What to do if you can't swim? (2023)

What should I do if I can't swim?

What To Do When You Can't Swim - YouTube

Unlike most sports where you have your two feet are firmly planted on the earth, in swimming, we are floating and unsteady in the water. Water is almost 800 times as dense as air, which gives us a lot of resistance when we want to move through it. This requires a great deal of strength.

Tow the victim to shore.

Once the victim is on the device, you need to get them back to land. Wrap your arm around their waist and begin to swim to shore using a sidestroke. As you tow your victim, make sure you keep an eye on them. You want to make sure they remain safely on the flotation device.

Overall, the survey finds that more than half of all Americans (54 percent) either can't swim or don't have all of the basic swimming skills.

One reason could be aquaphobia, and a fear of water is a surprisingly common trait in the U.S. population. According to a 1998 poll conducted by Gallup, 68 percent of American are afraid of deep, open water, while 32 percent fear putting their head beneath water and 46 percent fear the deep end of pools.

Many swimmers have the tendency to hold their breath when swimming instead of exhaling into the water. However, this instinctive habit is one of the main reasons why your legs are sinking in the water! By keeping your breath in, the air in your lungs creates extra buoyancy in your chest.

Learn To Swim | Swimming Confidence For Beginners - YouTube

For adults who learn at a normal rate and don't have any fear of water, around 20-25 hours of private lessons is usually sufficient to gain basic swimming skills. That translates to about a year of one 30 minute lesson per week.

Why can't I tread water?

Body Position

When treading water, your body stays upright,head above the surface. If you aren't vertical, you're technically swimming, not treading! Your arms and legs move to keep you afloat, although you can tread temporarily with just arms or just legs.

Hicks explained not everyone can float -- it depends on body density and their ability to displace enough water to float. People with smaller or muscular body types tend to have trouble. RelaxNSwim further explains fat is less dense than muscle and bones, so fat floats more easily.

With very few exceptions, everyone floats, however most people think they are that exception when in reality 99,9% are not. It is the degree of flotation and how easy it is to float that is influenced by your body's make-up. People usually float to varying degrees and in varying ways.

It is possible to learn to swim by yourself. The shallow end of a swimming pool is a good place to learn to swim by yourself. Swimming involves breathing, kicking with your legs and stroking with your arms. These are things you can practice one at a time in shallow water.