Teaching Yourself To Swim Without Lessons

There are many adults who never learned to swim as a child. Whether it's because they never had the opportunity or because the idea of jumping in the water and learning to swim invoked the fear factor, there are millions of adults who don't know how to swim. Sometimes it's better to learn later than not at all.

Step 1

Get in the water of the pool you are going to teach yourself. If you are at a municipal pool or a YMCA facility, you will have to stay in shallow water. If you are in a friend or relative's backyard pool, you won't have those limitiation. However, in the beginning you will want to stay where the water is below neck level for obvious reasons.

Step 2

Learn how to kick properly. You are wearing a safety belt to keep yourself buoyant. You have a kickboard to hold. You may be wearing goggles to keep chlorinated water out of your eyes. Hold the kickboard with your hands and extend your legs. Point your toes out and keep your knees stiff as you begin to kick.

Step 3

Go about 25 yards with your kick. That's about half the length in most pools. Turn around and come back. Do three laps (there and back) to complete the exercise.

Step 4

Work on your arm stroke and your breathing. Alternate pulling each arm out of the water and putting them out in front of you in the water. Cup your hands as they enter the water and "pull" water as you move your arm from front to back. As your left hand goes in the water your right arm will come out.

After you have learned your arm strokes, you have to learn how to breathe. If you are right-handed, you will breathe as you pull your left arm back. Turn your head to the left as you pull your arm up and breathe. Once your left arm goes back in the water, your nose and mouth should be back in the water.

Step 5

Put the kick, the arm stroke and the breathing together in one motion. Wear your life belt until you are confident in your stroke. Enjoy the water and enjoy swimming.

Tips and Warnings

Swim for yourself. You won't be able to teach yourself if you are doing it to please others.
Put fear out of your mind. You have a life belt and you will not drown.