learn to swim

I’m going on holiday and one of the things on the agenda is snorkeling! Good job I spent some time learning how to tread water and getting used to the deep end during the last visits to the pool. Still there’s a big difference between that and being dropped off the side of a boat way off shore. This is going to take me out of my comfort zone. But it’s going to be an adventure and hopefully fun. Being able to enjoy holidays more was one of the big reasons I got into this in the first place and assuming I survive I’m going to call this goal completed. :)

A few months ago swimming terrified me. I was as aquaphobic as could be. Now swimming makes me nervous. Despite those nerves I can breaststroke amd backstroke for as long as you like, swim underwater, even do flip turns. Most of it I ended up teaching myself. I went to group lessons. Waste of time. I tried to hire private instructors. They weren’t interested. So I defied the non-swimmers must be accompanied signs and started going to the pool on my own. Teaching myself through a combination of observation,, experimentation, and guesswork. It’s taken hours, and hours, and hours to get where I am. It didn’t feel particularly safe. I swallowed more chlorine than can be healthy and looked silly in front of most of the swimmers in London. Finally it’s starting to pay off. I’m still looking for an instructor who can be bothered to teach me. Maybe I’ll find one? Until then then I’ll carry on teaching myself. I can’t swim yet but I’m not far off, and if I can do it any of you can. All it takes is lots of time, lots of effort, and bloody minded determination. That said, if you have a friend or instructor who will teach you and ensure your safety, take them up on the offer!

So apparently there isn’t a single experienced swimming instructor providing affordable tuition anywhere in East London. That give up button is looking very tempting.

I signed up for lessons at the pool near where I work. I’m slightly aquaphobic so I was very nervous but I paid my money and turned up determined to learn. Unfortunately in the few lessons I attended I was getting maybe a couple of minutes advice from an instructor per lesson. It just wasn’t enough to help and I felt like I was abandoned to try and figure it out on my own. After a few weeks I managed to teach myself an untidy backstroke using diagrams on the internet but that’s about it. The whole experience was just demoralising and I gave up the lessons. I am going to try and arrange individual tuition when I get to London in a few weeks.