Knowing how to swim, and when not to

RE: Knowing how to swim, and when not to

swimmj — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:17:06 GMT

This topic came up here before and I suggested that learning to swim should be a part of every school curriculum. Many people thought this was a waste of valuable educational time and/or impractical. I think swimming is a life skill and just as important as anything else taught in school. Our local school district has a min 2 week swimming class mandated for all 2nd grade students. Many schools choose to fund swimming lessons for other grades as well. We live in an area of rivers and lakes, so swimming is a basic survival skill. I'm really pleased with the schools. I also taught for the local parks and rec, before I started coaching on the team. Safety was a major focus as well as the basics of how to breath, and do the strokes.

RE: Knowing how to swim, and when not to

joel schmaltz — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:50:26 GMT

Living close to the water here in North Myrtle Beach it is very important to respect the water. I have two children that were put in swimmng lessons at a very young age for that very reason. As tourist season comes in, story after story of someones bad fortune playing in the water plaster our six o'clock news. I consider myself a good swimmer and am very comfortable in the water but I have had the current take me right down the beach and there was nothing I could do about it.

RE: Knowing how to swim, and when not to

knelson — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:03:18 GMT

As a H S teacher, I am amazed at the kids that are allowed not to get their faces wet in swim class!! How do they let kids out of school without being able to save themselves?? This topic came up here before and I suggested that learning to swim should be a part of every school curriculum. Many people thought this was a waste of valuable educational time and/or impractical. I think swimming is a life skill and just as important as anything else taught in school.

RE: Knowing how to swim, and when not to

orca1946 — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:51:26 GMT

As a H S teacher, I am amazed at the kids that are allowed not to get their faces wet in swim class!! How do they let kids out of school without being able to save themselves??

RE: Knowing how to swim, and when not to

Former Member — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 09:32:17 GMT

It is a shame that more people do not know how to swim especially when they visit waterfronts of any kind. What makes it worse is that some people chose not to heed the warnings because it might affect their good time. There have been several times where kids have gotten in trouble and I have had to go and save them because their parents are not paying attention.

RE: Knowing how to swim, and when not to

__steve__ — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 08:29:16 GMT

Yep, doesn't matter how well you swim, a current can easily overcome you and we can't live without air. Being a good swimmer will increase your chance of survival once in a bad condition, but increases the chance your in the bad condition in the first place.

RE: Knowing how to swim, and when not to

Allen Stark — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 05:58:34 GMT

People are amazing in their lack of awareness.Every year in Oregon we have several river drownings of people who don't know how to swim and wade into the rivers on hot days. By the way,if you can swim and hypothermia is not an issue,"undertow" is not a big issue as long as you know what to do and don't panic.Yes it will knock you off your feet and sweep you out faster than you can swim in,but they are not very wide so swim parallel to shore til it stops and then swim in.

RE: Knowing how to swim, and when not to

Former Member — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 05:43:40 GMT

And any rescue attempt puts you at great peril.....even when you are well trained.

RE: Knowing how to swim, and when not to

Former Member — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 05:38:53 GMT

Yeah. It seems like we were hearing stories like this several times a week all summer in New York. The water's been especially rough this year and some people just don't listen to warnings to stay out, and even go into the ocean with no lifeguard on duty. It seems like in most of the incidents it's people who don't know how to swim who ignore the warnings. (I suppose swimmers understand the danger better.) Unfortunately, there have been a few fatalities.