Half of americans can't swim?

(um)…..i did. freestyle sprinting which came in handy trying to avoid clean-up sets (when i became a surfer).

 

club, hs, and collegiate...& it does help. i've seen a lot of good surfers and/or beginners lose waves because they can't paddle for shyte

 

i didn't; i can't do a flip turn to save my life. it helps to an extent...i've seen excellent pool swimmers completely suck ass in the ocean b/c they can't adapt to moving water.

 

I've swam my entire life. I started at 6 months old in Pollywogs at the YMCA. When it's warm, I'll swim in the ocean for an hour plus without touching bottom for some primal fun, and to stay well adjusted to water. I also know CPR and emergency first aid. Life can get crazy, just like the ocean or vice versa. I can attribute every aspect of life to the oceans many behaviors. It trips me out a little, honestly, and it's one of the reasons I feel so close to the sea. I worship the ocean. It's my home.

Food for thought, anyone ever swim in a pool then the ocean or vice versa? Because of the salinity (salt) in the ocean you float more, or sink more in a pool. I remember coming back from a surf trip and getting in a pool, it was profound.

 

That disgusts me. It is also so full of failure, swimming is like walking.

Although since I grew up as a competitive swimmer I would say 99% of people don't know how to swim properly

 

yeah man, done multiple open water races and would much rather swim ocean than lake (and i don't touch pool for anything other than training...a 200m breaststroke or fly race LCM maybe...yards, no fn way, too many turns). the buoyancy feels great. My PR 2 mile is 41 min (non-wetsuit) and 2.4 mile (with wetsuit, totally blownout day with a 5 foot swell, 1/2m visibility, and a temp drop from 58* to 46* in a wetty) is 54 min.

open water is totally different than a pool, and unless it's a race and i get adrenaline going, i cannot do a ocean swim for "fun" - it's gotta be a race to i can push that fear of being swallowed by who knows what outta mind. lakes, not so much, but like you said, it can feel "heavy" out there after a while - not to mention all that freestyle, yuck, gimme fly, breast, or IM any day.

Food for thought, anyone ever swim in a pool then the ocean or vice versa? Because of the salinity (salt) in the ocean you float more, or sink more in a pool. I remember coming back from a surf trip and getting in a pool, it was profound.

 

In MMA training there are drills where you have a training dummy (stuffed leather, not latex...) in mount position and you're teeing off raining fists and elbows while training parters come at you from the side to push you off balance, simulating when an opponent would buck their hips to create space and escape from your mount. Compare that to hitting a speed or heavy bag where your balance and base is not compromised. Two different worlds.

Same for doing single-leg squats in shoes vs. barefoot on a versa pad. When there's dynamic motion and force at work in your environment you are using all different muscles and all different form and you have no idea. It would blow your mind to see your muscle fibers in activation on an EMG reading between the two environments.

The goal in competitive pool swimming is crossing a finish line first, and that is based entirely on both technique and strength/endurance of the cardio/muscular systems relative to the movements involved in those techniques and strokes. The goal in ocean swimming (as it pertains to us in surfing) is primarily survival and withstanding environmental forces that can compromise your inspiration of oxygen and physical safety. Secondary goals would be propulsion of the body through the water for proper placement out back and then in oncoming waves as well as reduction of drag of board and body for the oncoming wave to lift you. It's not like time doesn't matter when we are scratching to get through sets but time is not the focal point to the tenth and hundredth of a second as in the pool.

To put the environmental differences it in clearer perspective, watch video of a wave pool that is creating as much chop as can be mechanically created in a pool (still much, much more docile than a disorganized ocean) and then visualize how different that is from undisturbed pool water. Imagine Johnny state champ pool swimmer trying to sprint the 50 free when that pool is full of chop...

 

I believe it, swimming in a pool is a controlled environment, the ocean not so much.

 

my point exactly.

 

wanna learn? whilst stroking try this MANTRA: momentum + flip + plant feet + 1/2 twist + push and go…
the key to making it work is momentum.

 

i've tried; usually ended up w/ sore heels &/or both feet on the deck. i concluded i don't do enough "serious" pool swimming to bother learning. i really only swim in a pool when i can't get on the water to paddle or when i've got a re-certification test coming up for lifeguarding. my ability to change direction in a pool is not a highly prized skill

 

its do-able. going into the turn with speed (i.e. momentum) as mentioned is the most important past.
a reason to learn it is it works out areas of our bodies (torso) that so often need it. put another way
check out the magnificent figures of real swimmer babes. (with goggles one can REALLY check 'em out).

 

plant - push first, THEN rotate back to front...otherwise it takes more oxygen and you look like a real kook

 

I can do it, I just always end up with water in my ears from the air releasing as I turn. I would assume that plugs would help that, but I am definitely not the guy showing up at a pool with a cap, goggles and ear plugs.

 

yes. correct form indeed.

 

Similar: Swimming and snorkeling in a fresh water lake after doing same in saltwater.

As a kid in the early 70s, I was in the LA County Junior Lifeguard program. It was not only a lot of fun but a great way to get experience in an ocean environment: lots of swimming open water and through the surf, learning and practicing lifesaving techniques, using lifesaving equipment (including those old rescue paddle boards, some surfing, first aid, skin diving (we took a trip out to Catalina Island), marine biology, tides and currents, and lifeguard competition against the other South Bay beaches. We were in the Torrance Beach group and would compete against Manhattan, Hermosa, and Redondo beaches.
I was very fortunate to be able to take advantage of this program. One had to be a fairly decent swimmer to get into the program. I have to thank Mom for forcing my brother, sister and I to take those years of year-round swim lessons at the Y. Also a season of HS water polo helped. IMO, kids need to spend less time on the computer and video games and more time doing healthy, outdoor activities. I consider swimming a basic life skill that everyone should learn.

 

Did this forum turn into SwimInfo.com?

 

i truly enjoyed this thread.

 

Half of Americans can't read, either. Signs like 'no littering' or 'left lane for passing only' or 'wayne is beezlebub.'