The Swimming Club

[Undies]

a thread for all things swimming.

if i have to do cardio, swimming is by far my top choice. not to mention how fun it is as a non-exercise activity. jumping off high things and landing in water on a steaming hot day is probably in the top 10 reasons to live.

unfortunately, my swimming form is awful. i grew up in the middle of nowhere, so swimming lessons were never really a thing. but we did have an amazing community pool nearby, plus rivers and ponds, and the lake was only 40 minutes away. so i taught myself to swim quite well, and to this day i always end up in the top couple finishers when we have our adult swim meet at work. i just look like i don't know what i'm doing in the process. fixing my form has been a goal of mine for years now, but it keeps getting pushed back behind slightly more urgent goals. one of these days though...

[tumbling.dice]

My mom signed me up for a swimming class when I was 7 or 8 years old. I went one time, then begged her not to send me back.

[Undies]

did you not like the class, or the water? do you swim now?

[tumbling.dice]

The instructor dunked me under the water and I hated it. No, I am still no fan of water over ankles deep. I sink like a stone.

[Amerijuanican]

Omg kinda like what happened to me. Was having issues with the prone float.
Teach got huffy about it. Somehow I floated, then inhaled a bunch of water and saw the wall of the inside of the pool as I sank...
My experience in HS was worse...saw that teacher after I graduated, in a mall in the city. Took off after him, he f'n vanished. Lol.
My friend said who was that guy? Told him it was my old teach. He said, oh, him, huh!
I'm no fan of swimming either.

[Undies]

yeah, that whole instructor dunking thing has been pretty much debunked by now. sucks that it ruined the water for you (and god knows how many other people) though, it really is great if you can get the whole water comfort thing down.

[Jessica]

i don't get the "jumping off high things" thing. i hate it.
but i do love swimming!
not in a pool. here, it's ocean only. i miss the lakes and rivers of new zealand more than any other part of new zealand.

[Babs]

What is it you dont like about the way you swim?

could you save your life, or someone elses?

[tumbling.dice]

I almost drown trying to save a can of beer once. Me and a buddy were on a boat and he dropped an unopened can of Keystone beer in the lake. So I, without thought for my own life, bravely jumped over and "swam" over to it. Then I remembered I couldn't swim, panicked, and my buddy had to jump in and save me.

[Undies]

i don't get the "jumping off high things" thing. i hate it.

do you have a problem with heights in general?

i'm not a fan of heights myself, but it's kind of contextual and if i'm over deep water it's not nearly as scary. i think the feeling of freefall is the main attraction of jumping into water. i'm also a big fan of the way you zip through the water just after landing a dive.

[Undies]

What is it you dont like about the way you swim?

could you save your life, or someone elses?

i'm a lifeguard instructor, so i sure hope i could save someone's life. luckily, i haven't had to yet.

my swimming is perfectly functional, like i said before i'm one of the fastest swimmers i know outside of the swim team kids. i just don't do it the way you're supposed to. i swim with my head out of the water, which is apparently very inefficient, and my strokes aren't really right, which i'm also sure is inefficient. and i have a really weird kick, so i can't use fins because they actually slow me down somehow.

[Jessica]

no i don't mind heights. i quite enjoy the giddy feeling of heights.
i think mostly it's the hitting the water part.. maybe i don't really like the feeling of free fall either
but i do like rope swings... it's mostly hitting the water.
hate is too strong of a word, i'm surprised i said that.

[Jessica]

oh yeah i keep my head out of the water too. if i try to breathe only at the right moment i breathe in water at some point.

[Babs]

i'm a lifeguard instructor, so i sure hope i could save someone's life. luckily, i haven't had to yet.

my swimming is perfectly functional, like i said before i'm one of the fastest swimmers i know outside of the swim team kids. i just don't do it the way you're supposed to. i swim with my head out of the water, which is apparently very inefficient, and my strokes aren't really right, which i'm also sure is inefficient. and i have a really weird kick, so i can't use fins because they actually slow me down somehow.

They only slow you down if you use your legs, if you dont bend your knees just your hips gently, you will master it.. head out the water is ok, saves you bumping into a boat..

[Ashalicious]

I'm more of a "sit in the steam room" kinda woman, but I appreciate this thread.

[Undies]

I'm more of a "sit in the steam room" kinda woman, but I appreciate this thread.

ugh, no. dry sauna is great, but to me the steam room is just a stinky room that makes you feel like you're drowning.