Swimming Aid

[Ric.ror]

I would like to take up swimming as an aid to fitness but I cannot swim. I don’t want to wear armbands so can anyone recommend a buoyancy aid - like a life jacket - that’s comfortable to wear when swimming

[RATTER15]

Take adult swimming lessons, you will be swimming in just a few hours training. Ask at your local pool, I done it years ago, I loved it.

[ummmm]

Why don't you take adult swimming lessons?

I don't know what your local pool is like but ours has a big pool and a little pool. The little pool is shallow, comes to my hips in the shallow end and to my ribs in the deep end. They provide various types of floats. Floats that you can hold with your arms and kick along using your legs. They also have tube floats that you can put round your waist so you can use both arms and legs.

[Buenchico]

Possibly relevant:
http://www.swimming.org/learntoswim/4-adult-swimming-aids-to-help-you-learn/

These days swimming instructors seem to favour the use of floats strapped to learners' waists (rather than armbands), as shown here:
http://img11.rajce.idnes.cz/d1102/11/11223/11223521_4ded866d147a8771f7382e09e95a5ab7/images/Sebik,_plavani,_10.4.2015_1_.jpg
As youngsters get more confident, the number of floats used can gradually be reduced, as shown here:
http://img20.rajce.idnes.cz/d2002/11/11918/11918929_cc2780c2141c0ad9dc26a1c3697bf542/images/IMG_0384.jpg
It's possible that instructors teaching adults might now favour the same type of floats as well.

[Buenchico]

PS: I didn't learn to swim until I was in my 40s. I took a 2-day course, with just me and an instructor in a privately-hired health club pool. It wasn't cheap but it was fun!

[derekpara]

Get adult swimming lessons from a good teacher. Avoid expensive 1 to 1 tuition and go for a small group session of 5-10 learners - no more.
Are you happy putting your head under water ? If so, you won't need arm bands or other unwieldy aids. A float ( kicking board ) will be enough. I would recommend goggles, too.
Your lessons should include confidence exercises and the all-important ' push and glide,' to, and away from, the wall, leading on to adding the leg kick, then arms, then breathing. Front and back.

The human body floats with very, very rare exceptions - only just ! and you have to gain confidence and allow the water to support you.

If you rely on the weekly lesson only, it could take several weeks to achieve your first width , but if you practice between lessons ( 3-4 times) you will make much faster progress.

Good luck. You should enjoy it immensely if you are taught properly.

PS. I was a professional swimming teacher for many years ( ILEA, schools etc) and an ASA National Coach.

[derekpara]

Ric.cor. I hope you found the suggestions helpful, and please get back to me if I can be of any further help.

Cheers.

D.

PS. An acknowledgement would be welcomed.

[Eve]

I'm disabled and have been going to my local pool to try and do some rehab and try to get in to some gentle swimming. I was never a very strong swimmer before.

I use a Noodle, a long foam tube which I wrap around the front of me, under my arms, which helps me feel supported and more confident. You can buy your own but my pool always seems to have some around. I would advise taking care though as the friction between your skin and the float can cause sore patches of skin. It's deceptive when you are in the water as you don't feel it.

[derekpara]

Sometimes I don't know why we waste our time.