:) Do/Can most Australians swim?

RE: :) Do/Can most Australians swim?

Former Member — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:05:32 GMT

I grew up in a beach culture, so I was pretty much thrown in as a baby. Quite a few of my school friends were non-swimmers, though, and it depended a bit on ethnic/religious background. I love that when I go home I can drive 10 mins, pay $3 and swim in a huge 50m pool, with more than enough lanes to accomodate the kids' age group practice and casual lap swimmers llike me. And of course, there's the beach. SPOILT!!!! :) The city I live in here has about 150k ppl and NO 50m pool at all!!!!

RE: :) Do/Can most Australians swim?

Former Member — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:58:50 GMT

3) Swimming is a required course in the public schools. So yes, effectively all Australian children can swim. Although, I imagine it's a lot like American PE classes. Sure, everyone runs a mile on Thursdays in gym class, but not everyone does it in under 12 minutes. Pretty much right, except with this point, yeah it is required but that doesn't mean all kids learn to swim. I sucked at swimming at school, mostly because I was scared of water. Didn't learn to swim till I was 22. Most kids do learn to "swim" though. Thanks, David

RE: :) Do/Can most Australians swim?

Former Member — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 07:33:11 GMT

Never been to Australia, but I know a lot of people who have, including a woman I used to coach with. The biggest differences, according to her, were: 1) Australian swimmers are more visible. They form power couples, show up on tabloids, etc, much like movie stars would here. And it's not just the #1 swimmer in the world (aka how Phelps is here). 2) Pools are more accessible year round. There are indoor pools, 50m pools, etc. that are open all the time, unlike here where they shut down after labor day, and you have to buy expensive gym memberships. 3) Swimming is a required course in the public schools. So yes, effectively all Australian children can swim. Although, I imagine it's a lot like American PE classes. Sure, everyone runs a mile on Thursdays in gym class, but not everyone does it in under 12 minutes. I'm sure there's some Aussies in here that will correct me if I'm misinformed. Not personal knowledge as it is....

RE: :) Do/Can most Australians swim?

slowfish — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 07:41:03 GMT

Timely. I just got back from the land down under. I was impressed with the number of swim facilities in just the 2 cities i was in. One had a civic center with an indoor 50m pool a dive pool along with a 'moat' type pool. It was open from 5 - 9 daily. the other city had a 25m pool with regular hours. so my take in my limited vist was that swimming is more accessible to people than it is in the US. swimming in oceans and lakes was a bit limiting right now because of crocs and stingers but i suspect that stingers aren't a problem at other times of the year. The coolest pool-related thing i saw was in Cairns. They have a public lagoon. It's huge and though it's not deep, they have water aerobics classes and learn to swim classes in it. Most people just use it to cool off! after my visit, i find it a bit depressing that there is one 50m pool in my city that is open to the public and it's open from memorial day to labor day and only in the 50m direction from 5am-7am in the morning - and most of the time, swim teams use it! Everyone is so lawsuit scared that pools that exist are rarely open.

RE: :) Do/Can most Australians swim?

Former Member — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:42:13 GMT

Not nearly as good as Canadians............ :canada: You should open the Todd Cameron School for Australians who don't Swim Good! :canada:

RE: :) Do/Can most Australians swim?

Former Member — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:53:52 GMT

Not nearly as good as Canadians.... Oh thanks for the compliment. Somehow, it's true that we're known for learning how to swim at very early age. I think that since early '70s, Canadian Red Cross, which is the body that governs swim programs across Canada, has done a tremendous job in making their program efficient, fun and accessible. .... and none of them have swam the Reef. No one has, ...................yet. :canada: Bah, water's too warm :D

RE: :) Do/Can most Australians swim?

Former Member — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:57:52 GMT

Yeah I guess it's a matter of knowing what good stroke looks like even if you can't do it yourself and knowing all the rest of the science of the sport. He would do well to get into the pool with us masters though, he could use it. As for everyone else yeah I think most Australians would do well to join a masters club too. David

RE: :) Do/Can most Australians swim?

Former Member — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:23:02 GMT

Yeah that's something I wonder about. :afraid: But at Beijing a large number of our swim team girls were ones who'd been coached by him.... Well I have little doubt about it. I'm a triathlon coach that has never done one single race. For me, it's the same principle as what leads a blind person to live a normal life. They compensate somewhere else. I just wonder if he ever coached at lower levels though. For sure, if you coach at a high level, it ain't a bad thing not knowing how to swim. He probably compensates with a lot of video sessions. I'm surprised that nowadays, I never see any swim coach (around where I swim) with a small camera nearby. Damn. I had to go through the pain of operating VHS with huge monitor back then. Now all they have to have is a small camera. I bet that he uses a lot of video feed back. If the swimmer sees himself and that you can discuss whilst running the clip slowmo, that does the trick perfectly.

RE: :) Do/Can most Australians swim?

Former Member — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:24:19 GMT

One of Australia's most successful coach of olympic swimmers can't swim himself, if thrown in he'd need someone to rescue him. Are you serious? How did this guy end up coaching swimming whilst not being able to swim himself?

RE: :) Do/Can most Australians swim?

Former Member — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:13:01 GMT

Not nearly as good as Canadians.............. and none of them have swam the Reef. No one has, ...................yet. :canada:

RE: :) Do/Can most Australians swim?

Former Member — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:56:23 GMT

Yeah that's something I wonder about. :afraid: But at Beijing a large number of our swim team girls were ones who'd been coached by him.... David I'll try to find out who he is...if you don't feel it proper to mention his name here (actually if I were him I would be proud of that!). Maybe he has a degree in physics, or bioengineering... :rolleyes: P.S. What is more puzzling is, even if he couldn't swim, having so many great swimmers around him, why didn't he learn to swim?

RE: :) Do/Can most Australians swim?

Former Member — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 10:21:14 GMT

Are you serious? How did this guy end up coaching swimming whilst not being able to swim himself? Yeah that's something I wonder about. :afraid: But at Beijing a large number of our swim team girls were ones who'd been coached by him.... David

RE: :) Do/Can most Australians swim?

orca1946 — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 05:25:56 GMT

At the H S I taught , they had 2 gym teachers that could not swim ??!!

RE: :) Do/Can most Australians swim?

Former Member — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:41:07 GMT

Most Australians are at least mediocre swimmers, but there's still a large proportion who can't. One of Australia's most successful coach of olympic swimmers can't swim himself, if thrown in he'd need someone to rescue him. Masters swimming isn't anywhere near as big here especially in lower age groups(under-50). Most kids seem to quit swimming when they finish school and then only swim socially at the beach or in backyard pools... David

RE: :) Do/Can most Australians swim?

orca1946 — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:28:24 GMT

Swimming stars there are like USA football & basketball stars ! Unless they lice 1000 miles from the ocean they seem to all swim ! How cool is that !