Not a floater ....

[hollyday4ever]

No, not that kind of floater .... ;-)

I take issue today with swim instructors who insist that the first step in learning to swim is to become proficient in floating on your back. This is quite simply bullshit.

I love to swim and I can perform many different strokes (my favorite is the backstroke - must be my double jointed elbows or something but I

Comments

[thestormcellar]

Speaking as a former swim instructor that taught lessons for about 8 years (students from 6 month infants to high level life guard trainees), the back floating thing isn't about learning to swim, it's about how to keep yourself alive and safe if you're stuck out some place and are too tired to keep swimming and must rest for a bit. And I consider being on your back, and moving your arms and legs gently, "floating", so long as your gentle moving can keep your face above the water. I once taught what I call a sinker to swim quite well one summer, and this was even after he had almost drowned the summer before (he had sunk to the bottom of the deep end of the pool and had to be rescued). As soon as I got him over his fear of the water, he was fine, even though he couldn't just lie there and float without moving his arms or legs