If you grew up near a body of water, we’re guessing you’re probably still a pretty good swimmer. Is there any fonder memory than jumping into a cool lake, river, pool or ocean on a warm day as a child or teenager? We don’t think so.
How good of a swimmer are you today? An excellent swimmer? Just a doggie-paddler? Or can you swim just about as well as a rock?
Tell us in today’s poll, and please leave a comment and tell us your favorite place to swim. Thanks!
I’m the son of a commercial fisherman. He told me once, knowing how to swim would only prolong the agony, if something should happen.
I qualified as a 2nd class swimmer in Marine Corps boot camp by swimming on my back 7 times across the pool, my friend qualified by walking halfway across the bottom and scrambling to the top for a gulp of air before sinking like a rock and continuing his trek for 7 laps. Afterward the instructor told both of us we better hope we never served aboard ship. I never did, I don’t know about Willie.
I haven’t been in water over my head since Navy Boot Camp in December 1967 and don’t intend to do so any time soon.
I think the rock would have a better chance of swimming than I would. I grew up on a farm far from water and spent my summers working on the farm.
I tried to learn in college and again later but could never get the hang of it. It probably didn’t help that without my glasses I could barely see the edge of the pool an arms length away from it.
My instructor in college was a life-long distance swimmer. He told us that if we just relaxed we would just float. When he went to show us he just sank to the bottom of the pool and stayed there due to his very low body fat. Didn’t provide a lot of confidence. 🙂
Grew up living on a lake. Swimming suit on in the morning off at bed time. I still try to swim a few laps whenever possible.
I grew up on a lake in Florida which was less than 50 yards from my front door. We didn’t have A/C so spent our waking hours outdoors. My Mother taught us all how to swim before we could walk, as there were no “sides” to hang onto.
I am an excellent swimmer, but haven’t been in the water in over a decade. Luckily, all I’d have to do is float on my back and a whale watching tour boat would come by and rescue me.
😆 Yep, but if you were in our local Puget Sound waters you’d get pretty cold. Take care, Jeff. 😀 –Diane
I grew up in Minnesota where swimming was a high school graduation requirement. I was fortunate enough to attend a HS with an Olympic size indoor pool. I was on the swim team for 2 years and also was a junior life saver. Now—-50+ years later and out of shape I would be lucky to swim far enough to save myself if I had to.
Grew up in PA and spent most days of summer in a pool or lake swimming, so I was a good swimmer . Now I could keep from drowning.
SE Pa for me. 50 years and 40 lbs. lighter was a junior life saver. Now I’m the one that needs saving.
I grew up in Mn so being part fish was easy to learn with the lakes so close. I was an excellent swimmer – especially for distance. Currently we have a pool in our ND rural development – however time and energy have taken their toll. I haven’t been in the pool for probably 10 years now. I loved swimming and boating etc..
I used to be on my high school swim team and had my lifesaving certificate and all. I rediscovered swimming five years ago and discovered that it was the only activity that left me feeling better after a good workout. Weightlifting hurt my shoulders, running running and biking began bothering my knees, but swimming bothers nothing.
I’ll be 60 in a few months and I feel like I’m in the best aerobic shape of my life.
It helps that I have a gym with a pool less than a mile from me.
No matter how much time you spend with the weights, the pool is the great humbler for everyone.
What I lack in speed & stamina I make up for in buoyancy. I once took a life saving class so I could get pool time in PE without having to swim laps. Crazy, but it worked for me. I can float vertically without treading water, making it easy to spend lots of lazy time in the water.
Can’t remember the last time I went for a swim – maybe 30-35 years ago.
I use to live in and on the water and was very comfortable spending hours in it. I even spent a summer as waterfront counselor at a Scout Camp. With age I no longer spend much time in the water as I am wrinkled enough.
I didn’t answer because at one time I was a great swimmer “instructor” now with age I could stay afloat and slowly make some distance and always with a life preserver. Maybe the poll should have been written along the lines of: how would you rate yourself as a swimmer today.
As a kid, we spent summers up in Wisconsin at the lake. Our parents said we were more fish than kids. Now? I could keep myself from drowning, but that’s about it.
Even over 60, I still go to the lake up north WI, still jump in and swim. I am more concerned about getting hit by a boat than drowning.
Good point Sharon. I grew up in Chicago and the trip to WS every weekend was much anticipated. Watching for boats wasn’t an issue in the 50s and 60s.
A friend moved into her folks’ summer home and has lived there for decades. She has mentioned the very same boat issue now as you did. But, now I live in NV and lakes are in short supply – ha.
As an adult leader for the Boy Scouts, we had a number of water-based activities (canoe trips in Canada and Alaska, Coral Reef sailing in the Florida Keys..) and had to do a swim test before we could go. Even now, scouts do a swim test. but that was then.. and this is now. I could still snorkel for a few hours, but that’s about it.
Swimming like most other athletic activity requires practice to excel. Life often inhibits that practice time for working people like most of us are/ were.
Like some of the other commenters I need a category “I used to be an excellent swimmer”
Age reduced abilities. However, I can swim well enough to possibly keep from drowning.
I used to be an excellent swimmer. Had my Lifeguard Certification, could swim for miles, etc. But age and physical changes have reduced my abilities over time. However, I still have the knowledge of what to do in an emergency situation involving water.