Tips for new swimmer

T1DCarnivoreRunner

I'm wanting to start doing some swimming after not having done so since I was basically so young I can barely even remember that it happened - even then, it was recreational / splashing around and not really 'swimming' as I want to learn now.

Unfortunately, I live in a rural area with municipal pools that offer swim classes for children only. So I'm going to have to self-learn.

The first thing I want to self-learn is to not drown, and to not need a lifeguard to come rescue me. I haven't even visited a pool for decades, but I've gathered that they don't always have lifeguards during "lap swimming" hours and that time is probably for people who actually know what they are doing anyway. So it looks like I should go during "open swimming" hours. Should I try to find an outdoor pool or stick with an indoor pool? I assume this time of year, people in the outdoor pool will be mostly lounging / splashing around, which is what I'm going to look like I'm doing anyway at first.

Also, I got a pair of cheap swim goggles. I can't see myself spending hundreds of $ on Rx goggles (and I can't stand contacts) until/unless I decide to swim more. I think I'm technically legally blind without glasses (at least I can't drive without them). I can't read signs from more than 20-30 feet (unless the sign has really big letters), but I can see things and tell what they are at around 50-100 ft. or more. I'm hoping this will be enough to get me started.

Mostly, the reason I want to figure out how to swim is for safety purposes - you just never know when that skill might come in handy. Additionally, there may be some recreation in the future if I enjoy it and things go well. In fact, I hope that is the case.

So I'm probably going to make a first visit this weekend. Aside from watching YouTube videos for tips (which I've been doing), are there any other suggestions? Particularly, for those of you who learned to swim as an adult, what did you wish you had known before starting?

snowflake954

First of all, have you actually checked out the price of prescription goggles? My son ordered them from the store where we buy our glasses and they were 20$. If you can't see much without glasses, they are wonderful, and if you can see better, you'll swim better. Secondly, first just concentrate on getting used to the water. Do breathing exercises. Watch the better swimmers to pick up tips. There's no shame in walking in the water part of the time, or doing an acqua-fit course. Once you get to know people, they'll help you. I've been swimming 23 yrs, I'm now 63, so I learned as an adult. I swim laps for half an hour and do acqua-fit another half hour. Love it.

dbhuff369

Hey, good for you! I used to teach swimming. One question, the Y usually has adult swim classes, if there is one around. Otherwise, stay safe in the shallow end, and work on basics, breathing and stroke first: https://www.wikihow.com/Prepare-for-Your-First-Adult-Swim-Lessons. Reasonable goggles, you will find, provide some magnification underwater so you should be ok for awhile at least swimming with them, most important that they don't leak.

T1DCarnivoreRunner

snowflake954 wrote: »

First of all, have you actually checked out the price of prescription goggles? My son ordered them from the store where we buy our glasses and they were 20$. If you can't see much without glasses, they are wonderful, and if you can see better, you'll swim better. Secondly, first just concentrate on getting used to the water. Do breathing exercises. Watch the better swimmers to pick up tips. There's no shame in walking in the water part of the time, or doing an acqua-fit course. Once you get to know people, they'll help you. I've been swimming 23 yrs, I'm now 63, so I learned as an adult. I swim laps for half an hour and do acqua-fit another half hour. Love it.

So far, the cheapest Rx goggles I found were $249. There are some prescription goggles available at various power levels for the type of price you are talking about, but I have an astigmatism.

MonkeyMel21

I got RX goggles off Amazon for $20. They only have 1/2 rx, like -3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, etc. I wear at -3.5 because my actual rx is -3.75 and they work beautifully for swimming! Here's the link to the exact ones I have https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MWRS5K/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

ETA: I see you have astigmatism. From the reviews, these goggles should still be ok, they just won't be 100% good vision, which you don't really need for lap swimming anyway, expecially for only $20!

And also, I wonder if there is someone that you can find in your area that offers adult swim lessons. Like a person, not a business. My husband's co-worker offers swim lessons for any age.

Good luck! I enjoy lap swimming, it's very peaceful. I no longer have a gym membership so I don't do in anymore though.

Oh, and there's a swimmers group somewhere in here that can probably offer more help with regards to actually learning strokes.

T1DCarnivoreRunner

dbhuff369 wrote: »

Hey, good for you! I used to teach swimming. One question, the Y usually has adult swim classes, if there is one around. Otherwise, stay safe in the shallow end, and work on basics, breathing and stroke first: https://www.wikihow.com/Prepare-for-Your-First-Adult-Swim-Lessons. Reasonable goggles, you will find, provide some magnification underwater so you should be ok for awhile at least swimming with them, most important that they don't leak.

Surprisingly (because I'm so rural), there is a Y only about 30 miles away. They don't have any swim classes available for sign up right now - when they do, it is only youth. Though they will offer private lessons for adults, it is $90 per lesson of 5 min.-30 min. for non-members ($60 for members, but then it is a $25 signup fee and $37.50 per month or $420 per year). I'm not sure I want to spend that much.

ETA: I noticed there is a program where I can get a 25% discount on membership since I live more than 20 miles away. So $28.13/month or $315/year... still a bit more than I want to spend this soon.

FL_Hiker

The lessons at the Y will pay off especially since you aren't very confident in the water. Perhaps you can go during lap swim at your local pool and ask tips from a good swimmer? Most swimmers are pretty friendly people and willing to give a few pointers. There's a lot of technique to swimming, most new swimmers I've taught tend to try to breathe into their arm instead of rotating their head the other way during freestyle, or they struggle the most to get the breathing right and take on a bunch of water. Take things slow... get used to the water, and make sure someone is always present while you're there. If I were you I would only swim until you're confident if a lifeguard is near by.

T1DCarnivoreRunner

MonkeyMel21 wrote: »

I got RX goggles off Amazon for $20. They only have 1/2 rx, like -3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, etc. I wear at -3.5 because my actual rx is -3.75 and they work beautifully for swimming! Here's the link to the exact ones I have https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MWRS5K/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

ETA: I see you have astigmatism. From the reviews, these goggles should still be ok, they just won't be 100% good vision, which you don't really need for lap swimming anyway, expecially for only $20!

Great idea! I'm -3.5 and -3.0 for the myopia correction, so probably could get by well enough with a cheap pair of -3.5's.

mkculs

I'd speak with the head lifeguard at the pool you intend to frequent, and ask if anyone offers private lessons and explain why. This could be a LOT cheaper and you only need to pay for as many lessons as it takes to help you be safe. If you are really a "non-swimmer," then this would be worth it. And FTR, you do not need hour long lessons--30 minutes is plenty of time for each lesson to teach you something new.