Half of americans can't swim?

I used to be one of those people lol.when I was a kid they told me u jump in and pop right back up so I jumped in the 8ft section and didn't pop up.i learned how to swim from somebody I never would've expected,so it was cool.i just tread water and doggy paddle,it hasn't failed me yet.thats what I do on flat days in the summer,see how long I can last in the water,i did 45 minutes treading water and laying on my back for breaks in deep water ,probly could've gone longer but I was rudely interrupted

 

What's worse is 3/4 of America is illiterate.

 

We have 7 kids (2-18). They can all swim and are not afraid of the ocean. In our life we are at the beach everyday. As a parent, it is important to NOT to instill fear in your kids. My kids are bodyboarding by themselves by 2.5 years. They probably drink more salt water than fresh( Just kidding 757 Guy took me seriously) . Today they were out surfing 75 yards off the beach without me ( pictured they are only 6, 8, 11).

 

i'm surprised it's that high, actually. i bet the % that can actually swim w/ even marginal competence is far lower.

 

If they drank more salt water than fresh, they would be in the hospital or dead from dehydration. sorry to be a stickler man

 

Good........

 

says the guy who teaches his kids that they'll burn in hell for all eternity if they don't do what an imaginary man in the sky tells them to...

 

One of the best things my mom ever did for me and my brother was to make sure that we could swim. She made sure that despite being completely terrified of water and especially the ocean herself, that we could not only swim well but had a sense of respect and awe for the surf. I take it for granted sometimes when I talk to her about surfing but I shouldn't.

 

I love this statistic.

 

Bingo.

Those spawn-of-beezlebub pics look like stock pics from the 70's. I'm calling bs here, beezle.

 

did you know that HALF of 'Murrica has below AVERAGE intelligence?

shocking, I know

 

the leash murdered swimming for surfers but those in-da-know still learn to sharpen their skills
cause one never knows - especially our kind - when you might get in over your head pun intended.

 

heres' a couple personal reasons why baddy t hits the pool:

1) being piling to piling 'pin balled' under the seaside pier when there was one.
2) being cliff-bashed at anga (swim or be killed).
3) watching the recovery of T.Chesser at waimea
4) makes me less fat
5) swimmer babes

 

Get a friggin' vasectomy already. Please.

 

I drowned in a wave (i.e. got rolled and inhaled water) when I was 4, then I was afraid of swimming and didn't learn despite multiple attempts at lessons until age 8 or 9...

Now I do open water swimming 200+ days per year, I've done a 2.4 mile open water swim without stopping a few times, etc.

 

Hey Scarecrow!

epictetus your open water swimming feats are admirable, this dude outswims seals

 

I guess it's not really so amazing when you consider most Americans can't do a lot of simple things. Like basic math without reaching for a calculator. I've always thought of swimming as one of those basic life functions that everybody should know. Kinda like reading, driving or, well, simple math.

This part of the survey is more telling:

So more than half admit they can't perform the basic swimming skills yet the vast majority of them still think they can swim. WTF? Talk about not knowing your own limitations. Last Memorial Day a 14 year old drowned at my local unguarded beach. Days of onshore winds created a high potential for rips and he got caught in one. When interviewed afterwards the mother said he could swim "a little". Really?

I suppose I was fortunate in that my parents first house had a pool and I was in it probably before I could walk. Annual vacations in Cape Hatteras had me learning the ways of the ocean from the beginning. Swimming, diving, lifesaving lessons at the community pool for years after that.

Being in the water, preferably the ocean, just seems totally natural to me. I can't imagine not being able to swim. Perhaps I do take it for granted.

 

Swimming and reading. Two joys that all kids should experience sooner than later.