Poll: Can you swim?

[Socius]

I can swim pretty decent. Well, I don't have anything to compare to, but I can swim a 1000 metres or further without trouble, as long as I don't try to swim unnecessarily fast.
My father taught me to swim around the age of age 6 or 7, though my parents had been taking me to baby-swimming before that.
The method my father used for teaching me to swim was simply helping me with some basics and then saying "If you can get across the pool you can go to the toy store and get anything you want." That, coincidentally is also the story of how I came in possession of my first video game system: A gameboy advance that I use to this day.

as we do learn in in primary school, most Norwegians swim!
We also learn to wreastle polar bears to survive in middle school!
my favourite class however is Iglo building.
of course they are just subclasses for the "polar survival class" or in Norwegian:
"Mordi e mann"

Also, I guess, if my father hadn't taught me to swim, elementary school would.
How would we manage without Mordi e mann?

happy times ^^,

 

[Zhukov]

Yes. Learned when I was about six.

Certainly not a strong swimmer though. A few years ago I had to do a swim test as part of army training. Thirty metre swim followed by two minutes treading water. All while wearing a shirt and long pants.

I passed it, but they had to hook me out of the pool with a pole afterwards.

 

[Penguinness]

Only really went swimming with the school when I was 8ish. Never went swimming after and so now on the couple of occasions where I've been in water, I haven't been able to sucessfully swim. So nope, can't swim.

 

[Mistermixmaster]

I can swim yes, but seriously, you can go for a leisurely stroll faster than I swim xD So, yes, I swim very SLOW =P

"Learned" it when I was around 12-13... maybe 14? I dunno, at my age my brain hardly remembers anything. I think I may be developing Alzheimers (just kidding of course)

 

[Battenbergcake]

like a spastic, yes, although most of the thrashing's probably attributed to my tourettes syndrome.

 

[ultrachicken]

If so, how good are you at swimming, and at what age did you learn this wicked skill?

I was afraid of water form the age of 2 when dad forgot me in the sea and I almost drowned(it was keen deep for him, but I almost drown, man!), but at the age of 14 I decided that I should let go of the past and learn how to swim(my dad always kept offering to teach me, but I always refused). So I took courses with 5 year old(rather embarrassing), at the local pool, and after 1 month of intense training I learned how to swim.

Now I'm a fairly mediocre swimmer, but should my life depend on it, I think I can manage.

So, how about you guys(and girls)?

You just explained my exact situation, just with less drowning.

 

[mip0]

Interesting numbers, good poll. (Along with "can you ride a bike?".)
Yes I can swim (and ride a bike).

 

[AlphaOmega]

I love to swim, I have not been able to actually go to a pool for 3 years now though (Large infected open wounds aren't very nice for the other guests)

Being Dutch it would be silly to be unable to swim, more then half our country is under sea level.

 

[Resurrectionist]

Surf.
Therefore swim with the fish.
Avoid 'pools' of chlorine unless it's a private hot tub.

 

[Omikron009]

I took swimming lessons when I was very young, but I got constant ear infections so I had to stop. I tried again a few years later and quickly passed all of the course levels. I'm a fairly good swimmer, and it's the only sport I'm competent at.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Ah, the wonders of salt water; The salt makes you more buoyant. If you ever get a chance to swim in the (can't remember if it's the dead sea or the red sea), try it. I hear that it's so salty that it's impossible for a human being to sink in it.

I believe its also too salty to swim. Anybody taking a few dips in that sea is gonna get dehydrated quickly. Not to mention if you swallow any of that water and you'll be too busy gagging.
Oh and its the dead sea.

Believe it or not, it is possible, and it's a pretty common part of a vacation to the area: Link [http://www.world66.com/asia/middleeast/jordan/deadsea].

Years ago, there was an interim pastor at my church who had done it himself. Oh, and thank you for pointing out that it is, indeed the Dead Sea. I thought that was it, but wasn't sure, and didn't have time to check.

 

[Mechanix]

I used to take swimming lessons so yes I can swim pretty good and if I was dropped in the middle of the ocean I could probably stay afloat for a few hours if not more.

 

[Koeryn]

I can float, I can swim, but if I do anything other than a backstroke I'm going to burn myself out because breathing's for pussies.

I'm okay. I'd be better if I didn't have an uncontrollable habit of just going full speed no breaks.

 

[iFail69]

learnt to swim when I was 4 just practising (basics taught by my parents)

 

[ender214]

I've passed lifeguard training, so I certainly hope that I could swim...

 

[superbatranger]

My mom took me to swimming lessons when I was young, and from there I basically became a decent swimmer.

 

[oxiclean]

i can barely stay afloat, let alone actually swim. people have tried to teach me, but im an awful learner when it comes to swimming, and ive never had the strong desire to learn. come to think of it, my dad cant swim either. my mom and sister love swimming though.


im not afraid of the ocean or pools or anything, i just dont enjoy being out in it. especially in public

 

[Mana Fiend]

I can't swim.

It's weird, we had lessons for 4 years at school, but I just never picked it up. Honestly, I don't care. I don't intend to go in the sea, or near enough to water to need to swim.

 

[Kirky]

I can swim.

My Grandad taught me back when I was really young... So I'd say I've been able to do it since I was about four. Honestly, I can't really remember a time when I couldn't swim.

 

[RamirezDoEverything]

I can swim to keep myself afloat and have a good time with my friends, but competitively or to outswim sometinhg? No I cannot