Do you know how to swim?

[Blood Fox]

I do understand that it's a cultural thing though and not everyone see an immediate need to know it since they might never set their foot near water, but I still feel that it's such a simple thing to do and it could easily cost you your life one day if you don't learn it.

I feel the same way, every once in awhile i hear stories of people drowning because they didn't know ho to swim and i always get confused because why would you go on a boat or such and not know how to swim?

[schwarzkopf]

That really sucks :-(

I remember going to the swimming pool with my family, and walking around the bottom of the pool - coming up for air every couple of minutes (by jumping). Used to cause havoc by tipping over the inflated tyres people were floating on above

[Oerba Yun Fang]

I do, but being born on a tiny rock in the middle of the Pacific might have something to do with that.

[Darkis]

I learned to swim since i was like 5-6 years old, can't really remember now. To me swimming is as natural as walking, actually, when i went to get myself a jet ski license few years ago, one of the tests was to jump of the boat, and swim to the jet ski, i think it was about 40-ish meters.

[bals]

I can swim ok, not great though!
it's kind of sad that black people having a higher drowning rate (in the us) because their parents don't want to teach them to swim cause they're afraid they will drown ~_~ circular logic!

[schwarzkopf]

I feel the same way, every once in awhile i hear stories of people drowning because they didn't know ho to swim and i always get confused because why would you go on a boat or such and not know how to swim?

Some times a boat trip is required (e.g catching a Ferry to work), and some of us just can't swim.

Also - not many people who catch a plane know how to fly, so why is swimming a requirement of catching a boat ?

[Spectral]

I remember going to the swimming pool with my family, and walking around the bottom of the pool - coming up for air every couple of minutes (by jumping). Used to cause havoc by tipping over the inflated tyres people were floating on above

I've always just been a poor swimmer, but never really in any danger, but I love the water anyway. I guess most people do, it's pretty natural. It sucks to have people that put you in a spot that you don't enjoy it anymore.

There's that part where you can do things like flip people, and play around in a way that just doesn't work on land!

[Blood Fox]

I mean logically its easy enough to see how someone who lives in the cities would never spend the resources on learning to swim. but somehow that doesn't connect. Possibly because i enjoy siwmming so much its strange to think of life without it.

[PBitt]

Yeah, I grew up with it. Had a pool, summer camp, and my grandparent's house near the beach, so I was exposed to water and therefore swimming pretty much every summer. I really don't know how anyone can't have some vague idea of how to swim...there are many different forms of swimming, and honestly if you pick a direction and go, you're bound to be doing a sloppy form of some kind of one of the methods. I'm no Michel Phelps and never will be, but anyone can learn how to swim well enough in about 10 minutes in a pool. I honestly think the people that don't know how to swim are people that are afraid of the water and simply won't be able to fight the panic if placed in a situation where swimming would be necessary. Then again, swimming out in the not-so-calm ocean is admittedly a little more difficult than swimming in your local pool.

[tala1the5cyborg]

I can swim. ANd my parents taught me. Here in sweden you wont pass the gymnastics in school if you cant swim. In fifth grade (about 12 years old) you NEED to be able to swim 200 meters, 50 of those on your back.

I dont know anyone that cant swim.

[schwarzkopf]

but anyone can learn how to swim well enough in about 10 minutes in a pool.

Not anyone

[Blood Fox]

Some times a boat trip is required (e.g catching a Ferry to work), and some of us just can't swim.

Also - not many people who catch a plane know how to fly, so why is swimming a requirement of catching a boat ?

I don't mean a transportation boat I meant leisure( sorry for the confusion)

I mean if you fall out of an airplane it doesn't matter if you know how to fly or not, however falling off a boat you can easily just swim long enough to reach the shore if its not far or have someone pick you up.

[Doge is Dead]

I know how to not drown. Sure if you threw me of at 75m from shore I'd make it back...by next Thursday, but I'd definately be alive.

[schwarzkopf]

I mean if you fall out of an airplane it doesn't matter if you know how to fly or not, however falling off a boat you can easily just swim long enough to reach the shore if its not far or have someone pick you up.

Swimming and flying are on par for me ... in both cases I sink to the ground as fast as physics can carry me.

So from my perspective, the risks in a plane or a boat are both equivalent. The main difference of course is a boat running out of fuel doesn't stop floating

[yurano]

Swimming in a pool is different from swimming in a ocean where there are waves. Plenty of surfers drown when they encounter riptides and the like. Imagine someone who can swim but isn't proficient in swimming in strong currents, they're probably going to drown.

[Seppun]

I can swim, and I belong in the water as much as I belong on land. My husband, however, can swim but he hates it and he sinks if he tries to float or tread water. We have two kids, one takes right to water along with me and the other cannot float and is a very poor swimmer.

[Decagon]

I can swim about 1/4 of a mile, and if I REALLY had to, I could probably get out a mile if I was going slowly and conserving my energy. I'm a beast at treading water, though, and could keep it up for a very long time. That's the extent of my swimming ability. I learned to swim when I was 5ish, and I kept taking lessons until I was 10.

[Landin55]

Swimming in a pool is different from swimming in a ocean where there are waves. Plenty of surfers drown when they encounter riptides and the like. Imagine someone who can swim but isn't proficient in swimming in strong currents, they're probably going to drown.

Meh tbh I always think that people that drown in a riptide...aren't thinking...best thing to do is let it take you out to sea and work from there...

[schwarzkopf]

Swimming in a pool is different from swimming in a ocean where there are waves.

However, ocean has the advantage of salt ... I can do around 3-5 meters in salt water, but less than 1 meter in a pool.

[vizzle]

I really don't know what it'd be like not knowing how to swim. It's as instinctive as language to me, and I can't imagine not having that "skill".