Swimming Poll

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I'm wondering if there is a correlation between lack of certain swimming skills and aspergers? I can swim like a fish using breast stroke or back crawl but thrash about going nowhere trying to do front crawl (freestyle). It feels like there are too many limb, head and breathing movements to coordinate.

I knew how to swim since I was 10. I can swim on my front but I can't swim on my back well. I could never past the swimming test when I was 10, 11, and 12 to play in the deep end. Whomever makes that rule doesn't seem to understand just because you can't swim on your back perfectly doesn't mean you can't swim at all in deep water. That's what I tried proving to the counselors at camp and I got kicked out of the pool for the rest of the swimming time and they saw me swim. My head did not go under and I did not struggle. Thank god not all places make you do a swimming test, especially at pools where there are no lifeguards.

Swimming was mandatory in elementary school, but I knew how to swim way before that.

I just never could do 'butterfly' very well, but all the others - piece of cake.

Hi Spokane_Girl. I'm the other way round, literally. I much prefer to swim on my back, seems easier somehow. I did three miles in the pool once (a few years ago now). The downside of it is when there are other people in the pool - it tends to be a bit anti-social whacking them over the head with your arms! Oops sorry! Sorry! Oops. At least when swimming on your front you can see where you are going and avoid colliding with anyone.

It seems odd to me that you should have been banned just because you couldn't swim on your back. Did they have any logical explanation why? Surely the most important thing is that you can swim - not which stroke.

I started learning to swim when I was 3. I can swim all styles and I like it but, I have to agree with SilverProteus, butterfly is quite hard and I never mastered the technique.

Just so you know freestyle swimming doesn't mean front crawl. Most people use front crawl in competitions because it's the fastest style, but you can do backstroke, butterfly, breast stroke, whatever you want in freestyle.

I learned to swim just as I learned how to ride a bicycle: I just laid down in the water one day and swam out to the far raft (~1/2 mile.) I was 12 and was tired of seeing everybody else my age out there.

When I was 10, I climbed on a friend's bike and started to ride. When I was 16, I put on a pair of roller skates for the first time, and started going around the floor.

I still don't know why I didn't do those things earlier in life.

None of those skills kept me from banging into, tripping over and falling over my own feet when trying to walk in public. I could trip over a thread dropped on the sidewalk, if it was a block away.

Pops

I'm a good swimmer, but I've always wondered why there are so many different "strokes" or styles of swimming and why it is so important to do each one exactly right. Why not just do what works for you, even if it's not an official swimming style?

I had to take swimming lessons at the community pool my family belonged to. They put a lot of emphasis on the correct formation, as though it was a dance or something. I just wanted to learn to:

1) hold my breath for as long as possible

2) swim to the greatest possible depth

3) tread water for as long as possible

4) swim as fast as possible

These seemed like the most useful skills, and I have put them to use as an adult while swimming in lakes and rivers, paddling in white water, etc. I've forgotten most of the official swimming methods because I haven't had any use for them.

i can't do the front crawl because the breathing movements are hard for me... i always feel like i'm gonna drown, cause breathing like that makes me feel light headed. plus, i can't go underwater without having my nose plugged and eyes shut tight... so i can never see where i'm going doing the front crawl. i just modify it, by excluding the breathing movements, and keeping my head above water... much less exhausting, as far as i'm concerned.

I can swim the front crawl, but I have an intense problem putting my head under the water.

I have a lot of trouble breathing when I'm in water of any kind, including the shower. I haven't noticed if rain applies or not.

Oh, that reminded me of something I forgot to mention in my post. I always swallow a lot of water when I swim. I can't help it. I think this is why I've become allergic to chlorine and resistant to the microorganisms that commonly inhabit fresh water in the US. How does anyone keep from swallowing water while swimming?

I can swim every stroke... from the waist up.
Now try to make me kick. Ha... no.

what is front crawl?

Sorry, don't know how to swim.

I took Red Cross swimming and they made us learn the basic strokes so I can do them if I want but I prefer dogpaddle, I don't know why that is so frowned upon. They also made us dive, which I don't like. I cannot swim under water to save my life, I keep bobbing up to the surface. Floating on my back is my favorite. I prefer calm water because I know I can float indefinitely. However I have great respect for the water and know how to avoid situations that would be risky.