Can You Swim?

[Bamspeedy]

As a kid I had swimming lessons during the summer at a public pool in a nearby town. Swam in pools, creek in my town, Missippi river, lakes, ponds, but never the ocean. As an adult, maybe once a decade ive gone in deeper water than waist high. My kids get to swim a few times a year during school since their school has a pool, and lessons over the summer.

If no lifeguard around should always swim with a partner who is capable of saving you if you suddenly get cramps or something. Coworker drowned swimming in a cranberry marsh. He was about the same age I am now. His kids were too young and his wife was no swimmer.

 

[Farm Boy]

Your lakes are cooooold. Dipped myself in Green Lake and decided it was a body of water best entered for religious reasons.

 

[Truthy]

At some point I developed a masochistic love of jumping in cold water (you know, when it’s safe, but unpleasantly cold). I’ve gone swimming in the ocean in October/November a bunch of times on both coasts the last few years. And I used to dislike how cold Lake Tahoe was, even in the summer, but now love it.

You could call it religious in a roundabout way. It’s more the experience of swimming with friends/gf while you’re laughing hysterically and suffering together.

 

[Birdjaguar]

That seems pretty odd. Why? Were there other fitness tests (running a mile, doing some pull-ups, etc)?

A couple of semesters of PE was required too. the school just felt that knowing how to swim was a necessary life skill. I agree.

 

[Truthy]

were those WWII bunkers and gun emplacements?

I lived in SF a few years before I even knew about the fortifications, it was like discovering a lost world

Old bunkers were the ****. I always got so excited seeing them and had so many fantasies about the awesome airsoft/paintball wars you could have with them. Any old structures you could find in the woods were awesome, too.

Those old fortifications near the Presidio are still really neat and fun to visit. Though they are a bit gross these days (parts smell like urine, trash—typical SF problems)

 

[Thorgalaeg]

A couple of semesters of PE was required too. the school just felt that knowing how to swim was a necessary life skill. I agree.

Yeah, the ice caps are melting. In the future, swimming isn't going to be optional.

 

[jarred!]

I grew up on Lake Michigan so water was a big part of my childhood. I'm not so much a fan of swimming in the ocean though.

 

[Farm Boy]

It’s more the experience of swimming with friends/gf while you’re laughing hysterically and suffering together.

Endorphins are neat. And, as women in swim suits get more interesting to observe as it gets cold, so too does the scared turtle effect save one from embarrassment.

 

[AdamCrock]

I usually just go with the flow As a kid uncle often took us (me and my cousins) to camp near the river - we were swimming, splashing or playing pirates (boarding the rubber raft) all the darn time I remember being all wrinkled after 4 hours in water. Once we even swam during the hot summer rain - ahh those were the days *nostalgic*

 

[Truthy]

A couple of semesters of PE was required too. the school just felt that knowing how to swim was a necessary life skill. I agree.

I did some googling. Wouldn't recommend. So many dreadful puns in news articles ("throwing in the towel," "sink or swim," "making a splash," "sinking feeling").

It looks like swimming tests were actually pretty common requirements until the last few decades. A small number of schools still have them (e.g. MIT). PE requirements in general are uncommon at universities nowadays. Allan Bloom could have had a chapter of "The Closing of the American Mind" about this: the kids don't read Plato and they can't swim either; truly their souls are impoverished!

Btw, if you were ever told UNC adopted swimming tests because the child of a wealthy donor drowned, you should be skeptical; it looks like UNC and every other school had its own variant of that same legend

Endorphins are neat. And, as women in swim suits get more interesting to observe as it gets cold, so too does the scared turtle effect save one from embarrassment.

Uh, and guys have their own anatomical changes to worry about

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Pros would no doubt balk at my form but i know at least the basics of most strokes and can last quite some time/distance before fatigue would overcome me.

 

[Zardnaar]

You have 10km of coast near you? How adorable! Do you have to cut holes in the ice in summer?

Many Australian schools have swimming pools, many use local public pools. Swimming lessons were compulsory in primary school when I was a kid.

We even have a Public Swimming pool that is named after an Aussie PM who drowned.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Holt_Memorial_Swimming_Centre

For fraidy-cats who are scared of sharks, some beaches have swimming pools next to the sea.
Here's the one at Bondi. (You might have heard of Bondi Beach - it's the suburb where most New Zealanders register for the dole when they come to Australia.)

View attachment 537377

More than 10km but aged 7-10 it was about as far as we went on bmx's.

 

[Berzerker]

Old bunkers were the ****. I always got so excited seeing them and had so many fantasies about the awesome airsoft/paintball wars you could have with them. Any old structures you could find in the woods were awesome, too.

Those old fortifications near the Presidio are still really neat and fun to visit. Though they are a bit gross these days (parts smell like urine, trash—typical SF problems)

The whole time I lived there I dont think I ever visited the Presidio, I think it was either restricted access or we thought it was off limits at the time. We did play the public golf course nearby a lot though.

People familiar with SF's history probably know about the Sutro Baths.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutro_Baths

Its ruins now but part of it overlooked the ocean and waves would crash into the rock cliff, people would venture out just to get hit by the abundant spray. That was at the northern end of a stretch of 'The Great Highway' used by the kids for drag racing and partying, eventually enough accidents led to the cops being told to suppress the fun. An amusement park was right there south of the Cliff House, its long gone too. Those were good times.

 

[Zardnaar]

The whole time I lived there I dont think I ever visited the Presidio, I think it was either restricted access or we thought it was off limits at the time. We did play the public golf course nearby a lot though.

People familiar with SF's history probably know about the Sutro Baths.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutro_Baths

Its ruins now but part of it overlooked the ocean and waves would crash into the rock cliff, people would venture out just to get hit by the abundant spray. That was at the northern end of a stretch of 'The Great Highway' used by the kids for drag racing and partying, eventually enough accidents led to the cops being told to suppress the fun. An amusement park was right there south of the Cliff House, its long gone too. Those were good times.

Looks great wonder how common salt water pool are.

What's the best way to upload photos theses days? Sick of Photobucket any better apps?

Went into the great outdoors today damn near killed me lol.

 

[AdamCrock]

Pros would no doubt balk

Who's pros and why are You affraid of them ?

 

[Zardnaar]

Went to a local beach, 20 years in the area never been here. It was a 5-10 minute drive. Roughly 4kms as the crow flies. Tourists.

To get to the beach there's a tunnel. The beach us called Tunnel Beach. Names are not NZs strong point.

Down the bottom.

Kinda dead if you swim here. Not ideal fail.

Other side the tourists were on top. Beyond the safety rails.

Looking down. There's an arch in the stone angles bad.

Track 1 km walk

That's my day. Fun but failed at finding a new swimming hole. Few to many cliffs, boulders etc and the surf is rough.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

I have considered many times to try crossing the Gibraltar strait swimming. Years ago when i had time and was in better shape i was serious about it, even asked for sponsorship since i had no money to pay the expenses myself, now i have the money but not time and i am not that interested right now. Maybe at some point in the future.

The video tries to paint it as some out of this world challenge but in fact it is among the easiest famous crossings in the world, which does not mean it is easy, it is difficult but not need to be some kind of superhuman to make it, much less using neoprenes like these guys.

 

[Zardnaar]

How far is it?

 

[Thorgalaeg]

How far is it?

The shortest straight line is about 14 km, but depending on currents and weather it can become 20 km or even more. In time it can go from less than four hours to eight or more, depending on weather, swimmer shape and reigning currents.

Example of crossing Certificate, this guy was lucky and could do it the short way:

 

[Zardnaar]

The shortest straight line is about 14 km, but depending on currents and weather it can become 20 km or even more. In time it can go from less than four hours to eight or more, depending on weather, swimmer shape and reigning currents.

Example of crossing Certificate, this guy was lucky and could do it the short way:

Damn. Even at my best I think I could only swim a few km.