How to Learn to Swim

X

wikiHow is a “wiki” site, which means that many of the articles here are written by multiple authors. To create this article, 237 people, some of whom are anonymous, have edited and improved the article over time.

This article has been viewed 179,823 times.

Swimming can be a scary activity for those who have never learned to swim, but we can completely overcome this fear by trying the swimming lessons below. Knowing how to swim and play with the water is an extremely interesting activity, in addition, swimming skills also help you escape dangerous situations when you accidentally fall into the water. All you need to do is get comfortable and relax in the water, practice some basic strokes and gradually improve your swimming skills.

Table of Contents

Relax and Relax Your Body in the Water

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/d/d5/Swim-Step-1-Version-8.jpg/v4-460px-Swim-Step-1-Version-8. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/d/d5/Swim-Step-1-Version-8.jpg/v4-728px-Swim-Step-1-Version- 8.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:259,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:410,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div> “}

Overcome fear. A lot of people don’t learn to swim because they’re afraid of drowning. However, most drownings are preventable by applying these simple safety measures. The following guidelines will help you avoid drowning while swimming:

Never go swimming alone. It’s best to go swimming with a good swimmer, otherwise you should go swimming in a group of a few.
Don’t learn to swim in a moving stream. If you are learning to swim in the ocean or river, you need to be aware of the movement of currents. If you absolutely must learn to swim in these places, make sure you are traveling with someone with good swimming skills. In addition, you should read carefully how to get out of offshore currents or rapids in rivers (instructions below).
Practice swimming in a suitable depth. When you first learn to swim, don’t swim so deep that you can’t stand. This way, if something goes wrong, you can still stand and breathe easily.
Never go swimming in bad weather conditions. It’s okay to swim in light rain, but if you see a storm coming your way, stop and disembark immediately. No matter how good you are at swimming, you still have to follow the same rules.
Do not swim where the water temperature is too cold. It will then become difficult to move the limbs.

Get used to the feeling of floating. When you are in the water, hold onto the side of the tank or a platform, and raise your feet back so that they are above the water, they will float very easily if you let them loose. Practice with both your stomach and back until your whole body is floating on the water.

Practice floating in the water on your back and stomach as soon as you’re ready. Practice in shallow water so that in case you haven’t mastered this move, you can still stand up. You will feel a bit uncomfortable when you get water in your ears while your nose and mouth are not, but you will get used to it. To keep your balance longer, you can keep your arms perpendicular to your body, then your body will float in a “T” shape.

Do not panic. Always remember that you have a backup plan in case you can’t manage in deep water or can’t move your limbs – that’s lying on your back on the water. Don’t flail around or gasp if you can’t continue swimming; Relax and lie flat on your back so the water lifts you up while you regain your composure.

Practice breathing underwater. Still in the shallow water, take a deep breath and face the water. Slowly exhale through your nose until you are out of breath. Then get out of the water. Continue repeating these movements.

If you feel uncomfortable exhaling through your nose underwater, you can either cover your nose, or wear a nose plug and exhale through your mouth.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/2/22/Swim-Step-5-Version-8.jpg/v4-460px-Swim-Step-5-Version-8. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/2/22/Swim-Step-5-Version-8.jpg/v4-728px-Swim-Step-5-Version- 8.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:259,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:410,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div> “}

Wear swimming goggles (optional). Wearing swimming goggles can help you feel comfortable opening your eyes underwater and help you see better. Find a pair of swimming goggles with soft eyelets. Dipping them in water before putting them on will help the rim of the glasses adhere to the skin, which will prevent water from entering the eyes. Pull the strap of the glasses around your head so that the glasses fit snugly around your head.

Swim Basics

Practice kicking your feet. Whether you’re already lying on your back on the water or still clinging to the side of the tank, you can start doing the leg slams. (To see how far you can go with each kick, practice kicking your feet with a support called a kickboard. This will help you focus on your feet without worrying about your head sinking into the water.)

Practice kicking your feet up and down. Point your toes straight out like a ballet dancer, keep your shins slightly bent and move them as if you were kicking something lightly. Your ankle should move smoothly.
Practice frog kicking techniques. Keep your legs close together from hip to knee and from knee to ankle. Bend your knees so that your shins form an angle of about 90 degrees. Quickly separate your legs from each other and move in a circle to either side of your body. Then, bring your legs together. (That is, for each leg, you will draw a half circle on either side.) Your legs will be closed when you have “drawn” the circle. Pull your legs in and continue as above.
Practice pedaling to swim standing up. This water kick is often used when you want to swim vertically in a certain position with your head and shoulders above the water. First, the knees should be bent so that your legs are wider than your hips. Then, pedal each foot like a bicycle, that is, one foot “up” and the other foot “down”. You will need some time to master this swimming technique, it is useful when you want to rest a bit where your feet cannot reach the bottom of the tank.

Learn to swim. Swim is really fun for beginners, it helps you move your body quite quickly on the water. How to swim as follows:

Practice backstroke first. Lie on your back on the water, then slam your feet up and down. Hands perform “scrolling” movements, fanning one arm straight up out of the water and keeping the arm right next to the head when the hand touches the surface of the water. When the hand moves under the water, bend and bring the hand close to the body, repeat this movement continuously. Adjust your arms while swimming and keep your fingers close together to keep your hands as straight as possible.
Practice swimming (also known as freestyle swimming or crawling). Lie on your stomach on the water, kick your legs up and down and use your hands to “slide” forward. Lift one hand out of the water and “stretching” it forward, then fan the water backwards. Switch hands and do the same. To breathe, face under the arm that is fanning the water and raise your head just enough for you to breathe. You will turn your head and breathe each time that arm blows the water – usually the right hand. Thus, for every two strokes of your hand to fan the water, you will breathe once.

Advanced Swimming Moves

Practice more advanced strokes. Once you get used to the water, you can start learning other techniques that will help you swim faster or with less effort. Try these techniques:

Butterfly swimming.
Swimming frog.
Swim incline.
Swim “round trip” (Swim to the end of the pool, push against the wall with your hand to flip around in the water and swim back to the starting point.){expertgreenbox:160967| Do you like swimming competitions? Former swimmer Alan Fang said: “If you want to be the best, start practicing early. After that, you need to practice regularly. One of my previous coaches once said: If you don’t swim for a day, you’ve gone 2 days backwards, but if you don’t swim for a week, you’ll have to start all over again.Obviously that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s also partly true.But if you just want to swim for fun or to learn survival skills, regular practice won’t matter much.”|}}

Practice jumping. Diving is also a fun way to get acquainted with the water. Let’s start with the basic diving technique, then you can practice more complex techniques such as high jump, reverse diving, reverse diving.

Dive only in places where the water is of sufficient depth. At least, the water level where you jump should be 2 to 3 meters deep; If you are tall, you should jump in water that is between 3.5 and 4 meters deep.

How to Get Out of Bad Situations

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/7/7f/Swim-Step-12-Version-5.jpg/v4-460px-Swim-Step-12-Version-5. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/7/7f/Swim-Step-12-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Swim-Step-12-Version- 5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:259,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:410,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div> “}

Ways to escape the offshore current. If you’re swimming in the ocean, you may be swept away by a rip current (a strong current that flows from the shore toward the sea). Knowing how to get out of it can save your life. Always keep the following steps in mind before entering the water.

Do not be afraid. This is the most important step. Struggling and panicking will only drag you deeper into the water.
Swim down the stream. Don’t try to swim straight to shore or swim far out into the ocean. Instead, swim in a direction parallel to the shore.
Choose a swim that allows you to breathe. Swim in a style where you can breathe and go the farthest. You can choose from sidestroke, backstroke, or breaststroke.
Keep swimming until you are out of the current. You might have to swim quite far before you get out of it, but it’s the only way. If you choose the wrong time to return to shore, you will most likely have to work through the above steps again.
If possible, call for help. If conditions permit, signal to the rescue team or call for help loudly. However, don’t do this if it takes a breath away or you have to stop swimming – you should keep swimming.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/d/d5/Swim-Step-13-Version-5.jpg/v4-460px-Swim-Step-13-Version-5. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/d/d5/Swim-Step-13-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Swim-Step-13-Version- 5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:259,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:410,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div> “}

How to get out of the whirlpool in the river. If you encounter a fast-moving body of water or drag you to the bottom, follow these steps:

Don’t struggle or panic. Just like currents, the more you fear and struggle, the deeper you will sink. Try to breathe evenly and stay calm.
Let’s swim diagonally towards the shore. Swimming straight to the shore in a 90-degree direction now takes a lot of effort, and you can quickly burn out. Instead, swim to shore diagonally downstream.
Don’t try to swim upstream. You can be exhausted with no results. “Only” swim against the current if you see danger ahead, such as sharp rocks or flowing waterfalls.

Advice

If you’re new to swimming, swim by the side of the pool so you can hang onto it when needed.
Learn to swim with experienced swimmers for extra help.
Always start swimming lessons where there are no currents or waves.
Use safety aids. In the event that you are just learning to swim for the first time and have an accident, they will keep you safe.
If possible, practice swimming under the supervision of a lifeguard. They are trained to recognize the signs when you need help, even if you are submerged or unable to call for help.
If you feel nervous about getting into the water, put your feet down first and then slowly lower your body back down.
Swimming will take time, so be patient.
You can always lower your legs to stand if you’re scared.
Use a kickstand, life jacket, or life vest if you’re feeling nervous.
If your hair is long, you should wear a swimming cap to keep it neat. Furthermore, some public pools require people with long hair to wear a swim cap, so having one on hand is also a good idea.
Practice swimming with family members until you feel confident enough to swim alone.
Swim in shallow pools (with a water level of 1 meter) if you are new to swimming.

Warning

Do not be impatient. Learning to swim is a process of practice. Don’t try too hard.
Use extreme caution when swimming in moving water such as seas or lakes. Eddy waters or offshore currents can suddenly engulf you.
Do not practice swimming in the sea or lake. Sharks or other dangerous creatures may attack you.

Things you need

Someone who swims with you
Swimming goggles (optional)
Nose plug (optional)
Pedal pads (optional)

Steps