar experience when i was little that dented my confidence. its only since my two children have learnt to swim that i've caught the bug again over the last 10 yrs.
so anyway, here comes the lesson. try to relax, try to control your breathing. i haven't read all the posts cos i'm lazy but i did catch that you panic a little when you hold your breath under water, don't hold your breath, blow bubbles slowly through your nose then return to the surface. try it myc and practice.

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by missyorkie_chris

he should be getting fit doing more lengths haha.

I don't swim now, my belly sits on bottom of pool and keeps me afloat

Originally Posted by missyorkie_chris

I have got a pair of goggles somewhere, might did them out when I feel ready for them.

your ready for them now myc. you didn't wait till you could ride a bike to wear a helmet. much better vision i find wearing goggles.

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

I don't swim now, my belly sits on bottom of pool and keeps me afloat

try backstroke then.

Originally Posted by Gene genie

i did catch that you panic a little when you hold your breath under water, don't hold your breath, blow bubbles slowly through your nose then return to the surface. try it myc and practice.

i haven't really got round to the holding breath underwater stage yet. When I know I'm going underwater I don't panic and can hold my breath fine. When I go under suddenly as a result of messing up a stroke or a kick I panic and flounder. Hopefully now not doing this as much as I was in the beginning though!

Originally Posted by Gene genie

your ready for them now myc. you didn't wait till you could ride a bike to wear a helmet. much better vision i find wearing goggles.

Well at the moment they will just annoy me. I'm not learning to swim underwater to begin with so I technically don't need to use them yet. I can get water in my eyes, that's not a problem, but I'm still at the keeping-majority-of-head-above-water stage

Originally Posted by missyorkie_chris

but I'm still at the keeping-majority-of-head-above-water stage

i hope you get your hair wet though.