Hygro
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I went swimming today and drank 12 year aged rum and yessir you are invited.
Can You Swim?
- Thread starter Zardnaar
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Timsup2nothin
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Does your answer change if we add "while traversing the water between point a and point b" to that definition?
Boy am I late to this episode of Off Topic fun, but yep, I can swim.
Was never fast enough for nationals (or rather would've had to sacrifice school for it, which wasn't something my parents - or I - would've wanted), but not far beneath that level as a teenager. Dropped out and into water polo, got faster (ironically), then found a full-time job and a family.
I can still absolutely swim, but not for as long as I used to. Speed's less the issue than it is just being completely unfit
Was never fast enough for nationals (or rather would've had to sacrifice school for it, which wasn't something my parents - or I - would've wanted), but not far beneath that level as a teenager. Dropped out and into water polo, got faster (ironically), then found a full-time job and a family.
I can still absolutely swim, but not for as long as I used to. Speed's less the issue than it is just being completely unfit
AdamCrock
Polish Pirate
MEC tier 2 can launch proximity mines - they are closest thing to sticky grenade.
Leifmk
Deity
Everyone here knows how to swim
One thing Norway and Greece have in common is a lot of coastline and a lot of small islands and boats and stuff. Yeah.
Timsup2nothin
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Nothing like that satisfaction of watching the target throw their arms up and run around in a panic, then rush behind whatever cover all their pals are sheltering behind just in time for the grenade to go off. I loved that. If I ever play HALO again I suspect that will be the number one, and perhaps only, reason.
tjs282
Stone \ Cold / Fish
Whereabouts in the world do you live?
Because in the UK/Europe (and presumably also USA/Canada and Australia/NZ), most municipal swimming pools run learn-to-swim programs on a regular basis, and the better pools offer lessons geared specifically for adults, separately from the kids (these days, in some jurisdictions, this may actually be a legal requirement). Swimming-clubs sometimes offer beginners' lessons as well. So if you live just about anywhere in the (urbanised) western world, it would be well worth checking what opportunities exist at your local/ nearest public pool.
If you don't live in an urban area (or in the developed world), your options will likely be a lot more limited; but at the very least, you could start by checking out some YouTube videos on basic swimming technique: e.g. how to tread water, and swim front-crawl/freestyle (or breaststroke, but crawl is simpler to learn).
But if you want to try out any of those techniques, please, for your own sake, find a safe environment to do it in. Ideally that would be a purpose-built swimming-pool, but any body of water which is swimming-pool-like, should be OK for swimming practice: it should be sheltered (no waves), calm (no currents), warm (>20°C would be best, but even >15°C would still be OK, provided you didn't stay in too long), and ~1 meter deep.
(Depending on how tall you are, you'd need ~1.5 to 2 meters to be able to practice treading water).
As a general rule: if you don't know the water-depth/conditions, then it isn't safe to (learn to) swim in. Also VERY IMPORTANT: while you're still learning the basics, then wherever you decide to practice, you should only do so when a competent swimmer (lifeguard, friend or family-member) is present to watch over you, and able to help you out in an emergency (even in shallow water, e.g. muscle-cramps or hypothermia can be crippling, and hence dangerous).
And before you've mastered the basics (e.g. you're able to tread water for 5-10 minutes, and/or swim ~200 meters without stopping, and without getting out of breath), definitely DON'T try to swim in (more) challenging conditions.
You're not a whale (they have their nostrils on the top of their heads!), so no, that's not really the best way to swim.
The head is the most solid/ dense bit of the human body, so the effort required to keep your head/mouth above the surface 100% of the time, is actually a lot greater than it would be if you rather swim with your head mostly submerged, letting the water support that weight, and only bring your mouth above the surface when you need to take your next breath. A swim-coach (/good YouTube video) can show you how that works.
Thorgalaeg
Deity
The first thing you should learn is to float properly and to be comfortable at water. For someone who can't swim, floating can seem difficult and exhausting but in fact you don't need to do anything, just keep your arms underwater and the human body density will give you just enough buoyancy to keep your head ot at least your face out of water. Maybe you will need some light help from your hands or feet if you are in fresh water, but once you learn to float, to keep your position and to be comfy in water, learning to swim will be at reach easily.
Probably it is easier at the sea since salty water gives you more buoyancy, but it can be difficult to find a place without waves and shallow enough to be safe, and if you have never swum in your life probably you live far away from any sea.
I have never swam at a lake - no reason, when virtually all of the country is near the sea 
- but yes, level of saturation is crucial in allowing one to float. Eg in the sea (abundance of salt in water) you don't have to do anything at all, just don't move, and you float.
And when you are down here, you'll float too!
- but yes, level of saturation is crucial in allowing one to float. Eg in the sea (abundance of salt in water) you don't have to do anything at all, just don't move, and you float.And when you are down here, you'll float too!
Thorgalaeg
Deity
What people usually don't know is that human body buoyancy depends on deep. At sea, practicing spearfishing at shallow waters near surface or a few meters bellow, you will need a lot of ballast to be able to keep yourself at the bottom, however once you reach 15 or 20 meters deep you sink like a stone. Water pressure basically crushes your body, particularly chest and abdomen, so it loses volume and gets more dense.I have never swam at a lake - no reason, when virtually all of the country is near the sea
And when you are down here, you'll float too!
Berzerker
Deity
I dont know how people can drown except under unusual circumstances, swimming seems like such an instinctive response to sinking into water. Kick your feet, surface and lay out like a boat. I have to believe most people learned to swim by jumping into shallow water, I'm sure thats how I learned.
Thorgalaeg
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I don't remember how i learned either. According my mother, when i was two or three years old i was terrified of the sea at the beach. One day however i was not anymore and there was not way to get me out of water. Sadly i cant recall when or how i had such epiphany.
Berzerker
Deity
even the dead can float
Cramps are dangerous, but only if the swimmer is very inexperienced. Cause, as mentioned, you can always float (if you are in the sea). So yes, even in the worst case scenario of being in the deep, unable to reach the bottom without drowning and attacked with cramps, if you maintain your cool you will just be able to float until the cramp eventually subsides. You don't need to move so as to float.
Now, obviously, if one doesn't know at all how to swim, they wouldn't know how it is in the first place, so they would just move in strange ways and disable floating due to their own actions; in effect they drown themselves.
Now, obviously, if one doesn't know at all how to swim, they wouldn't know how it is in the first place, so they would just move in strange ways and disable floating due to their own actions; in effect they drown themselves.
Zardnaar
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Even splashing around I shallow water helps. Just get used to being in the water.
Timsup2nothin
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I learned this the hard way. My friend and I took it into our heads to grab a handful of sand from the bottom of the bay; the great sand challenge. The swim down was brutally hard, and as I grabbed sand I was feeling a combination of desperation and relief; desperation because I felt like I was at my limits, relief because I expected to make the turn and just shoot to the surface. Made the turn and nothing happened. Fortunately about five good strokes got me past the barrier and I started gaining buoyancy and speed. Broached like a rocket.
Leifmk
Deity
Also: injuries (a lot of people drown by falling unexpectedly into water, hitting a rock or something on the way, suffering an injury that might not be life-threatening on its own but it sure is difficult to swim if you're unconscious or have a broken limb), drunkenness (also a very common contributing factor), or fatigue and hypothermia (a more immediate problem in Norwegian waters than in Greek waters, for example -- cold water kills you a lot faster than warm water).
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