How do you get faster/ better at swimming.

This 1) I disagree with finding a coach being any type of priority. And also that can be quite limiting. Most important is to do what you want. 2) Always do what YOU want to do, not what some random coach tells you to do. Often they are totally wrong... helps me to understand this ... Granted I was a kid, wanted to do well and didn't know any better. But he could have provided some direction on when and where I could swim, rather than being a self serving jerk. That people try to justify coaches being that way is not helpful and simply perpetuates their bad attitudes. As for advice, I guess it depends on what you want to accomplish with your swimming. If it is just a matter of aerobic cross training then just swimming in the lake and increasing your distance may work. The more inefficient you are in the water, the greater the aerobic benefit per mile. If you want to become a better swimmer, then you probably need a coach to help with technique.

This 1) I disagree with finding a coach being any type of priority. And also that can be quite limiting. Most important is to do what you want. 2) Always do what YOU want to do, not what some random coach tells you to do. Often they are totally wrong... helps me to understand this ... Granted I was a kid, wanted to do well and didn't know any better. But he could have provided some direction on when and where I could swim, rather than being a self serving jerk. That people try to justify coaches being that way is not helpful and simply perpetuates their bad attitudes. As for advice, I guess it depends on what you want to accomplish with your swimming. If it is just a matter of aerobic cross training then just swimming in the lake and increasing your distance may work. The more inefficient you are in the water, the greater the aerobic benefit per mile. If you want to become a better swimmer, then you probably need a coach to help with technique.