Can You Swim?

[xNegativexPainz]

my mom forced me to get taller

[Turtle]

my mom forced me to get taller

 

:) Thanks for the gut chuckle! :) You're ready to swim in the ocean then. ;) :) :hihi:

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

After nearly drowning as a todler (my mum says a Lab pulled me out by my diaper (no wonder I'm so fond of them) then again at 5 (my second ride in an ambulance) I had a rather healthy fear of water...further helped by my step-father who decided he would teach me how to swim by throwing me onto our neighbors pond (several times).

 

Mum soon taught me how to doggy-paddle (she was nice about it and walked me in to just deep enough water) and all was well until we watched the first Jaws movie...for months even the bathtub was a scary place.

 

I still get more than just a bit nervous swimming in the lake. There ain't no sharks but there are Muskies (which have been known to remove the occasional foot, hand etc). , the occasional pirana, channel cats (I've seen em as big as 8' in length and they will litterally eat ANYTHING), an alleged sea monster, and assorted other nasties.

 

On the up side... I did have the luxury of my very own ship wreck which I used to swim out to from dad's beach. At a mere 500 yards from shore (it's not so far if you're wearing a ski vest) in only 25' of water it was quite accessable....simply watch for the waves breaking over her boiler and off we'd go...on a clear day (fairly rare) you could even see her ribs, engine and screw.

[Moontanman]

After nearly drowning as a todler (my mum says a Lab pulled me out by my diaper (no wonder I'm so fond of them) then again at 5 (my second ride in an ambulance) I had a rather healthy fear of water...further helped by my step-father who decided he would teach me how to swim by throwing me onto our neighbors pond (several times).

 

Mum soon taught me how to doggy-paddle (she was nice about it and walked me in to just deep enough water) and all was well until we watched the first Jaws movie...for months even the bathtub was a scary place.

 

I still get more than just a bit nervous swimming in the lake. There ain't no sharks but there are Muskies (which have been known to remove the occasional foot, hand etc). , the occasional pirana, channel cats (I've seen em as big as 8' in length and they will litterally eat ANYTHING), an alleged sea monster, and assorted other nasties.

 

On the up side... I did have the luxury of my very own ship wreck which I used to swim out to from dad's beach. At a mere 500 yards from shore (it's not so far if you're wearing a ski vest) in only 25' of water it was quite accessable....simply watch for the waves breaking over her boiler and off we'd go...on a clear day (fairly rare) you could even see her ribs, engine and screw.

 

Come on DD, there is no record of a Musky ever attacking anyone ever and no North American catfish gets to be even close to 8' and channels cats never get longer than about a meter. Tisk tisk DD I expected better than urban legends from you ;) For the record I swim like a fish, open water scuba diver, and I was a life guard.

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

Come on DD, there is no record of a Musky ever attacking anyone ever and no North American catfish gets to be even close to 8' and channels cats never get longer than about a meter. Tisk tisk DD I expected better than urban legends from you

 

First off I personally knew a girl (one of my few friends back then) that lost her hand to one and another person that's minus a foot indirectly (through a friend). (I'll see if I can find a copy of the local paper with it.)

 

Second I've seen em, they were Cats... Channel may be incorrect but they were definitely cats of some sort...my boat was 12' and they looked pretty friggin close to as long (and yes I realise that water alters the apparent proportions of things in it but by that much?!?)...I was so freaked that I could barely bring myself to paddle back in ), and I've never been back in the lake since. (seriously it's been 15 years)

 

Oh yeah... the piranha on three different occasions fishermen in the area have been on the news for having caught these buggers in the lake and in the bay at Point Erie.

 

As for the alleged sea monster...Beats me....but there are residents on both the U.S. and Canadian side that swear he's out there.

[Moontanman]

First off I personally knew a girl (one of my few friends back then) that lost her hand to one and another person that's minus a foot indirectly (through a friend). (I'll see if I can find a copy of the local paper with it.)

 

Second I've seen em, they were Cats... Channel may be incorrect but they were definitely cats of some sort...my boat was 12' and they looked pretty friggin close to as long (and yes I realise that water alters the apparent proportions of things in it but by that much?!?)...I was so freaked that I could barely bring myself to paddle back in ), and I've never been back in the lake since. (seriously it's been 15 years)

 

Oh yeah... the piranha on three different occasions fishermen in the area have been on the news for having caught these buggers in the lake and in the bay at Point Erie.

 

As for the alleged sea monster...Beats me....but there are residents on both the U.S. and Canadian side that swear he's out there.

 

I searched and I found some reports of people being bitten by muskies, no feet or hands lost, just a few stitches in the worst case i could find. Most people were just nipped. I was bitten once by a bluegill it tore a hole in my back that bled for more than an hour. Muskies are not built to bite off anything, their teeth are made to grab and hold fish not bite off chunks. I've seen muskies nearly five feet long, my grandpa killed one with a boat paddle that was 55" long, they are scary looking but not exactly man eaters. As for the catfish, as bad as I hate to use the term expert, i really do come pretty close to being an honest to god expert in this and no North American catfish gets more than 5 feet long and about 100 lbs, world record is somewhere around 150 lbs, these fish are extremely rare and have only been caught in the Mississippi river system, flat head cats and blue cats, no 8' catfish, ever, urban legend. If you really do know of a place that has 8' catfish you need to take someone from fish and game there, fame and fortune are waiting for you!

[wheelerd77]

I was afraid of water growing up and avoided taking swimming instruction until age 27. I had a parent who was afraid of water, but my two younger siblings learned perfectly

well.

 

I finally enrolled in a swimming class at the local YMCA and the result was enormous frustration. I persisted despite terrifying early experiences and managed to acquire a few basic skills, such as floating, standing up in shallow water, the elementary backstroke, and (nervously) treading water. I continued for about ten years taking lessons at Y's and from private instructors.

 

I learned to do a decent backstroke, but always remained afraid when in the deep water.

I gave up on the crawl stroke, even though I worked on that more than anything else.

I could do the deep-water entry only with the greatest hesitation, and never lost the fear of deep water.

 

I did manage to perform all the skills needed for the old Red Cross Beginner's card, including the Combined Skills Test, though with enormous effort.

 

As far as swimming is concerned, I never learned to like it. I have never tried to do anything so hard with so little success. I worked on it VERY hard.

 

I wonder if anyone else had similar experiences. Maybe you should add a fifth question: "Have you taken swimming lessons and still don't know how to swim or be comfortable in the water?" Comments? Suggestions?

[Turtle]

I was afraid of water growing up and avoided taking swimming instruction until age 27. I had a parent who was afraid of water, but my two younger siblings learned perfectly

well.

 

I finally enrolled in a swimming class at the local YMCA and the result was enormous frustration. I persisted despite terrifying early experiences and managed to acquire a few basic skills, such as floating, standing up in shallow water, the elementary backstroke, and (nervously) treading water. I continued for about ten years taking lessons at Y's and from private instructors.

 

I learned to do a decent backstroke, but always remained afraid when in the deep water.

I gave up on the crawl stroke, even though I worked on that more than anything else.

I could do the deep-water entry only with the greatest hesitation, and never lost the fear of deep water.

 

I did manage to perform all the skills needed for the old Red Cross Beginner's card, including the Combined Skills Test, though with enormous effort.

 

As far as swimming is concerned, I never learned to like it. I have never tried to do anything so hard with so little success. I worked on it VERY hard.

 

I wonder if anyone else had similar experiences. Maybe you should add a fifth question: "Have you taken swimming lessons and still don't know how to swim or be comfortable in the water?" Comments? Suggestions?

 

G'donya mate for your efforts. Your experience is not uncommon, and nothing wrong with some healthy fear as it is often the lack of just that at the root of many drownings. :singer: Did you receive any lifesaving instruction during your courses? :singer:

 

PS Good suggestion on the added poll question, but I can't edit it once posted. Even then, adding it now would skew the poll. :)

[lemit]

I can't swim.

 

I had two ways to learn. First, in a farm pond with maybe four feet of water, two feet of mud, and a nice cover of algae.

 

My second opportunity was in a community pool with good instruction in a good program in a good area for swimmers, Silverton, Oregon. The city pool was on one side of the main north/south street in town. On the other side of the street was Silver Creek, which had just come out of the mountains. The temperature of the water was about the same in both. The only thing I learned was that if I stayed perfectly still I could, once I stopped shivering, warm a little of the water around me and survive.

 

I would love to be able to swim, although my postpolio and its accompanying cramps might make swimming a poor choice

 

--lemit

[Turtle]

I can't swim.

 

I had two ways to learn. First, in a farm pond with maybe four feet of water, two feet of mud, and a nice cover of algae.

 

My second opportunity was in a community pool with good instruction in a good program in a good area for swimmers, Silverton, Oregon. The city pool was on one side of the main north/south street in town. On the other side of the street was Silver Creek, which had just come out of the mountains. The temperature of the water was about the same in both. The only thing I learned was that if I stayed perfectly still I could, once I stopped shivering, warm a little of the water around me and survive.

 

I would love to be able to swim, although my postpolio and its accompanying cramps might make swimming a poor choice

 

--lemit

 

Lovely place Silverton. :hyper: I have camped out at the falls several time over the years. I recall a child went over the big fall only a year or two ago; what a shame. :Alien:

 

I am unaware of any water-safety classes that don't require swimming, although boater safety classes often include some safety instruction. I suggest at the very least, reading the Red Cross water safety course books. :) Red Cross Lifesaving Rescue and Water Safety

Reach, throw, row, and go. :hyper:

 

Maybe your cup of tea is a tub of hot water Lemit. I'm thinking one of the natural hot springs in our area like Bagby on your side of the mighty Columbia or Carson on mine. :singer: :singer: