Scared Swimming In Deep Water

I get scared swimming in deep water. I’m a beginner, and I know how to swim breaststroke. I get scared when I try to go to the deep part of the swimming pool (2m). How can I overcome this fear?

This is a very common fear, especially among beginners.

When swimming in deep water, it is important to understand that the buoyancy of the human body remains the same in all depths of water. In other words, you will float in deep water just as well as in shallow water; therefore, your ability to swim in all depths remains the same.

Firstly you have to have confidence in your ability to swim to the side of the pool no matter what part of the pool you are swimming in.

To do this, you must first become stronger, swimming within your depth, knowing you can stop and stand up at any point. Practice changing direction and swimming to the side of the pool, still within your depth. This will build confidence in your ability.

Next, try swimming away from the wall for a distance and turning around to swim back again without touching your feet on the pool floor. If you can do this exercise without placing your feet on the bottom of the pool, you may find swimming in deep water a little easier.

If you have proved to yourself that you can change direction and swim back without touching the pool floor, it makes no difference how deep the pool is.

My ebook The Complete Beginners Guide To Swimming contains all the help and support you need, from relaxing, floating and breathing to all the technique tips for learning to swim the four basic strokes. Click the link below for more information.

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Scared Because I Cannot Touch The Bottom Of The Pool

I am 43 years old, and desperately want to learn how to swim, but I get very scared because I cannot touch the bottom of the pool. What can I do to overcome this?

The problem you are describing is the easiest part to deal with. The hardest part is learning to swim, first of all! Learn to swim within your depth first. Learn to become comfortable in the water, and learn how to stop and stand up whilst moving without your feet on the pool floor.

Once you have become happy swimming short distances within your depth, then swim a short distance in the water of about shoulder depth.

Now the important part: IMAGINE you cannot touch the pool floor - swim away from the side, change direction and then swim back again, all without touching your feet down and all within your depth. Practice this within your depth until you can do it confidently.

Psychologically it makes no difference what depth the water is if you are confident that you can change direction and swim to the side of the pool.

Always learn to swim gradually and at your own pace. Move on when you are confident within yourself. Rome wasn't built in a day!

My ebook The Complete Beginners Guide To Swimming contains all the help and support you need, from relaxing, floating and breathing to all the technique tips for learning to swim the four basic strokes. Click the link below for more information.

How to Conquer My Fear of Deep Water?

Do you have any useful tips for conquering my fear of deep water? I can swim, but cannot rid myself of the fear of deep water. How do I help myself?

If you can swim without letting your feet touch the pool floor, then you can swim in deep water. Easy for me to say but not so easy for you to do, especially when you have a fear of deep water.

By deep water, I will assume you mean the deep end of a swimming pool. Swimming in deep water such as the sea can be more difficult but there are some simple ways of dealing with swimming in a deep pool.

The common fear of deep water is really a fear of not being able to touch the bottom and, therefore of sinking. It is usually combined with a fear of getting out of breath in the deep end and not being able to swim to the poolside.

There is a simple exercise in the shallow part of the swimming pool where you can stand. I will assume that you can swim a distance of 10 metres. Firstly push off and swim 10 meters (or a distance of your choice) away from the poolside, then turn around and swim back again to where you started.

The crucial point here is that when you turn around to swim back, you must do so WITHOUT touching the pool floor with your feet. Practice it until you can do it confidently and over greater distances.

The point of this exercise is that you are proving to yourself that you are able to swim, change direction and swim back again without touching the pool floor. Therefore the depth of the pool is of no concern because psychologically, you know that no matter where you are in the pool, you can change direction and swim safely to the side.

Practice it until you have to confidence to venture slightly into the deep end of the pool and then swim back again.

My ebook The Complete Beginners Guide To Swimming contains all the help and support you need, from relaxing, floating and breathing to all the technique tips for learning to swim the four basic strokes. Click the link below for more information.

The Complete Beginners Guide To Swimming

The Complete Beginners Guide To Swimming

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