If not, why haven’t you learned how?
Nope. Couldn’t afford lessons, no one had a pool and I lived in a predominantly black city. I’d like to one day just for safely but I usually just sink like a rock.
How is living in a predominantly black city relevant?
There is a relatively unknown (outside of the black community) bias against swimming. Slaves were traumatized to be hydrophobic to prevent escape from slave ships and then there was segregation of pools until relatively recently. This is fortunately fading now, last I checked.
According to statistics they’re less likely to know how to swim. Less swimmers means they’d have less places to swim.
But according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the fatal drowning rate of African-American children aged five-14 is three times that of white children.
A recent study sponsored by USA Swimming uncovered equally stark statistics.
Just under 70% of African-American children surveyed said they had no or low ability to swim. Low ability merely meant they were able to splash around in the shallow end. A further 12% said they could swim but had “taught themselves”.
- Source: Why don’t black Americans swim? (bbc.com, Sept. 2010)
Yeah. Because in Australia they take swimming and water safety very seriously. I don’t think I know a single person who can’t swim at least a little.
As an Aussie I remember meeting foreigners when I was a youngster, and just being totally bewildered that they couldn’t swim. To me, it was as if they had said they never learnt to run, or how to open a door.
My next lesson came when I took a foreign friend who could swim to the beach. I swam out past the breakers and bobbed around wondering where they were… Turns out that not everyone grew up around waves, and they didn’t know you could dive under them. So they were still back by the beach, waist deep, just getting smashed around constantly.
Yeah, this is basically how it goes. It depends what country you grew up in. Canada is the same way, almost everyone who grew up in Canada can swim (not necessarily well, but able to manage). This is partly due to the number of lakes that exist near populated areas so swimming is a common passtime and boating accidents are a fairly high cause of accidental death. There are some countries where it is much more rare.
I started taking lessons about a year ago. I’m glad I have. At least I feel like I might have a chance if something happens and I end up in deeper water than I can just stand in.
Yes swimming is a core part of the nz childhood. We had swimming lessons throughout school and my parents enrolled me in swim classes very early.
I’m terrible at formal swimming but I can survive and get around comfortably in the water
Yes, my mom made us take swim lessons up through lifeguard lessons, and some of my brothers were competitive (like very competitive) swimmers. I got my kids lessons through the drownproofing, not more.
Kids drown here every year, it’s not important to have paid lessons but very very important to know how to swim.
Yeah but not that well. I can yeet my body off the divingboard something goofy, plunge into the water, and make it back to the edge of the pool, and tbh that’s all the swimming ability that I’ve ever needed. At least I know that I can backstroke fairly effortlessly
Whoa. 100% ditto!
Yup, learned as a child and was absolutely bewildered as a teenager when I met people who couldn’t. Made sure my kids knew how as well. Child drowning injury and deaths are sadly high in the US.
Yes, of course, it’s a basic life skill.
No, it’s not common for schools to have pools in my city, never travel to a beach, no paying for a club(I don’t think that’s the right english word for it but I can’t think of another one) to go to a pool. The only few times I got to a pool in friends/parent houses was not enough to learn how to swim.
yes but barely. I basically do backstroke and sidestroke. never could get the hang of putting my face in and out of the water. There are a few others I can do where you keep your head out but they are relatively useless so don’t really do them.
Yes! I learned at the YMCA as a kid.
Yes, I went and learned as an adult, even. I figured the world is 70% water and I really needed to have a chance in case of a surprise encounter with it.
Yes, and according to my parents I didn’t learn how to swim, I just instinctively did it, in a similar fashion to how I just started running one day. I don’t remember learning how to swim either it’s just something I’ve always been able to do.
Yes
No. I don’t feel comfortable being in situations where I’d learn. I’m pretty sure I’m to skin and bones to even float properly.
