Do you know how to swim?

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Alekss

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Edited By Alekss

Poll Do you know how to swim? (279 votes)

Yes 87%
No 13%

I'm 21 and I don't know how to swim. It's not because I am afraid of water per se, but because I find it disgusting to go in a place where other people are/have been swimming. I do have OCD though, so that may be the reason.

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RedCricketChase

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Yeah, I do. Public pools kind of gross me out too, though, and swimming in water where I know there are creatures swimming below me kind of scares the living hell into me.

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nightriff

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#2  Edited By nightriff

Doggy Paddle cause I'm too lazy

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TheDudeOfGaming

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#3  Edited By TheDudeOfGaming

If we were supposed to swim we'd have gills. I also never travel by plane.

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jking47

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@thedudeofgaming: If you were supposed to talk to people that are not next to you you would be telepathic so you better get off the internet too.

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RedCricketChase

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#5  Edited By RedCricketChase

@jking47 said:

@thedudeofgaming: If you were supposed to talk to people that are not next to you you would be telepathic so you better get off the internet too.

Haaaaaaaaaa! That sums up most convos I have with religious people.

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DaMisterChief

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Screw the ocean, screw the pool. Im playing video games

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EVO

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Yes, I can perform the basic human function of swimming.

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DarthOrange

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#8  Edited By DarthOrange

Yes, it is not that hard people.

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DarthOrange

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Yes, it is not that hard people.

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Video_Game_King

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It's been a while, but I did swim a lot in my youth, so I'm quite at home in the water.

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Cyrus_Saren

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Yes. Maybe not as graceful as other people but I can swim.

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haffy

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If we were supposed to swim we'd have gills. I also never travel by plane.

We kind of do have gills... we just use them for hearing now.

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Karl_Boss

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Yes, I was a competitive swimmer for 13 years and still like to do recreational swimming for exercise.

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selfconfessedcynic

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@darthorange said:

Yes, it is not that hard people.

Not true. Depending on the style you are using, your respiratory fitness and body composition (eg, those high in muscle), swimming can be very difficult indeed.

Not to call you out, but for me swimming used to be part of my lifestyle and I thought the same way, but after 10 years focussing on studies rather than fitness (to put it mildly), it's thrown all of my preconceptions down the drain.

@Alekss;

I hope you don't feel bad about not being able to swim, especially with some of these responses and the current position of the poll (80%+ of voters can swim).

Living in Australia, where there's pretty much a swimming culture (partly spawned by us living on a frikin island, with most of our populations near the coastline), we tend to forget that some people can't swim or insist at a young age that they learn for various reasons.

That said, if you are ever in a position where you wish to build your cardiovascular fitness, I highly recommend swimming and rowing as solid pursuits. In many ways, these two are the best forms of cardio out there - especially in the areas of low-impact fitness routines that are easy on your joints / bones, and energy expended / hour.

Plus, being able to swim for survival is a plus in and of itself.

If you ever plan to learn, I'd recommend starting with an easier stroke such as breast stroke, as it is very low energy and can get you out of most situations. However, if you ever plan to go to the beach, where rips and such are a potential danger, then freestyle and derivatives thereof are good to know.

ED: As for the best places to swim, private gyms with good indoor facilities are the way to go. Some beaches aren't bad either.

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Ares42

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What an age we live in... People turning down the ability to perform something that could very easily save their life some day. Swimming is one of the most basic survival skills there is. I would hope it's mandatory curriculum in every developed country.

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haffy

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#16  Edited By haffy

lol swimming is important to survival? Fuck CPR, being able to find food, water, navigation or shelter. Gots to learn to swim first!

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GunstarRed

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I've got a 5 metre badge from school. I can totally swim that far (and by swim I mean push myself really hard off the side of the pool and splash about a lot for that distance.)

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hockeymask27

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#18  Edited By hockeymask27

I don't know if I'd call it swimming but I know how not to drown.

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chainreaction01

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#19  Edited By chainreaction01

I never learned how to swim, but at the same time where I live I would have to try to find a place deep enough for me to drown (not including pools of course). It can be awkward at times socially but it's no where near would I would classify as a "survival skill".

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TobbRobb

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#20  Edited By TobbRobb

I got forced into learning how to swim. And don't get me wrong, it is and likely will be a useful skill for varying reasons, I don't regret or reproach my parents for teaching me against my will.

But I seriously hated being in water when I was young and I still kind of do. I'll avoid it like the plague if I have better options. It's gross, cold, noisy, sticky and underwater lifeforms are scary as hell.

... I should probably head out and see if I can still swim.

@haffy You obviously don't spend a lot of time crossing deep water....

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nerdsbeware

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I grew up with a pool in my backyard so yea, I know. Plus went to summer camp for years so...

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Clonedzero

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yeah, but i haven't gone swimming in like over 5 years

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thebunnyhunter

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Im 21 and i Never learned how to swim and now i borderline terrified of large, deep bodies of water

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Dalai

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I have the ability to move in water, yes.

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dungbootle

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No :(

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bennyboy

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#26  Edited By bennyboy
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Canteu

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#27  Edited By Canteu

I sure can, but fuck public pools. I will also never enter an ocean or sea by choice.

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haffy

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#28  Edited By haffy
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coakroach

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#29  Edited By coakroach

Never had lessons when I was a kid, never learned to ride a bike either.

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riostarwind

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#30 riostarwind  Moderator

Never had a reason to swim and no one ever taught me so I don't know how to swim.

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Fredchuckdave

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Yep, and as a consequence of being tall and thin I can swim reasonably fast, despite poor technique.

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GERALTITUDE

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Go learn to swim.

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toowalrus

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Fat Floats.

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wefwefasdf

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#34  Edited By wefwefasdf

I always wondered why they had to give swimming tests at summer camps... On a completely unrelated note, I think I know now they had to give swimming tests.

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Subjugation

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I learned how to swim in one summer as a young kid. It took me a little while to master the pattern for stroke and breathing without inhaling a bunch of water, but I eventually got it. I'm glad I learned how because, like others have said, it could very well save my life someday or allow me to save someone else.

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pr1mus

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Yes and fuck public pools. Shit's gross.

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artelinarose

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I love swimming. I would go snorkeling three or four times a week when I was in Hawaii for a summer. It's just wonderfully relaxing to throw yourself in the water and just go wherever you want for an hour or three.

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Alekss

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@ares42 said:

What an age we live in... People turning down the ability to perform something that could very easily save their life some day. Swimming is one of the most basic survival skills there is. I would hope it's mandatory curriculum in every developed country.

It's not survival where I live in

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Ares42

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#40  Edited By Ares42

@alekss: Well, if you are in a situation where you need survival skills, it's usually not at home =)

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Alekss

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#41  Edited By Alekss

@ares42 said:

@alekss: Well, if you are in a situation where you need survival skills, it's usually not at home =)

I need to travel a few hours by car to get to an open sea here in Romania. The only way to drown is if I jump in a pool on purpose. But whatever

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Alekss

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@ares42 said:

@alekss: Well, if you are in a situation where you need survival skills, it's usually not at home =)

I need to travel a few hours by car to get to an open sea here in Romania. The only way to drown is if I jump in a pool on purpose. But whatever

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confusedowl

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#43  Edited By confusedowl

We have a swimming pool in our back yard so yes I can swim, in fact I love it!

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deactivated-60481185a779c

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The percentage of people who claim they cannot swim is staggering. Didn't expect that.

Does that mean the same people have actually never experienced the sensation of swimming? Because that is blowing my mind.

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Sanity

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23 and nope... never really could swim.

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MegaLombax

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#46  Edited By MegaLombax

Yes. It's quite a useful skill. You never know when you'd need it. Also, its fun and relaxing.

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tearhead

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I live on an island (Barbados), so yeah. I think it's illegal not to be able to swim if you live on an island.

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Alekss

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#48  Edited By Alekss

@dgtlty said:

The percentage of people who claim they cannot swim is staggering. Didn't expect that.

Does that mean the same people have actually never experienced the sensation of swimming? Because that is blowing my mind.

What's so unbelievable?

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spaghettios

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I can swim, and I kind of have no idea what it would feel like to not know how/be able to. Crazy thought.

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Mrsignerman44

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Yep, took some classes during a summer in middle school, and I always came home to some episodes of Cowboy Bebop.

Good times.