Frustrated older beginner...willing to try again

This is a great thread... for people who are in your situation, as well as instructors who are trying to teach them. I hope you will continue to update it from time-to-time so that folks will continue to benefit from it. The first thing I mention to anyone of any swimming level is: Can you float on your back with your toes out of the water? Once you can accomplish this you are well on your way to having a well balanced stroke... and IMHO good balance is one of the most important aspects of good swimming. (Most people, especially those without natural buoyancy, can only do this with their arms straight out "over your head" .) Sounds like you finally got an instructor that will work for you (and a facility as well). They are spot-on with getting you able to float first... with confidence. Once you learn that you will always be able to stop and rest in any depth you can't stand in... whenever you need to. Once you get your confidence up, I believe the rest will be easy. As you've pointed out, once you get motoring in the water the temperature will become less of an issue... which will make it easier to find facilities to practice in. It is fun to just float around and goof-off though... I do it all the time... I just simply enjoy the comfort of being in a near zero-g environment... especially a liquid one. We live on a "water planet", and we are made up mostly of water... it makes perfect sense to me to be able to take pleasure in that. ;)

When I was a kid before learning to swim I was taught to do prone floats with my face in the water for increasing lengths of time to get used to it. Do you think that would work for you? Have you tried using nose plugs to keep the water out? I've used the same pair of Barracuda earplugs for a couple of years and have not had a problem with water getting in. Best of luck to you!

An audiologist can make custom ear plugs, and perhaps suggest a second layer of protection.

Thanks for the replies. During my second lesson, July 9, I again practiced the back float in the shallow end and moving around the pool hanging onto the gutter. I later practiced moving along the wall while holding onto a lifeguard buoy, accompanied by the instructor, who had me move progressively into deeper water, a few feet at time. At times she encouraged me to move a few inches away from the wall while doing this, but barely within reach of the edge. I started practicing breathing out with my face in the water in the shallow end while holding onto the edge. I wore goggles, but had trouble with them since they leaked water. I do NOT like the sensation of my face being in the water, especially water going in my nose. I continuously breathed out both nose and mouth while doing this, but still seemed to be getting water in my nose. I tried breathing out as slowly as possible, remaining as relaxed as I could, but still felt uncomfortable--breathing out more slowly just allowed more water to get into my nose. If I inhaled more air before breathing out underwater, I quickly became breathless and nervous. I have to breathe out so forcefully to get my air out underwater. How can I breathe out below the surface while feeling both comfortable and relaxed? I see it's going to take a long time to learn this. I spent two hours practicing since the last lesson. I tried doing some things the instructor hasn't taught me yet, but quickly ran into trouble and started to panic. I'm finding I am having trouble doing the same things I had trouble with years ago. I did swim a length in a shallow pool using the elementary backstroke, but even that was hard because I was out of shape. I carefully tried floating on my back in deep water--it wasn't as hard as I thought. I am trying to be as totally relaxed as I can whenever I'm in deep water. Next lesson, my instructor assures me, I will spend most of the time in the deep end, and the final lesson I will be doing certain special things she hasn't described. I can't float on my back with my toes out of the water--my legs tend to sink and I have to extend my arms straight to get them back up. I try to relax as much as possible, to keep my butt up, and to lengthen my float time as much as possible while remaining relaxed. Problem: the whip kick I used doing the elementary backstroke has caused lateral knee pain--the return of ilio-tibial band inflammation I had once before. An ordinary crawl kick wouldn't cause this problem. I may have to have physical therapy to alleviate the pain. Big problem: I now have swimmer's ear again in the left ear, the return of a problem which caused me to stop swimming years ago, despite the fact I was using a molded ear plug while in the water and was using a solution of alcohol and vinegar in the ears post swimming. To prevent this, the ear must be kept perfectly dry while in the water--putting a solution in the ear does not work. If an answer for this problem isn't found, I'll have no choice but to quit swimming. What can I do about this? Re: Enrolling in a Miracle Swimming class with Melon Dash. I have read her book and find it terrific, but I want to try going local first to avoid the expense of the class and the necessity of having to travel--which I really don't want to do--but I still have it in the back of my mind as a final alternative.

Do you really want to learn to swim, or do you just want the attention from people who sincerely want to help? I have read your posts. You ignore most of the very good advice and obsess on your own perceptions and frailties. This last one takes the cake. Now you need physical therapy because you strained your knee? Swimmer's ear? Please. Do you have a counselor or priest that you can confide in? If not, please find one. The water is not the problem. It has no ill will toward you, nor do you need 90 degree shallow water. If you don't like getting your face wet, how do you bathe? Or shower? If this is a hoax, it is a very intricate one. If not, swimming is the smallest of problems for you to overcome. If you are asking for help or advice here, please heed what is posted and respond to them as to why you ignore what they say or worse, argue with them. You continue to make excuses for not doing something that is very simple, as if trying to convince yourself that it is o.k. to bail out before even making an attempt. Water is not the basis of your fears, fear of trying is. All fear is irrational. As Yoda said, "there is no try, there is only do or not do." What will it be?

It is very brave of you to keep trying, and to keep sharing your experience even though some might judge you for it. The first moment that you realize you are in the deep end and aren't afraid will be worth all of this effort. I have always had a severe fear of deep water - one that kept me out of the deep end until I was 21. I was so tired of missing out that I made the decision to fully face my fear - by seeing a therapist who specialized in phobias. 6 years later, I swim with a masters club 5 times a week and regularly compete in open water. The most amazing moments involve looking around in the middle of a large glistening body of water and reflecting on the fact that I have no idea how deep the water is, and that I'm not afraid. You can definitely get there. The two most valuable things I learned from the therapist I saw were as follows. First, it is very hard to face a fear if deep down, you think the fear is right. If you think, on any level, that water really is dangerous and that all you want to do is somehow avoid thinking about it, it is going to be very hard to make progress. Try to start thinking of your swimming lessons as a way to remove the dangers of the water, not a way to distract you from them. You can be a strong swimmer, and the deep end of a pool can be a completely safe environment for you. The fear is something you have constructed, and you can deconstruct it. Second, overcoming a fear is very very difficult. It takes time. Getting frustrated with yourself compounds the negative associations you will have with the water, making progress harder. Instead of getting frustrated that you can't make tremendous progress in one session, be very proud of yourself for each and every small step you can take. Every time you get into the pool, you should be proud of yourself. This process feels hard because it is hard. Keep at it, and you will get there. Resolving to fully face my fear, and swallowing my pride long enough to find a therapist, was one of the best things I've ever done for myself. I wish you the best of luck in this process. Don't be frustrated - be proud.

...Don't be frustrated - be proud. Excellent post... how true. (And I'm impressed that you list OW as your favorite event!) Yep... the only thing worse than not reaching the goals you set is not even trying for them. I'm reminded of the scene in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" where McMurphy claims he will escape by pulling up a plumbing fixture (a sink of sorts) and hurl it through the window... he fails and they all are staring at him wide-eyed... he glares at them and exclaims, "Well, at least I tried!" (Of course in the end, this is how "Chief" makes his escape.)

My physical problems have completely resolved and I am continuing on with instuction. This week I worked on back floating in the shallow and in the deep, relaxing as much as possible, spending more time in deep water, bobbing at the wall, and standing up from a back and a front float position, and even swimming across the pool in supine position in deep water. Relaxation and breath control are proving to be the most difficult skills to learn. I will continue with my present instructor. Imagine, swimming in deep water in only four lessons.

Yesterday, August 6, I completed my eleventh lesson, a total of ten hours of instruction. Unfortunately, my instructor is leaving to get ready to go to college in the fall, no one at the YMCA where I have been taking lessons is available to take over and the facility itself is closing at the end of the month. In that time I have learned the folllowing: --Floating on back in shallow water --Floating on back in deep water --Floating on front in shallow water --Floating on front in deep water --Standing up in shallow water from either face-down or face-up position --Moving around periphery of pool holding onto edge --Elementary back-stroke in shallow, then deep water, progressing from swimming across pool in shallow water to swimming across in deep water to, finally, swimming lengths, first along side, then down the middle. --Treading water in deep end --Rhythmic breathing at side of pool --Bobbing at edge from shallow to deep, pushing myself down as far as I can go --Swimming on back in deep water, then repeatedly going into vertical to tread water, then resuming swimming until having swum entire length --Stepping off resting step in deep end to plunge into water --Swimming on front across pool while holding breath --Swimming across pool in shallow doing the *** stroke --Turning around in deep while treading water I spent much time in each lesson working in the deep end and my fear of deep water has gradually lessened, I am happy to report. I am gradually learning the skills of swimming, though it is a slow process. Learning breathing has been the hardest skill to master, but it is coming. I am learning to relax in the water and, the more I do, the easier swimming becomes. Learning relaxation wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Floating in deep water has turned out to be no different than floating in shallow water. I am so grateful to my wonderful instructor, who has been patient and supportive all the way. I have started to learn a face-down stroke (*** stroke), something I thought I might not be able to do. My instructor had me learn that because I had so much trouble learning rotational breathing, required for freestyle. She has never had me do anything I wasn't ready to do. Swimming is indeed getting easier and more fun. There is nothing like a little success to serve as a motivator. I really want to continue taking as much instruction as I can until get really good at this. Thanks to all for the helpful comments.