How did you learn to swim?

[Blondie]

I come from PA and there weren't any public swimming pools where I lived so I never really swam until I was three or four. The first time I was in a pool, I jumped off the stairs and started drowning because I thought it was much more shallow... My uncle had to pull me out :P

But after that I was pretty much on my own with learning. My parents would bring me to the pool almost every day once I moved to Florida later that year. And I just used my tube to figure out how to swim better. Only took me a month or so to learn how to fully swim. Now I love it and am a lifeguard xD

[Dacora]

I think I was around 2 or 3 in my towns river. My grandpa threw me in (its not as bad as it sounds I promise,I really liked it) my dad was right there next to me in the water if I needed him. My parents helped me become a strong swimmer. I only almost drown once in a pubic pool. I had been swimming all day but refused to get out so I was clinging to the side of the pool. I thought it was shallow enough to stand but I went under. My aunt grabbed me out of the water.
Forgot to add. We have pictures of me in little baby floatation thingys. So I was in the water before I could walk.

[Thalassa]

I still don't really know how. My mom tried to take me to swimming lessons as a kid and I refused to put my head under, finally learned how to "swim-ish" at 12 in a class of 5-year-olds (try learning to swim when the kids think you're there to hang on to...yeah...) because I nearly drowned at 7 Peaks (long incident involving a water slide, an obese lady, and a misunderstanding with a lifeguard). HOPEFULLY this summer I'll be able to teach myself the dolphin kick, since I can't afford an instructor and there doesn't seem to be any friend around to teach me. I now LOVE to swim, but just don't do it very well. XP

[Spindrift]

because I nearly drowned at 7 Peaks (long incident involving a water slide, an obese lady, and a misunderstanding with a lifeguard).

This gave me a rather unfortunate image. I am so sorry.

[MerEmma]

My mom took me to swim classes when I was just a few weeks (maybe months...lol, I don't know) old. I took classes and my mom would hold me and I would swim to my swim instructor and the instructor, Ginni, would move backwards sometimes so I had to kick further and I quickly learned as I got older to tell her not to move, every single time. I remember a lot of it and ever since I've been drawn to the water and such. I was a pretty good swimmer all my younger life and finally touched the 12 ft. bottom at our old pool when I was probably five or six. Wow, was I proud! :b When I was about eleven, I started up in my Y's swim team and in the summer when I'm doing it I'm REALLY in shape and my breath is super great (over a minute) and I just love doing it. I wish it was year-round, though. =\

[Sammyantha171]

I've been able to swim as long as I can remember. I'm not sure when I started, but I've always been part of a swimming club. I'm not even sure if I'm doing the techniques correctly anymore, its just completely instinctive for me. I've always preferred swimming underwater though! I love holding my breath, I don't understand why anyone wouldn't want to almost drown themselves.
Lying on the bottom and blowing bubble rings is pretty fun too

[SeaGlass Siren]

i only know how to freestyle swim... and dog paddle.

i didnt learn until recently actually. i went to the community center to try to teach myself how to swim so i put on my goggles, plugged my nose, and dunked my head into the water to sink into the pool (shallow end). i didnt sink, i ended up floating (by that time i had a spaz attack because i was never able to float) and then i just used my arms and legs to "paddle" across the pool.

[Drowning]

Oh, I know just how you feel! I learned to swim by being thrown in the pool at a very young age. I took to it instantly... But then spent as much time underwater as possible. Holding our breath underwater is such a thrill, isn't it? I thought I was the only one who would stay underwater, losing my breath until nearly drowning! I will even ditch my scuba gear on dives sometimes.

This bubbleblower shares your subaquatic joy!

I've been able to swim as long as I can remember. I'm not sure when I started, but I've always been part of a swimming club. I'm not even sure if I'm doing the techniques correctly anymore, its just completely instinctive for me. I've always preferred swimming underwater though! I love holding my breath, I don't understand why anyone wouldn't want to almost drown themselves.
Lying on the bottom and blowing bubble rings is pretty fun too

[Mermaid Danielle]

I'm not really sure when my parents taught my sisters and me to swim... I know we had a plastic baby pool for a really long time, and eventually my sisters and I were able to swim in the regular pool in the backyard. I think it's been an ongoing process throughout my life. Just this past summer, my mom and dad taught my sisters and me how you are supposed to hold someone if you need to swim them out of the water (like in a drowning situation).

We live in Michigan did a lot of traveling to national parks, especially when my sisters and I were kids... I guess it only makes sense to have taught us...

[Mermaid Margarete]

I learned how to swim while staying at my aunts house over the summer when I was like 4 years old. My cousins and I would walk to their local pool to take lessons. I remember I had a really hard time putting my face under water so one of my cousins told me, "If you can touch my foot at the bottom of the pool I'll buy you a chocolate bar." AND there went my fear of putting my head under the water XD Hahaha!

I didn't get over my fear of the deep end tho, til I was about 7 or so. I had had these terrible dreams of falling into water and then just sinking and sinking and never coming up. My dad broke a pool rule, by staying in the deep end, promising he wouldn't let me sink, to convince me to try jumping into deep water. The lifeguard yelled at him, but I got over my fear of just sinking ^^

I took more swimming lessons around that time, too, learning how to dive and do different strokes. I loved swimming so much I'd go for the two hour sessions at our local pool and not get out for the entire 2 hours! Even tho I've never been part of a team or super fast, I've been considered a "strong swimmer" - working at a summer camp as a life guard assistant for 4 years and taking surfing while going to school in Hawaii ^_^

I'm so glad mermaiding as gotten me to take to the water, again <3

[Taniira]

I honestly don't remember. I grew up in South Florida and we had a pool and hot tub in the back yard, and my aunt had a pool at her house. We also only lived a few miles from the beach (bike riding distance). There are pictures of me as a baby in a float thing and being held by my family in the pool, so I guess I just learned from being in water all the time.

I took real swimming lessons when I was 9 or 10 with the girl scouts. Obviously I knew how to swim before that, but that's when I learned the proper strokes and all. I never joined a swim team or anything, but I never had any trouble passing those swim tests they do for kids at pools/camps for permission to go in the deep end.

I know the first time I went scuba diving I was probably 6 or 7. My parents had their own gear and would let me use it in the pool sometimes (supervised, of course). I didn't get certified until I was 16 or so, and my first time in the ocean I was 17.

[Capt Nemo]

Got my start with YMCA swimming lessons at 5. Went all the way till there was nothing left but swim team or aquatic leader at 12, and couldn't take scuba until 16.

[Usagi]

Has anyone taken the adult swimming lessons at the Y?

[Rain]

I don't remember what age I was when I learned to swim since it was such a long time ago. But I do remember that even before I knew how to swim I would always waddle around in the water, and sneak on a swimsuit at home if I knew I was going to a place w/ a pool or something haha. When I did learn how to swim, it was a friend that I had recently made in the children's bible group that taught me. The whole group went to the sunday school teacher's place for a pool party, it was really fun.

[Mermaid Momo]

I learned when I was 8 or 9 . My dad pushed me into 8 stand told me to swim and that he wasn't going to jump in if I drowned :/ I sunk a bit, but I got the hand of it and swam over to the wall. :/ after that I actually learned how to hold by breath for a long time and lived at the bottom of the deep end LOL

[Elle]

I was taught in infant classes before I could walk. I was drown-proofed before I was 2. and actually swimming by the time I was 4 or 5.

[Rain]

I learned when I was 8 or 9 . My dad pushed me into 8 stand told me to swim and that he wasn't going to jump in if I drowned :/ I sunk a bit, but I got the hand of it and swam over to the wall. :/ after that I actually learned how to hold by breath for a long time and lived at the bottom of the deep end LOL

I really love swimming underwater, but I can barely hold my breath! Any tips for me? XD

[drucilla]

Let's see it was either the time my dad decided to throw me in the deepend of the pool, or the time the swim instructor let go of me so she could answer her phone... Either way the dog paddle saved me :P lol

[Ariel-Starfish]

I learned how to swim when i was five. afther that I was under wather than above! XD I already fantasized i was a mermaid and did the dolphin kick with normal flippers XD

[Traveling Merman]

I don't remember being taught, my mum says she used to take me in as a toddler so I guess I just copied mum!