Can you swim?

[sbr]

I can swim, but I can't stay afloat while doing it.

I think you are doing it wrong.

[Brazen]

Like a fish, but I thought I'd drown the first couple of times I did open-water swims for triathlons - being kicked in the face by 200 pairs of feet makes for something of a challenge to stay afloat.

Most swimming in the UK is pool-based, and primary schools have weekly lessons (used to be compulsory) when they'd coach us off to the local municipal pool. I learnt to swim in an outdoor pool in the Isle of White on a summer holiday.

[swallow]

Taught myself to swim by lieing in a tidal river and waiting for the tide to lift me upbecause I was too scared to lift up my feet on my own.  God it was boring

[The Larch]

I don't think I know anyone who can't swim. A/C at home is something relatively new, the usual cure for summer temperatures when I was a kid was to spend the whole day at the building/block/neighborhood/sportsclub pool.

It's not that strange for the people from our parents' generation. My mother surely can't (she's only able to do short dog paddles with some support, no swimming pools in post war rural Zamora), and not for lack of trying.

[KRonn]

I swim well, learned at a young age, as well learning more in swim courses as I got older. I don't go swimming very often, so I'd be out of shape to swim long distances or such.

[BuddhaRhubarb]

I have some strange unconscious fear of deep water. can't swim really. Tho I likely could dog padle my way to safety if not too panicked. Snorkeling? no issues. The undersea world is pleasant.

[Duque de Bragança]

I don't think I know anyone who can't swim. A/C at home is something relatively new, the usual cure for summer temperatures when I was a kid was to spend the whole day at the building/block/neighborhood/sportsclub pool.

It's not that strange for the people from our parents' generation. My mother surely can't (she's only able to do short dog paddles with some support, no swimming pools in post war rural Zamora), and not for lack of trying.

In the countryside, people learn(t) by going to the river... Maybe not the unforgiving Douro but you get the idea.
I learnt in swimming pools.

[Vince]

My Grandmother had an inground poor so I learned how to swim pretty young.  I should probably do it more since swimming does wonders for my back. 

[syk]

I have some strange unconscious fear of deep water.

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn! 

[syk]

And yes, I can swim. Learned it as a kid like most other kids. It's rather uncommon to not be able to swim here. In 7th grade I had one classmate who couldn't. The only one in my family who cannot swim is my granny.

[saskganesh]

I'd like to know how far the people who can "swim like a fish" can indeed swim?

[MadBurgerMaker]

I'd like to know how far the people who can "swim like a fish" can indeed swim?

With all the smoking and drinking I did up until recently, not very far anymore.     Probably only around a mile or so at a very slow pace.  Maybe.

[saskganesh]

I'd be challenged to swim a mile myself.

[Fate]

There are people who can't swim? You'd figure with all of the fat asses in this country, that this problem would be eradicated.

I spent most of my youth either at the YMCA or tagging along with my well-to-do friends at the local popular Whites only country club.

[AnchorClanker]

There's no way me and my sister couldn't swim in our family... we did the Red Cross kiddie swimming very early and my sister was actually the first woman in the Navy to pass the Rescue Swimmers Qualifications for 1999.