I tackled the deep end on my own after having a word with the lifeguards to keep an eye on me. They were apprehensive but seeing my resoluteness they refrained from interfering. Floating on my back I drifted off to 8 feet. However the first time round panic got the better of me so just rolled on my stomach and swam to the wall.
I'm getting goosebumps as I write this. Thank you so much. All I've ever heard was to keep treading and relax. But I could never fully relax because I never understood the natural float concept. Which is essential for my psyche. Thank you!
Sir i reacted to this like you just discovered fire, i've been looking for a clear instruction of this for 2 years and finally here it is, thank you so much
You are AMAZING! I know how to swim so long as I can touch the floor. But if it's something really deep, I do not know how to stay afloat and it frightens me.
Hi BeeS. Thank you for the kind words. There are a lot of people in exactly your same situation - they feel safe in shallow water but not in deep water. If you can back float in the shallow water and breath or if you can do bobs with breath in shallow water w/o touching the bottom, then you have the skills to float or bob (and breath) exactly the same in deep water. The challenge is that many people are so scared of deep water that they panic and forget everything they know when they get into deep water. The fear just overwhelms them. That's why we move slowly, carefully, methodically - building on the skills we learned in the shallow water and carrying those to the deep water. No pushing or forcing. IF you tend to sink in the shallow water, you'll tend to sink in the deep as well. For 'sinkers', comfort in deep water comes as they become aware of how to harness the buoyancy they do have (no one REALLY sinks like a rock) and to propel themselves (usually a pull or a kick or a scull) to the top of the water to get a breath. They may even learn to move so they can competently 'imitate' a float (complete with breath) with minimal effort. We started a sinkers video series this week, so if you think you fit the sinker category, keep an eye out for it; perhaps you'll find it helpful. Wishing you calm and peace in the deep end!
@@ltachiUchia Hi ItachiUchia, Your comment goes to the heart of the definition of ‘swim’. IF you think knowing how to swim strokes or move around in the water is swimming - regardless of the the waters depth, then BeeS can swim. If your define swimming is ‘comfort in deep water’ then clearly not. The challenge for people like BeeS is to understand how the water supports them in the shallow water and to be conscious of how they control themselves in the shallow water, then learn to carry that understanding to the deep end. The water is the same. The end goal is to come to understand that your safety in the water doesn’t depend on the wall or the sides or the bottom, but from your skills and your presence of mind and your understanding of how the water works.
I have the same issue. Just started swimming lessons for the sole purpose of being comfortable in deep water. I want to snorkel and scuba dive and this fear has been holding me back. Best of luck to you!
I thoroughly enjoyed this, you’re an amazing teacher- the calm, thoughtful & confident teaching is ideal! I feel motivated to keep practicing… thanks much!
Thank you so much. I have been trying to learn to swim and treading has been very difficult for me. I have enrolled in many swimming classes to no avail because they don't teach well. I will try this the first time I go back to the pool. Thank yo.
I will wish you the best of luck as you test this. Be safe and keep me posted. Treading, as a rule is difficult to learn and is one of the last things most people need to learn. The Calm Within Swim has a nice way to look at treading and put it in perspective. LOTS of fun learning before you get to that challenge (if you ever get there). We don’t teach it in our beginners or advanced classes unless someone has a specific need to learn it. Wishing you ongoing comfort in the water.
Thank you Marion. Much of what I'm sharing is inspired by a book called Conquer Your Fear of the Water by Melon Dash. If you like what you're hearing here, you might enjoy her book as well.
Hi Mermaids. I'm glad watching the video eases some anxiety about the deep end - that is it's purpose after all. When you try it on your own, PLEASE have a friend or support of some kind around you and keep that support until you are certain you are both fear free AND safe in the deep end. Happy playing!
@@perrychristenberry1913 Thank you so much. No worries there will be someone to assist me will not be alone at all. I'll probably will still be a bit nervous but i know i can do it😇
Good video, thank you I just learned to swim around 8 months ago and I accidentally discovered what's on this video while I was trying to find a way to be afloat without effort, I had no idea it was actually a known practice. Thanks
THANK YOU!!! personal opinion as I learn to tread this us the lesson that should come before treading. will definitely try this in class tomorrow. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
@@perrychristenberry1913 I did GREAT! Thanks to your and your classes. I have just graduated from beginner to intermediate! Looking forward to prefect my strokes. Thank you again!
@@lucaslegz Congratulations Tonya!!!! Way to go! That's a fabulous achievement. Thanks for letting me know so I can celebrate with you. Best of luck dialing in all of those strokes. Woohoo!!
Thank you for the kind words @bandah123. I'm glad you found it helpful. That technique comes courtesy of Melon Dash's 'Conquer your Fear of Water' book - one of my favorite resources. It's such a powerful and not-intuitive experience for beginners to float in the water with no movement. Most people think of that being safe in the water is as something that requires lots of movement... it's just not true.
Thank you Ann. Yes. To start, just take a good breath, it doesn’t have to be the deepest breath you can take, and lower gently and slowly into the water until you stop going lower. There’s no need to hold your breath until the very last second, just long enough to see where you level out.
Wow! I haven't even tried this & I can tell it'll work when I get to the pool tomorrow. I wish I had teacher that would hop in the pool with me too as opposed to my current trainer giving order from outside the pool. I'm trying that backward head tilt though.
I hope you find it helpful at the pool Sir-Kay. Watch on the backward head tilt that your nose stays out of the water (or that you blow out your nose if it goes under or that you have a nose clip or pinch your nose shut). This is an easy place to get your nose underwater while you're looking up and that leads to water flooding your nose. Go slow and stay aware of your nose, and I'll wish you great success. Like you, most of our students think it makes a BIG difference to have their instructor in the water with them, at least up until the time they are swimming the length of the pool on their own. The demonstration done in the water is easier to see and understand and students who aren't quite comfortable yet feel must safer. Enjoy playing in the water Sir.
@@perrychristenberry1913 Thank you, I've since been applying these technics and It's made me comfortable. I wish I was in the US, I would sign up for a full swimming bootcamp in a heartbeat.
Glad we could be a helpful part of your journey Sir-Kay. Hope your comfort continues for decades! Thank you for the follow up. It’s always nice to hear how things turn out.
@@perrychristenberry Since this technic worked I wanted to see more but, I couldn't find videos on breast strokes and freestyle, I'm doing quite ok with backstroke even though I'm open to learning them all, I have butterfly on hold till I master those first 3. Any link to videos on those 1st basic strokes?
@@Sir-Kay I thought I'd written and sent this, but I don't see it so I'll try again. There is a lot of good information here. My favorite freestyle video is ours: th-cam.com/video/5CelIanLZ_A/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ywPB12cxA0_Je30G. There are many other good videos as well. For breast and back stroke, a few I like are fromSkills N' Talents and the US Masters swimming and AnalysisSwim and Chris Burton. Hope you find some of these helpful!
Hi Rhonda. Loved the conversation today. I look forward to hearing about the lives you are going to influence. So glad to be part of your swim journey!
Thank you, coach, for being a patient teacher! Though i dont have the opportunity to learn from you in person, ive applied your deep water lessons and am now able to relax and enjoy myself in deepwater.
Thank you! SO incredibly happy to hear it Bidet. We love to hear when we're a helpful part of someone's swim journey. Wishing you years of comfort in the water!
Wow! Even with the anxiety of watching this, it suddenly makes a lot of sense. I almost drowned 3 times. Being in water over my head terrifies me. I need to get through this. I will try this! I’m the guy that tries to get his entire head out of the water and panics when I can’t. Thank you!
Hi Curtis, Glad to be helpful. I will suggest that this deep water step may not be the place to start. This specific video is the 16th in a series of beginner videos that start at: th-cam.com/video/YZdDWCYNUmQ/w-d-xo.html. We start by getting comfortable in shallow water and understanding how water works, then move to deeper water to demonstrate that the floating/moving skills that work in shallow water also work in deep water. We have a lot of people who come through who've had drowning experiences before. It can be a challenge to overcome and is, in my experience, best conquered in small, safe steps. BEST of luck to you in your swim journey.
Hi Paul. I thought I'd answered this but don't see it anywhere, so if this is a duplicate somehow, I apologize. If you are comfortable floating on your back and on your front, and if you are comfortable with bobs, then you can practice this is shallow water. Start with bobs without using your feet to come up, then transition slowly to a front or back float. If you float well, as you come back up to the top, you can tilt your head forward and lean forward to move into a front float. Similarly, you can tilt your head back slowly after any bouncing has settled down, and tilt your head back, putting your ears under the water and pushing your chest up... moving into your back float. Sinkers can do the same thing, though they benefit from a small kick or scull or a couple of light pushes down to make the transition smooth. This is particularly true when moving to a back float where your nose can easily catch water if you're not careful. Once you can do this in the shallow, you can transition to the same skills in the deeper water. I hope that's helpful. Good luck on your swim journey!
Hi Karen. It's not so much weight itself, but rather the combination of fat, tissue, muscle, bone and air. The general rule is that fat and tissue float well while bone and muscle don't float as well. In general, your body's combination of those elements along with the amount of air you have in your lungs at a given time determines how well you float (or, for a few, don't float). Everyone has what Melon Dash calls their 'water signature' - the way they float, and it's different for everyone, albeit often similar. It's important to understand how YOUR body behaves in the water and how the amount of air in your lungs changes that signature. We have a few people who don't float at the top of the water in our classes and we do this same step with them. If they sink with a full breath, we notice how fast or slow they sink and how the amount of air they have changes the speed, and perhaps even the distance of their sinking. I, for example, float about eye level with a full breath and sink after releasing about half my air, at which point I sink to the bottom. We have a big, muscled college discuss thrower who 'floats' about 18" (~1/2 meter) below the water with a full breath. If he lets out even a puff of air, he begins sinking further. While 'floaters' don't have to expend energy to get to the surface to breath (or very little energy anyway), 'sinkers' have to spend a bit more energy to get to the top to breath, so we work with them of ways to get to the top with a minimum energy expenditure and to sink slower so the top isn't as far away. This usually involves a kick of some kind, sculling of some kind and the standard pulls we teach everyone to move upward in the water. It also involves making sure they understand that vertical floats, like the one in this video, are the worst possible floats and that moving to a front float or back float provide a great deal more buoyancy. We will begin filming our negatively buoyant ('sinkers') series later this month. Keep an eye out for it, you might find it helpful. Hope the above is useful.
Hi Carmie, We usually start with a 'good natural breath'. Not the biggest breath you can take - that's uncomfortable. Perhaps 80ish percent of your lung capacity (not that there's an easy way to measure such a thing at the pool). For our natural floats, we usually stay in 'soldier stance' with hands beside the body and feet straight, however, it doesn't hurt to let your hands float like Denise does is the video. Floating hands also keeps your hands close to the wall so you can grab faster if you need to. Just remember to keep your hands UNDER the water - raising them out of the water will cause you to sink more. Note here PLEASE that we only do this exercise in deep water if someone else is close and watching. The natural float can be practiced in shallow water with bent knees if you are by yourself or just don't feel comfortable letting go of the wall in the deep end (which is FINE). The value of this skill is seeing how the water interacts with your body while you are in the worst floating position (straight up and down). This may not apply to you Carmie, but I'll note this for others: some people who are not sinkers will sink here because they don't take a good breath or because they release the air before they put their face in the water. It's particularly true for scared people who may have trouble getting a good breath as a result of their anxiety. As with all these skills, if this is more scary than fun - don't do it. Practice it in shallow water where you can be comfortable before you go to the deep. Your COMFORT is far more important that getting the skill right. Once you're comfortable, the skill will come.
@@perrychristenberry1913 Hi Perry, Thank you so much for such a helpful reply. I am 69 and three years ago I dunked my head for the first time at my daughters pool thru much anxiety. ongoing now by watching youtube videos I learned free-style because I wanted to do laps at a gym. I really wanted to master side breathing but so far have only been able to do 5 and I bought a swimmers snorkel and was able to master this so did laps at the gym more than a year ago. for the summer i have been using a lake near my house. I try to side breathe and then put the snorkel on waiting for kids to clear out of my way. This has been difficult. I feel I am scared still and do no other things in the water really. I do not go to my daughters pool due to having to see the deep water as I snorkel to the end and quickly return which I did last year but have not been back there. I feel I do not know how to swim and could not save myself and have to always be in shallow water so when I saw your video I know I need to somehow to do this in the deep end or perhaps try to do it in the lake by bending my knees as you said which I could try to figure out, but sometimes there is too much water movement. I wondered if a gym has a deep end. I feel I need support at times so this has been hard. I do all this alone and have to overcome queeziness each time I get into the car but force myself and once I get in I try to relax and practice and then do my snorkel workout as best as I can at the lake. I know I have made progress by doing what I am doing. I just do not know what to do to feel more comfortable or who could help. I hate the pressure of people I know who PLAY in the water and do not understand my nervousness because I seem to know what I am doing. I did do laps at a gym but stopped some time ago due to vaccine cards being necessary. Not sure what to do. You do not have to feel burdened or pressured by this long note. Sorry for this.
Wow, this is so useful. I have been learning how to tread water and this technique has taken away my fear of deep end. I can now attain my Natural Float anytime I feel I am getting tired of kicking and risk sinking. It is very easy to get into the backstroke position after that. Thanks @sigma swimming and @perrychristenberry1913 for such amazing technique, it's a life saver.
Thrilled you’ve found that solid comfort and confidence in the deep end. Glad to have been part of it. Thanks so much for sharing that. Here’s to a lifetime of enjoying the water!
@@perrychristenberry1913 thank for your reply. An update, my 13 year old daughter is learning how to swim (UK Stage 3) and I taught her your technique of attaining Natural Float and now she loves to practice by herself confidently in the deep end too. Thank you once again! Keep up the good work.
@@perrychristenberry1913 Thank you for your response I really appreciate your posts This one helped me alot with one of my students Thank you for your knowledge and kind and gentle way you approach things As a swimming teacher myself I get it ✨😊✨💕
Hi Juliana. Thanks for the comment. There are a lot of people who find that learning strokes does not remove fear. Comfort in the water is about much more than learning strokes. I'd love to hear how it goes. FWIW, we have a lot of steps prior to this step. They are in the beginner series for our coaches if you'd like to see them. You can start this process in much shallower water with your knees bent and holding onto the side. You'll get to play with the same float/sink effect without the possible unpleasant side effects tied to the deep water. Once you're comfortable and understand how your air and body effect your float in shallower water, you can move to slightly deeper and confirm that the deeper water behaves the same (it does). IF you find a place where the water appears to behave differently, it's either because you forgot to breath, or you were so tense your breath wasn't deep (or normal even) or because you're blowing out before you put your face in the water. I see this often with people who are scared of the deep water. They can comfortably perform these skills in shallow water, but the anxiety about the deep water makes it hard for them to breath or stay aware of their breath. The skill you want to work on here isn't so much the float as it is staying aware of what you are doing all along the way, noticing how you feel, breath, move. If you start to panic or even think you might, back up to a place/skill where you are comfortable and play there a bit, moving 'forward' only when you're sure you can stay aware and comfortable/safe. I hope you find great comfort in the deep water; it's so much fun.
Hi Divine, thanks for the question. True sinkers, those who sink to the bottom with full lungs even w/o the momentum of 'dropping in', need some form of propulsion. It can be from sculling or kicking or using the classic strokes like freestyle or breast stroke, but they need at least a little movement to bring them back to the surface (or keep them on the surface) so they can breath (at least from time to time). We started a sinkers series to answer that question as well as a few others about sinkers. You might find it interesting: th-cam.com/video/UfMzoFP2HL8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=XIDJhPvDrkNet5Wd... we'll be getting a little more practical about using propulsion to get air in the next set of videos in that series. Remember that their are a LOT of Olympic swimmers who don't float like this natural float and they all seem to manage the water just fine. We all wish you great success in the water Divine.
Absolutely. Treading is a convenience skill but not a safety skill. FLOATING is the safety skill for deep water! We don’t teach treading as part of our beginner classes because It’s exhausting for most people and difficult to use effectively for most people. Some mild treading skills can be very helpful for Sinkers learning to ‘float’, but floaters (most people) do not require it for safety. If you can float and get breath (back float or otherwise) and move around, you do not NEED to tread.
Hi again Karen. 'How do I tread water' is question we hear from time to time from our beginners. When I ask why they want to tread, they usually say something like 'because I want to be safe in the water'. At that point, I explain that we don't believe that treading is necessary to be safe in the water. We focus our attention solidly on floating instead. Treading takes either a little or a lot of energy and floating takes no energy at all (or next-to-none for 'sinkers') in most cases. In all cases, treading is the harder skill to learn and requires the most energy. If students still want to learn treading after they feel safe in the deep water, then we will teach it as an advanced skill just like we would for a competent swimmer taking a life guard exam or a military test requiring treading. You'll hear some people say that treading is critical for safety, but that's not our experience. We teach floating for safety in the water for beginners. There's a component of treading called 'sculling' that we teach to some beginners and that we teach to all of our 'sinkers'. We teach it not for the purposes of treading, but for adding lift and gentle propulsion to floats. Since sculling is part of treading, you will find that most treading videos start with sculling. A few of my favorite sculling/treading videos for beginning students are available at th-cam.com/play/PLI0bWjWd83tFve82-EB112xt5EGFSuv1G.html. If you want to learn treading, youtube is full of good videos. Searching 'treading water' will point you to a host of people teaching different techniques and providing explanations and opinions. Try out several and find the one(s) that work for you. I hope you find the videos and information helpful and, again, I wish you the best of luck on your swimming journey.
To find your float, hold your breath. To feel the sink (if you have a sink), blow out under water. Once you have those and move to your back, breath as much as you like.
I am afraid of swimming pools not to mention the ocean. I tried to learn but I don't like the water entering my ears, nose, I am watching this videos to learn.
Hi Maria, I hear 'I float too well' quite frequently when we are working on trying to sink or to pick up items from the bottom of the pool and it always makes me smile. It's a wonderful irony for me because most of the people who say that came into class because they were scared about getting to the bottom and drowning. Now they're complaining about not sinking! I love it. My response is usually something like: 'Aww, that's such a shame... it's going to be so hard for you to drown! I'm so sad for you'. 😉 Then we laugh and talk about ways to sink, which I'll gladly share. Before I do, I'll say that It's common for the best floater in a class to be the worse sinker. Remember that sinking is NOT a requirement for being safe in the water - it's just a fun addition for a floater. Remember too that for many people, especially those who don't float well, sinking is an uncomfortable condition they are in class to 'overcome'. OK. Ways to sink when you find you are unable to get to the bottom. These are all about adjusting Air and Force/Speed. The general concepts here are: - Air floats exceptionally well. Get rid of some of it and you'll sink better. - Go into the water with more force, and you'll drop deeper. Eventually this includes kicking and pulling yourself toward the bottom and duck dives, but I'll skip those for now. 1. Blow your air out (you can't really blow it all out) drop in. And deeper? 2. Drop in quickly instead of gently. Any deeper? 3. Blow your air out, then drop in quickly. Any deeper? 4. Jump up and use the extra speed coming down to drive you closer to the bottom. Any deeper? We have a wonderful lady in class who I call a 'super floater'. It is SO hard for her to get deep in the water.. She worked for weeks and weeks and was finally able to get down to pick up something off of the 12 foot bottom of the pool. To do so, she had to dive and wear fins to help her propel herself with some extra force. You can see her (w/o fins) at th-cam.com/video/H-PfB0SnHGs/w-d-xo.html . You can see how she 'stalls' even on her dive before she gets to the bottom, even though she's kicking in an attempt to get there. Getting deep into the water remains a challenge for her but, WOW, is she ever comfortable floating and gently moving through the water! Enjoy the safety of that wonderful float Maria... and practice on the sinking IF you'd like - it is rather fun.
@@perrychristenberry1913 this is amazing advice, thanks for taking the time. I just got back from pool. I'm quite comfortable doing lengths freestyle, but simple things like kicking off wall, the way the teacher wants, and sinking I struggle with
@@marias8007 Wow. You go Maria!! Some things, like pushing off the wall, are important if you are racing, but not so important for swimming or comfort. Pushing off the wall is actually one of my favorite swimming experiences. I love to feel the water sliding past me… but that’s me. You can practice that, and the sinking, but it’s just a fun add in to the package. Take what you find useful and fun; the rest isn’t critical.
Hey guys I just learned this on my self when I almost drown earlier on 7ft pool😂 I use freestyle kicks but a little wider and for the arms I did back and forth motion and I float try it with someone who can swim at first cuz ur gonna die if you didn't
Hi Panda. I'm glad you found a way to feel safe in the water. That's so important. What you've learned sounds like treading, which can be useful and is certainly one of several ways to get air while you're in the water. Treading is different from what we teach in this lesson. Most people come to us believing that they have to move to be safe in the water. They believe that failing to move = sinking to the bottom.= dying. For the VAST majority of adults, that's not true. For most, the buoyancy of the water is sufficient to keep them floating at/near the top of the water - no movement required - which is what the video demonstrates. This is a stunning revelation for most students. It challenges the misconceptions of the water they previously held, providing an opportunity for them to be curious about how the water really works, and delivers a nice dose of confidence and fear reduction. Best of success to you as you continue your swim journey! Thanks for the comment.
@unii1009 thanks for the question. While the float works the same (well, technically you actually float better in salt water), the effect with the waves is certainly different. If you’re not in rolling surf, then it’s mostly the same but I like to be on my back to breath better. In rolling surf, you still float (and body surfing is fun), but the experience of getting covered or rolled by a wave takes a few extra skills to manage comfortably. 😊
Hi Neocyndaquil, I am always sad to hear that someone panics during a class - even if it’s not ours. I am sad our video was part of that. Our goal is to help people feel comfortable and encourage people to not push outside their comfort zone. That’s more important than getting a skill… and the skills will come once you are comfortable. This Natural float is a step we offer only after students learn the steps we show in the full beginner series. You might find the full series helpful. That said, let me answer your question - at least a somewhat short version. The primary intent of this experience is to 1) let you experience your worst possible float a) with and b) without air and 2) to experience the difference between bobbing and sinking - because they are different sensations and 3) to clarify how much energy you will need to stay at the top of the water. We don’t present this to people until they are comfortable sinking and knowing they can get back up to air. IF we have a ‘sinker’, then we get comfortable sitting and laying on the bottom in shallow water well before we move to this ‘Natural’ float experience. Very few people actually sink if they have air in their lungs. When someone sinks it’s usually because they didn’t get a good breath before they lowered into the water or because they thrashed around. Some people mistake bobbing for sinking as well and often panic as a result. That said, there ARE people who legitimately sink - mostly very fit and muscled people (like Olympians) - many of us call them sinkers since that’s how they often refer to themselves. We are recording a sinkers series at the moment we hope to start releasing soon. Sinkers need a different series of steps to get to the ‘same’ swimming place as people who float well. They need to know they don’t really sink ‘like a rock’ and how to work with the water’s natural buoyancy to find a float with some form of propulsion and, and, and. You can ‘practice the Natural float (or sink) in shallow water with your knees bent. Get used to sinking. Try holding a full breath and try blowing your breath outs Watch the different effect of having breast and not having breath. ‘Drop’ in, the lower yourself super-slowly, so the top of your head is even with the top of the water before loosening your grip on the side. IF you just keep sinking, then get comfy on the bottom in shallow water, then pull yourself along underwater, and learn to pull yourself back to the top. And watch for our sinkers series. Keep me posted. Hope this is helpful.
Hi Alien Soup. Thanks for the comment. There are a lot of strategies that work really well for many people. Your back float idea is one. I know several coaches who, like you, like to start with back floats because it allows the student to breathe (assuming they are not a sinker) and breathing is more comfortable than not breathing. And, for the majority of people, the back float becomes the position of safety for them in the water, though I will carefully note that being able to perform a back float and being comfortable in a back float can be two very different things. In our program we consider the background of the learner and understand that not everyone starts from the same place. We've had students who wanted to swim but were scared to walk down the steps into the water, so we started by sitting on the steps and talking and watching. We frequently have students who are comfortable floating on their face but terrified to lay on their back, so we take time to explain how the water works and provide drills that let them move at their own pace. A recent student was pulled under the water when she was young by a brother and his friends who thought they were being funny. This is a story we hear often but this one happened while she was floating on her back. She had not been in the water since that experience until she came to us and she was terrified to be on her back in the water. There are some very good teachers who've been working with both scared and non-scared beginners for decades. Our program incorporates their experiences and our students' experiences and our goal is to provide comfort from start to finish, starting where they are and moving at their pace. If they're ready to learn a back float in 10 minutes and be 'swimming' in an hour, great. If they're starting somewhere else and it takes them longer, that's fine too. Wishing you, and those you teach, a lifetime of comfort in the water.
Hi @Logan-dk8of. Apologies for the late replay - a few comments managed to 'disappear' and I am just seeing them. I love playing with sinkers. It's such fun. We've started and sinkers series and will be finishing the videos in March and April. You might enjoy them. The bottom is really quite a fun place once you get the hang of it.
Hi BrownBlasian. Thanks for your comment. You are not alone in your ‘floating challenged’ state. A few people don’t float above water at all and a fair number of others have legs that sink. As a rule, these are generally lean, active people with good muscle definition and little body fat (like the tiny ball of energy cheer leading coach we work with) or densely muscled people (like the body builder or the college shot put thrower we are work with). Most Olympic swimmers are in this category as well - few of them actually float. The general pattern is that fat and tissue float while bones and muscles don’t. The combination of those components along with air in your lungs decides if you float or not. Floating challenged people taught by standard swim curriculums often find the process frustrating because it builds from and assumes the student can float. To stay up in the water or to get a breath, ‘sinkers’ require some level of propulsion. That propulsion can come from pulling and/or kicking and/or sculling. We have a program for those ‘floating challenged’ among us that we will be videoing near the end of this quarter if all goes well. We start with getting comfortable sinking and being on the bottom (shallow water) with and without your breath. Most people are surprised at how long it takes them to get to the bottom while falling forward. Rocks we are not! Once comfy, we enjoy the sink and use our hands to spin ourselves under water and to start pulling ourselves along the bottom or ‘middle’ of the pool - much like the floaters, just underwater. Then we work on pulling to the top for breath, and sculling and/or kicking. As those skills improve, we find ways to float with propulsion. It’s usually quite the fun class. Most other skills transfer nicely from there. Hope to have something to share soon.
Hi Melissa. I am sorry to hear that and sorry to be late in responding. You are not alone. We hear stories every week of people who drowned and were pulled from the water and resuscitated, or who nearly drowned, or who saw friends or family drown, or who have heard stories all their life of aunts or uncles or parents drowning. Experiences and reactions like that make learning to swim MUCH more challenging. That’s why, for those who want to learn, we focus on comfort. We talk with most people who report fear before they come to class because the first lessons and conversations often need to happen out of the water. The great news is that Denise (the amazing lady in the video) did come back to the top and that she knew she would and knows she will again. She also knows how to move in the water to speed up her ascent if she needs/wants to, and she knows how to judge her breath to make sure she will have enough air to get back to the top before running out. Most scared adults come in thinking that sinking is standard operating procedure in the water, just like it is on land. They are SO surprised when they find out the water has a different set of rules. I am going to hope you have fewer triggering events and, perhaps one day, if you want to, find some comfort in the water.
It IS easy for the vast majority of people and that's exactly the surprise for so many. It is NOT what so many expect. wishing you a lifetime of comfort in the water!
Hi King Yute. Thanks for the comment. True. Women, on average, have higher body fat levels than men, which helps them (on average), float higher than men. Floating is the result of body composition (think fat, tissue, bone, and muscle) in combination with body size (height, width), plus the amount of air in your lungs. Keep an eye out for our sinkers series, you’ll see men with the same floating experience as Denise (the lady in the video) - most humans share her experience whether male or female. You will also see a few men and women who ‘float’ below the top of the water or who actually sink. I’m looking forward to the series.
![Water Treading - [Skill you need to stay afloat in deep water]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/btm5k5Sh-LY/mqdefault.jpg)
That’s what I need. A patient coach. Mine yells and acts like I am lazy for being afraid of deep water
mine doesn't get in the water with me and i'd feel safer if he did
😂
Sane with me and that bastard doesn't come in water
I tackled the deep end on my own after having a word with the lifeguards to keep an eye on me. They were apprehensive but seeing my resoluteness they refrained from interfering. Floating on my back I drifted off to 8 feet. However the first time round panic got the better of me so just rolled on my stomach and swam to the wall.
Sheila, then you really need to find another coach. With something as intricate as learning to swim, you need a patient, encouraging coach.
I'm getting goosebumps as I write this. Thank you so much. All I've ever heard was to keep treading and relax. But I could never fully relax because I never understood the natural float concept. Which is essential for my psyche. Thank you!
So very glad to be helpful Deez!! Thanks for your comment. There are a lot of people in your same situation.
Sir i reacted to this like you just discovered fire, i've been looking for a clear instruction of this for 2 years and finally here it is, thank you so much
You're most welcome Medd. Glad these are helpful for you. BEST of luck to you.
what an underrated video! this was a fantastic lesson
Glad you liked it!
Thank you for the kind words bumblebox.
You are AMAZING! I know how to swim so long as I can touch the floor. But if it's something really deep, I do not know how to stay afloat and it frightens me.
Hi BeeS. Thank you for the kind words.
There are a lot of people in exactly your same situation - they feel safe in shallow water but not in deep water. If you can back float in the shallow water and breath or if you can do bobs with breath in shallow water w/o touching the bottom, then you have the skills to float or bob (and breath) exactly the same in deep water. The challenge is that many people are so scared of deep water that they panic and forget everything they know when they get into deep water. The fear just overwhelms them. That's why we move slowly, carefully, methodically - building on the skills we learned in the shallow water and carrying those to the deep water. No pushing or forcing.
IF you tend to sink in the shallow water, you'll tend to sink in the deep as well. For 'sinkers', comfort in deep water comes as they become aware of how to harness the buoyancy they do have (no one REALLY sinks like a rock) and to propel themselves (usually a pull or a kick or a scull) to the top of the water to get a breath. They may even learn to move so they can competently 'imitate' a float (complete with breath) with minimal effort.
We started a sinkers video series this week, so if you think you fit the sinker category, keep an eye out for it; perhaps you'll find it helpful. Wishing you calm and peace in the deep end!
@@ltachiUchia Hi ItachiUchia, Your comment goes to the heart of the definition of ‘swim’. IF you think knowing how to swim strokes or move around in the water is swimming - regardless of the the waters depth, then BeeS can swim. If your define swimming is ‘comfort in deep water’ then clearly not.
The challenge for people like BeeS is to understand how the water supports them in the shallow water and to be conscious of how they control themselves in the shallow water, then learn to carry that understanding to the deep end. The water is the same. The end goal is to come to understand that your safety in the water doesn’t depend on the wall or the sides or the bottom, but from your skills and your presence of mind and your understanding of how the water works.
I have the same issue. Just started swimming lessons for the sole purpose of being comfortable in deep water. I want to snorkel and scuba dive and this fear has been holding me back. Best of luck to you!
@@perrychristenberry1913 Thank you so much for the advice! I am definitely gonna try it.
@@BeeS392 Keep me posted BeeS. I love to hear how people progress.
Gold video. My coach just yells at me to go into the deep
Truly sorry to hear that. It's not hard to make the deep water fun; just a little more patience and comfort focused steps. Best of luck to you.
Oh.. that is bad and I am really sorry to hear that. May it's time to find a patient one..I don't respond well to tough love as well..
People don't understand that unlike other sports , forcing and yelling doesn't help much in swimming and does the opposite.
He's so gentle and explains everything so well. Subscribed!
Hi Trang. Thank you. We're glad to have you!
Thank you so much Sir. well explained I don't have to be scared anymore. Thank you!
Wonderful to get that feedback @innocentnamdialinta7440. Thank you. SO glad to be a helpful part of your swim journey.
I thoroughly enjoyed this, you’re an amazing teacher- the calm, thoughtful & confident teaching is ideal! I feel motivated to keep practicing… thanks much!
Thank you Najeary. That's very kind of you. I wish you great luck in your practice and wish you a lifetime of comfort in the water.
found my fav swimming channel. great coaching right there.
Thank you @glowiever. Apologies for the late response - just finding some of these from 4 months ago.
Wow, best tutorial video on deep water floating.
Excellent and patient teacher.
Thank you ytee001.
This guy is an excellent instructor.
Im currently in swim lessons but havent moved to the deep end yet. Thank you so much for this!
We hope you thoroughly enjoy your journey Felisha! Thanks for letting us be a part.
Wow, I have been swimming for years and yet I have never heard of this!
Thank you so much. I have been trying to learn to swim and treading has been very difficult for me. I have enrolled in many swimming classes to no avail because they don't teach well. I will try this the first time I go back to the pool. Thank yo.
I will wish you the best of luck as you test this. Be safe and keep me posted. Treading, as a rule is difficult to learn and is one of the last things most people need to learn. The Calm Within Swim has a nice way to look at treading and put it in perspective. LOTS of fun learning before you get to that challenge (if you ever get there). We don’t teach it in our beginners or advanced classes unless someone has a specific need to learn it. Wishing you ongoing comfort in the water.
This is amazing, you are explaining stuff no one tells you😊
Thank you Marion. Much of what I'm sharing is inspired by a book called Conquer Your Fear of the Water by Melon Dash. If you like what you're hearing here, you might enjoy her book as well.
This changes everything! The Navy didn’t even teach this. Thank you for making this video!
Oh woooooow. I never been in deep water and by watching this i am not afraid at all 🙂
Hi Mermaids. I'm glad watching the video eases some anxiety about the deep end - that is it's purpose after all. When you try it on your own, PLEASE have a friend or support of some kind around you and keep that support until you are certain you are both fear free AND safe in the deep end. Happy playing!
@@perrychristenberry1913 Thank you so much. No worries there will be someone to assist me will not be alone at all. I'll probably will still be a bit nervous but i know i can do it😇
@@rainbows449 That's beautiful Mermaids. Thrilled to be a small part of your success!
Best teacher so far, as this is the first best piece of swimming lesson knowledge/technique/advice for deep water.
Thank you!!
Coaches I’ve had didn’t seem to have such knowledge.
Good video, thank you
I just learned to swim around 8 months ago and I accidentally discovered what's on this video while I was trying to find a way to be afloat without effort, I had no idea it was actually a known practice.
Thanks
You're welcome. Congrats on swimming and continuing to experiment with the water. There is so much to learn and enjoy. Happy swimming.
Simply awesome, you are changing lives, thank you for this.
THANK YOU!!! personal opinion as I learn to tread this us the lesson that should come before treading. will definitely try this in class tomorrow. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
You are most welcome! Very glad to be of service detroitskate1. I agree, this is most definitely a pre-treading skill!
Awesome video! Thank you so much for uploading!
I love deep end and I enjoy that much water, one can easily float. Thanks coach for this teaching. 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏
This needs more views
Excellent -very experienced coach!
Wow..thanx coach..very smooth teach
Thank you! Always nice to hear.
I love this teacher.
@jyotiprakashpanda4717 Thank you!
I’m so excited to try this this Saturday!!! Wish me luck. LOL
Wishing you the most comfortable deep water day ever Tonya! Let me know how it goes.
@@perrychristenberry1913 I did GREAT! Thanks to your and your classes. I have just graduated from beginner to intermediate! Looking forward to prefect my strokes. Thank you again!
@@lucaslegz Congratulations Tonya!!!! Way to go! That's a fabulous achievement. Thanks for letting me know so I can celebrate with you. Best of luck dialing in all of those strokes. Woohoo!!
He's a great coach!!! 👍 patience
Thank you for the kind words.
This is a great technique and you are a great coach! Thank you very much Sir!
Thank you for the kind words @bandah123. I'm glad you found it helpful. That technique comes courtesy of Melon Dash's 'Conquer your Fear of Water' book - one of my favorite resources. It's such a powerful and not-intuitive experience for beginners to float in the water with no movement. Most people think of that being safe in the water is as something that requires lots of movement... it's just not true.
Wow that’s amazing and very helpful
Thank you Daryl!
Great videos, so in the beginning of this video you just take a deep breath and hold it for as long as you can
Thank you Ann. Yes. To start, just take a good breath, it doesn’t have to be the deepest breath you can take, and lower gently and slowly into the water until you stop going lower. There’s no need to hold your breath until the very last second, just long enough to see where you level out.
Omg...this is amazing😮 I instantly click on subscribe to this channel...😊😊😊
Thank you Siti. We hope you find the full series useful.
Wow! I haven't even tried this & I can tell it'll work when I get to the pool tomorrow. I wish I had teacher that would hop in the pool with me too as opposed to my current trainer giving order from outside the pool. I'm trying that backward head tilt though.
I hope you find it helpful at the pool Sir-Kay. Watch on the backward head tilt that your nose stays out of the water (or that you blow out your nose if it goes under or that you have a nose clip or pinch your nose shut). This is an easy place to get your nose underwater while you're looking up and that leads to water flooding your nose. Go slow and stay aware of your nose, and I'll wish you great success.
Like you, most of our students think it makes a BIG difference to have their instructor in the water with them, at least up until the time they are swimming the length of the pool on their own. The demonstration done in the water is easier to see and understand and students who aren't quite comfortable yet feel must safer. Enjoy playing in the water Sir.
@@perrychristenberry1913 Thank you, I've since been applying these technics and It's made me comfortable. I wish I was in the US, I would sign up for a full swimming bootcamp in a heartbeat.
Glad we could be a helpful part of your journey Sir-Kay. Hope your comfort continues for decades! Thank you for the follow up. It’s always nice to hear how things turn out.
@@perrychristenberry Since this technic worked I wanted to see more but, I couldn't find videos on breast strokes and freestyle, I'm doing quite ok with backstroke even though I'm open to learning them all, I have butterfly on hold till I master those first 3. Any link to videos on those 1st basic strokes?
@@Sir-Kay I thought I'd written and sent this, but I don't see it so I'll try again. There is a lot of good information here.
My favorite freestyle video is ours: th-cam.com/video/5CelIanLZ_A/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ywPB12cxA0_Je30G.
There are many other good videos as well. For breast and back stroke, a few I like are fromSkills N' Talents and the US Masters swimming and AnalysisSwim and Chris Burton. Hope you find some of these helpful!
This is so useful. Thanks
Thank you.
Thank you!😊 This explains a lot and helps immensely.🥰🥰🥰
Hi Rhonda. Loved the conversation today. I look forward to hearing about the lives you are going to influence. So glad to be part of your swim journey!
@@perrychristenberry1913 Thank you Sir. I am excited!😊
Sigma swimming 🍷🗿 I really needed this video
Thank you, coach, for being a patient teacher! Though i dont have the opportunity to learn from you in person, ive applied your deep water lessons and am now able to relax and enjoy myself in deepwater.
Thank you! SO incredibly happy to hear it Bidet. We love to hear when we're a helpful part of someone's swim journey. Wishing you years of comfort in the water!
Tried this last 2 weeks and mehn!! Am threading water so easily. You rock mehn !!
Thank you DJ. Made my morning! Yes sir - buoyancy is a wonderful thing
Yess it is !! The biggest part was trying to relax in the deep end..oh boy! Thank you soo much!! Great teacher !!
Wow! Even with the anxiety of watching this, it suddenly makes a lot of sense. I almost drowned 3 times. Being in water over my head terrifies me. I need to get through this. I will try this! I’m the guy that tries to get his entire head out of the water and panics when I can’t. Thank you!
Hi Curtis, Glad to be helpful. I will suggest that this deep water step may not be the place to start. This specific video is the 16th in a series of beginner videos that start at: th-cam.com/video/YZdDWCYNUmQ/w-d-xo.html. We start by getting comfortable in shallow water and understanding how water works, then move to deeper water to demonstrate that the floating/moving skills that work in shallow water also work in deep water. We have a lot of people who come through who've had drowning experiences before. It can be a challenge to overcome and is, in my experience, best conquered in small, safe steps. BEST of luck to you in your swim journey.
@@perrychristenberry1913 Thank you! This is very helpful. I am now following your program.
@@TUONOv4 Keep me posted. I love to hear about the journey.
You know when the coach is different...
Very good video
Thank you Rick.
Hi coach, how to become horizontal on surface when drowning vertically?
Hi Paul. I thought I'd answered this but don't see it anywhere, so if this is a duplicate somehow, I apologize. If you are comfortable floating on your back and on your front, and if you are comfortable with bobs, then you can practice this is shallow water. Start with bobs without using your feet to come up, then transition slowly to a front or back float. If you float well, as you come back up to the top, you can tilt your head forward and lean forward to move into a front float. Similarly, you can tilt your head back slowly after any bouncing has settled down, and tilt your head back, putting your ears under the water and pushing your chest up... moving into your back float. Sinkers can do the same thing, though they benefit from a small kick or scull or a couple of light pushes down to make the transition smooth. This is particularly true when moving to a back float where your nose can easily catch water if you're not careful. Once you can do this in the shallow, you can transition to the same skills in the deeper water. I hope that's helpful. Good luck on your swim journey!
This instructor is lovely. Reminds me of robin williams rip
I had no idea before that I could do that, thank you so much I will try this in the pool and update here 😂😂
Thanks Coach!
You are most welcome! Thanks for the note. Happy swimming!
Does weight matter because I'm skinny and I don't have installation body fat. So I sink
Hi Karen. It's not so much weight itself, but rather the combination of fat, tissue, muscle, bone and air. The general rule is that fat and tissue float well while bone and muscle don't float as well. In general, your body's combination of those elements along with the amount of air you have in your lungs at a given time determines how well you float (or, for a few, don't float). Everyone has what Melon Dash calls their 'water signature' - the way they float, and it's different for everyone, albeit often similar. It's important to understand how YOUR body behaves in the water and how the amount of air in your lungs changes that signature.
We have a few people who don't float at the top of the water in our classes and we do this same step with them. If they sink with a full breath, we notice how fast or slow they sink and how the amount of air they have changes the speed, and perhaps even the distance of their sinking. I, for example, float about eye level with a full breath and sink after releasing about half my air, at which point I sink to the bottom. We have a big, muscled college discuss thrower who 'floats' about 18" (~1/2 meter) below the water with a full breath. If he lets out even a puff of air, he begins sinking further. While 'floaters' don't have to expend energy to get to the surface to breath (or very little energy anyway), 'sinkers' have to spend a bit more energy to get to the top to breath, so we work with them of ways to get to the top with a minimum energy expenditure and to sink slower so the top isn't as far away. This usually involves a kick of some kind, sculling of some kind and the standard pulls we teach everyone to move upward in the water. It also involves making sure they understand that vertical floats, like the one in this video, are the worst possible floats and that moving to a front float or back float provide a great deal more buoyancy.
We will begin filming our negatively buoyant ('sinkers') series later this month. Keep an eye out for it, you might find it helpful. Hope the above is useful.
how much air is kept in chest to do this as you were speaking when doing this and do hand/arms have to be up floating?
Hi Carmie,
We usually start with a 'good natural breath'. Not the biggest breath you can take - that's uncomfortable. Perhaps 80ish percent of your lung capacity (not that there's an easy way to measure such a thing at the pool). For our natural floats, we usually stay in 'soldier stance' with hands beside the body and feet straight, however, it doesn't hurt to let your hands float like Denise does is the video. Floating hands also keeps your hands close to the wall so you can grab faster if you need to. Just remember to keep your hands UNDER the water - raising them out of the water will cause you to sink more.
Note here PLEASE that we only do this exercise in deep water if someone else is close and watching. The natural float can be practiced in shallow water with bent knees if you are by yourself or just don't feel comfortable letting go of the wall in the deep end (which is FINE). The value of this skill is seeing how the water interacts with your body while you are in the worst floating position (straight up and down).
This may not apply to you Carmie, but I'll note this for others: some people who are not sinkers will sink here because they don't take a good breath or because they release the air before they put their face in the water. It's particularly true for scared people who may have trouble getting a good breath as a result of their anxiety. As with all these skills, if this is more scary than fun - don't do it. Practice it in shallow water where you can be comfortable before you go to the deep. Your COMFORT is far more important that getting the skill right. Once you're comfortable, the skill will come.
@@perrychristenberry1913 Hi Perry, Thank you so much for such a helpful reply. I am 69 and three years ago I dunked my head for the first time at my daughters pool thru much anxiety. ongoing now by watching youtube videos I learned free-style because I wanted to do laps at a gym. I really wanted to master side breathing but so far have only been able to do 5 and I bought a swimmers snorkel and was able to master this so did laps at the gym more than a year ago. for the summer i have been using a lake near my house. I try to side breathe and then put the snorkel on waiting for kids to clear out of my way. This has been difficult. I feel I am scared still and do no other things in the water really. I do not go to my daughters pool due to having to see the deep water as I snorkel to the end and quickly return which I did last year but have not been back there. I feel I do not know how to swim and could not save myself and have to always be in shallow water so when I saw your video I know I need to somehow to do this in the deep end or perhaps try to do it in the lake by bending my knees as you said which I could try to figure out, but sometimes there is too much water movement. I wondered if a gym has a deep end. I feel I need support at times so this has been hard. I do all this alone and have to overcome queeziness each time I get into the car but force myself and once I get in I try to relax and practice and then do my snorkel workout as best as I can at the lake. I know I have made progress by doing what I am doing. I just do not know what to do to feel more comfortable or who could help. I hate the pressure of people I know who PLAY in the water and do not understand my nervousness because I seem to know what I am doing. I did do laps at a gym but stopped some time ago due to vaccine cards being necessary. Not sure what to do. You do not have to feel burdened or pressured by this long note. Sorry for this.
@@perrychristenberry1913 wow you are incredible! This is such a helpful explanation
@@bels5097 Well, you are now my favorite person Bels!! 😊 Thank you for the warm feedback . SO glad you found it helpful.
Wow, this is so useful. I have been learning how to tread water and this technique has taken away my fear of deep end. I can now attain my Natural Float anytime I feel I am getting tired of kicking and risk sinking. It is very easy to get into the backstroke position after that. Thanks @sigma swimming and @perrychristenberry1913 for such amazing technique, it's a life saver.
Thrilled you’ve found that solid comfort and confidence in the deep end. Glad to have been part of it. Thanks so much for sharing that. Here’s to a lifetime of enjoying the water!
@@perrychristenberry1913 thank for your reply. An update, my 13 year old daughter is learning how to swim (UK Stage 3) and I taught her your technique of attaining Natural Float and now she loves to practice by herself confidently in the deep end too. Thank you once again! Keep up the good work.
@@bhulkudt Woohoo!! Nicely done. So happy YOU got to be part of her being comfortable in the deep water!! Thanks for that news.
These videos are great 👍
Thank you Michael.
Absolutely beautiful
Thank you @debgreentree. Apologies for the late response - just finding some of these from 4 months ago.
@@perrychristenberry1913
Thank you for your response
I really appreciate your posts
This one helped me alot with one of my students
Thank you for your knowledge and kind and gentle way you approach things
As a swimming teacher myself
I get it
✨😊✨💕
I'm telling you! 1 year on the pool, intermediate level , I can't be on the deep without fear or panic.
What video, I will try it ! ❤
Hi Juliana. Thanks for the comment. There are a lot of people who find that learning strokes does not remove fear. Comfort in the water is about much more than learning strokes. I'd love to hear how it goes. FWIW, we have a lot of steps prior to this step. They are in the beginner series for our coaches if you'd like to see them.
You can start this process in much shallower water with your knees bent and holding onto the side. You'll get to play with the same float/sink effect without the possible unpleasant side effects tied to the deep water. Once you're comfortable and understand how your air and body effect your float in shallower water, you can move to slightly deeper and confirm that the deeper water behaves the same (it does).
IF you find a place where the water appears to behave differently, it's either because you forgot to breath, or you were so tense your breath wasn't deep (or normal even) or because you're blowing out before you put your face in the water. I see this often with people who are scared of the deep water. They can comfortably perform these skills in shallow water, but the anxiety about the deep water makes it hard for them to breath or stay aware of their breath.
The skill you want to work on here isn't so much the float as it is staying aware of what you are doing all along the way, noticing how you feel, breath, move. If you start to panic or even think you might, back up to a place/skill where you are comfortable and play there a bit, moving 'forward' only when you're sure you can stay aware and comfortable/safe. I hope you find great comfort in the deep water; it's so much fun.
Thanks so much for the video. That's what I'm working on in the deep end.
Hope you have a great time in the deep end Janice. It's the most fun once you're comfortable.
What if you're a sinker who doesn't have any natural float ..how do thread then
Hi Divine, thanks for the question. True sinkers, those who sink to the bottom with full lungs even w/o the momentum of 'dropping in', need some form of propulsion. It can be from sculling or kicking or using the classic strokes like freestyle or breast stroke, but they need at least a little movement to bring them back to the surface (or keep them on the surface) so they can breath (at least from time to time).
We started a sinkers series to answer that question as well as a few others about sinkers. You might find it interesting: th-cam.com/video/UfMzoFP2HL8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=XIDJhPvDrkNet5Wd... we'll be getting a little more practical about using propulsion to get air in the next set of videos in that series. Remember that their are a LOT of Olympic swimmers who don't float like this natural float and they all seem to manage the water just fine. We all wish you great success in the water Divine.
@@perrychristenberry1913 thanks a lot
I'll follow up the series
Cool Coach 👍🏾
Thank you Eric🙏🏼
Nice lesson
Thank you.
Thanks a lot!
You are welcome a lot Sagar.
I don’t know how to tread water but I know the basics of swimming. I can still swim in the deep even tho I don’t know how to treat water????
Absolutely. Treading is a convenience skill but not a safety skill. FLOATING is the safety skill for deep water! We don’t teach treading as part of our beginner classes because It’s exhausting for most people and difficult to use effectively for most people. Some mild treading skills can be very helpful for Sinkers learning to ‘float’, but floaters (most people) do not require it for safety. If you can float and get breath (back float or otherwise) and move around, you do not NEED to tread.
Ty I land yes I can float too . 😃
I don't know the method for treading
Hi again Karen. 'How do I tread water' is question we hear from time to time from our beginners. When I ask why they want to tread, they usually say something like 'because I want to be safe in the water'. At that point, I explain that we don't believe that treading is necessary to be safe in the water. We focus our attention solidly on floating instead. Treading takes either a little or a lot of energy and floating takes no energy at all (or next-to-none for 'sinkers') in most cases. In all cases, treading is the harder skill to learn and requires the most energy. If students still want to learn treading after they feel safe in the deep water, then we will teach it as an advanced skill just like we would for a competent swimmer taking a life guard exam or a military test requiring treading. You'll hear some people say that treading is critical for safety, but that's not our experience. We teach floating for safety in the water for beginners.
There's a component of treading called 'sculling' that we teach to some beginners and that we teach to all of our 'sinkers'. We teach it not for the purposes of treading, but for adding lift and gentle propulsion to floats. Since sculling is part of treading, you will find that most treading videos start with sculling. A few of my favorite sculling/treading videos for beginning students are available at th-cam.com/play/PLI0bWjWd83tFve82-EB112xt5EGFSuv1G.html. If you want to learn treading, youtube is full of good videos. Searching 'treading water' will point you to a host of people teaching different techniques and providing explanations and opinions. Try out several and find the one(s) that work for you. I hope you find the videos and information helpful and, again, I wish you the best of luck on your swimming journey.
@Perry Christenberry Trust me, all the swim training videos are very helpful. That's how I learned. Thank you for sharing the information on treading
@@kareneldridge2311 Thank you Karen and I am glad to hear it. We’re rooting for you.
How deep is the water ?
The water at this pool is 12 feet deep.
Bro should be working in the finest restaurant in the world.... Because the way he speaks
1st time I've heard that Afroz Khan. Made me smile. Thanks,
Can I breath when doing this
To find your float, hold your breath. To feel the sink (if you have a sink), blow out under water. Once you have those and move to your back, breath as much as you like.
I am afraid of swimming pools not to mention the ocean. I tried to learn but I don't like the water entering my ears, nose, I am watching this videos to learn.
i float too well also, but I feel like the worst in the group because I don't sink like they do
Hi Maria,
I hear 'I float too well' quite frequently when we are working on trying to sink or to pick up items from the bottom of the pool and it always makes me smile. It's a wonderful irony for me because most of the people who say that came into class because they were scared about getting to the bottom and drowning. Now they're complaining about not sinking! I love it. My response is usually something like: 'Aww, that's such a shame... it's going to be so hard for you to drown! I'm so sad for you'. 😉 Then we laugh and talk about ways to sink, which I'll gladly share. Before I do, I'll say that It's common for the best floater in a class to be the worse sinker. Remember that sinking is NOT a requirement for being safe in the water - it's just a fun addition for a floater. Remember too that for many people, especially those who don't float well, sinking is an uncomfortable condition they are in class to 'overcome'.
OK. Ways to sink when you find you are unable to get to the bottom. These are all about adjusting Air and Force/Speed. The general concepts here are:
- Air floats exceptionally well. Get rid of some of it and you'll sink better.
- Go into the water with more force, and you'll drop deeper. Eventually this includes kicking and pulling yourself toward the bottom and duck dives, but I'll skip those for now.
1. Blow your air out (you can't really blow it all out) drop in. And deeper?
2. Drop in quickly instead of gently. Any deeper?
3. Blow your air out, then drop in quickly. Any deeper?
4. Jump up and use the extra speed coming down to drive you closer to the bottom. Any deeper?
We have a wonderful lady in class who I call a 'super floater'. It is SO hard for her to get deep in the water.. She worked for weeks and weeks and was finally able to get down to pick up something off of the 12 foot bottom of the pool. To do so, she had to dive and wear fins to help her propel herself with some extra force. You can see her (w/o fins) at th-cam.com/video/H-PfB0SnHGs/w-d-xo.html . You can see how she 'stalls' even on her dive before she gets to the bottom, even though she's kicking in an attempt to get there. Getting deep into the water remains a challenge for her but, WOW, is she ever comfortable floating and gently moving through the water! Enjoy the safety of that wonderful float Maria... and practice on the sinking IF you'd like - it is rather fun.
@@perrychristenberry1913 this is amazing advice, thanks for taking the time. I just got back from pool. I'm quite comfortable doing lengths freestyle, but simple things like kicking off wall, the way the teacher wants, and sinking I struggle with
@@marias8007 Wow. You go Maria!! Some things, like pushing off the wall, are important if you are racing, but not so important for swimming or comfort. Pushing off the wall is actually one of my favorite swimming experiences. I love to feel the water sliding past me… but that’s me. You can practice that, and the sinking, but it’s just a fun add in to the package. Take what you find useful and fun; the rest isn’t critical.
Nice
Thank you Soori.
Crazy…. Babies do this with no problem
I literally feel the haertbeat in my chest
Hey guys I just learned this on my self when I almost drown earlier on 7ft pool😂
I use freestyle kicks but a little wider and for the arms I did back and forth motion and I float try it with someone who can swim at first cuz ur gonna die if you didn't
Hi Panda. I'm glad you found a way to feel safe in the water. That's so important. What you've learned sounds like treading, which can be useful and is certainly one of several ways to get air while you're in the water.
Treading is different from what we teach in this lesson. Most people come to us believing that they have to move to be safe in the water. They believe that failing to move = sinking to the bottom.= dying. For the VAST majority of adults, that's not true. For most, the buoyancy of the water is sufficient to keep them floating at/near the top of the water - no movement required - which is what the video demonstrates. This is a stunning revelation for most students. It challenges the misconceptions of the water they previously held, providing an opportunity for them to be curious about how the water really works, and delivers a nice dose of confidence and fear reduction. Best of success to you as you continue your swim journey! Thanks for the comment.
So what about when I’m in waves lol
@unii1009 thanks for the question. While the float works the same (well, technically you actually float better in salt water), the effect with the waves is certainly different. If you’re not in rolling surf, then it’s mostly the same but I like to be on my back to breath better. In rolling surf, you still float (and body surfing is fun), but the experience of getting covered or rolled by a wave takes a few extra skills to manage comfortably. 😊
I don't understand the natural float. Tried this today with a teacher. I sank immediately and panicked -.-
Hi Neocyndaquil, I am always sad to hear that someone panics during a class - even if it’s not ours. I am sad our video was part of that. Our goal is to help people feel comfortable and encourage people to not push outside their comfort zone. That’s more important than getting a skill… and the skills will come once you are comfortable. This Natural float is a step we offer only after students learn the steps we show in the full beginner series. You might find the full series helpful.
That said, let me answer your question - at least a somewhat short version. The primary intent of this experience is to 1) let you experience your worst possible float a) with and b) without air and 2) to experience the difference between bobbing and sinking - because they are different sensations and 3) to clarify how much energy you will need to stay at the top of the water.
We don’t present this to people until they are comfortable sinking and knowing they can get back up to air. IF we have a ‘sinker’, then we get comfortable sitting and laying on the bottom in shallow water well before we move to this ‘Natural’ float experience. Very few people actually sink if they have air in their lungs. When someone sinks it’s usually because they didn’t get a good breath before they lowered into the water or because they thrashed around. Some people mistake bobbing for sinking as well and often panic as a result. That said, there ARE people who legitimately sink - mostly very fit and muscled people (like Olympians) - many of us call them sinkers since that’s how they often refer to themselves. We are recording a sinkers series at the moment we hope to start releasing soon. Sinkers need a different series of steps to get to the ‘same’ swimming place as people who float well. They need to know they don’t really sink ‘like a rock’ and how to work with the water’s natural buoyancy to find a float with some form of propulsion and, and, and. You can ‘practice the Natural float (or sink) in shallow water with your knees bent. Get used to sinking. Try holding a full breath and try blowing your breath outs Watch the different effect of having breast and not having breath. ‘Drop’ in, the lower yourself super-slowly, so the top of your head is even with the top of the water before loosening your grip on the side. IF you just keep sinking, then get comfy on the bottom in shallow water, then pull yourself along underwater, and learn to pull yourself back to the top. And watch for our sinkers series. Keep me posted. Hope this is helpful.
I fell asleep listening to this coach
Hi Whitby Retreat. I hope the rest, at least, was helpful. 😊
@@perrychristenberry1913 Yes very helpful. Great video actually!
@@whitbyretreat145 Thank you very much.
❤️❤️❤️🌹
Back floating is the first thing everyone should learn before learning to swim. Should take 10 mins. Learning to swim should take no more than 1 hour.
Hi Alien Soup. Thanks for the comment. There are a lot of strategies that work really well for many people. Your back float idea is one. I know several coaches who, like you, like to start with back floats because it allows the student to breathe (assuming they are not a sinker) and breathing is more comfortable than not breathing. And, for the majority of people, the back float becomes the position of safety for them in the water, though I will carefully note that being able to perform a back float and being comfortable in a back float can be two very different things.
In our program we consider the background of the learner and understand that not everyone starts from the same place. We've had students who wanted to swim but were scared to walk down the steps into the water, so we started by sitting on the steps and talking and watching. We frequently have students who are comfortable floating on their face but terrified to lay on their back, so we take time to explain how the water works and provide drills that let them move at their own pace. A recent student was pulled under the water when she was young by a brother and his friends who thought they were being funny. This is a story we hear often but this one happened while she was floating on her back. She had not been in the water since that experience until she came to us and she was terrified to be on her back in the water. There are some very good teachers who've been working with both scared and non-scared beginners for decades. Our program incorporates their experiences and our students' experiences and our goal is to provide comfort from start to finish, starting where they are and moving at their pace. If they're ready to learn a back float in 10 minutes and be 'swimming' in an hour, great. If they're starting somewhere else and it takes them longer, that's fine too. Wishing you, and those you teach, a lifetime of comfort in the water.
🏊🏼♂️🏊🏻♀️
😊
3:41
Hi Vashon. Can you help me understand '3:41'? Thanks.
My natural float is the bottom of the pool
Hi @Logan-dk8of. Apologies for the late replay - a few comments managed to 'disappear' and I am just seeing them. I love playing with sinkers. It's such fun. We've started and sinkers series and will be finishing the videos in March and April. You might enjoy them. The bottom is really quite a fun place once you get the hang of it.
Not being funny but I don’t float never have…I always just sink no matter what
Hi BrownBlasian. Thanks for your comment. You are not alone in your ‘floating challenged’ state. A few people don’t float above water at all and a fair number of others have legs that sink.
As a rule, these are generally lean, active people with good muscle definition and little body fat (like the tiny ball of energy cheer leading coach we work with) or densely muscled people (like the body builder or the college shot put thrower we are work with). Most Olympic swimmers are in this category as well - few of them actually float.
The general pattern is that fat and tissue float while bones and muscles don’t. The combination of those components along with air in your lungs decides if you float or not. Floating challenged people taught by standard swim curriculums often find the process frustrating because it builds from and assumes the student can float.
To stay up in the water or to get a breath, ‘sinkers’ require some level of propulsion. That propulsion can come from pulling and/or kicking and/or sculling.
We have a program for those ‘floating challenged’ among us that we will be videoing near the end of this quarter if all goes well. We start with getting comfortable sinking and being on the bottom (shallow water) with and without your breath. Most people are surprised at how long it takes them to get to the bottom while falling forward. Rocks we are not! Once comfy, we enjoy the sink and use our hands to spin ourselves under water and to start pulling ourselves along the bottom or ‘middle’ of the pool - much like the floaters, just underwater. Then we work on pulling to the top for breath, and sculling and/or kicking. As those skills improve, we find ways to float with propulsion. It’s usually quite the fun class. Most other skills transfer nicely from there.
Hope to have something to share soon.
I almost drowned and I was so triggered by this video when she was going down
Hi Melissa. I am sorry to hear that and sorry to be late in responding. You are not alone. We hear stories every week of people who drowned and were pulled from the water and resuscitated, or who nearly drowned, or who saw friends or family drown, or who have heard stories all their life of aunts or uncles or parents drowning. Experiences and reactions like that make learning to swim MUCH more challenging. That’s why, for those who want to learn, we focus on comfort. We talk with most people who report fear before they come to class because the first lessons and conversations often need to happen out of the water.
The great news is that Denise (the amazing lady in the video) did come back to the top and that she knew she would and knows she will again. She also knows how to move in the water to speed up her ascent if she needs/wants to, and she knows how to judge her breath to make sure she will have enough air to get back to the top before running out. Most scared adults come in thinking that sinking is standard operating procedure in the water, just like it is on land. They are SO surprised when they find out the water has a different set of rules. I am going to hope you have fewer triggering events and, perhaps one day, if you want to, find some comfort in the water.
I can lie on my back and do nothing. It‘s really easy
It IS easy for the vast majority of people and that's exactly the surprise for so many. It is NOT what so many expect. wishing you a lifetime of comfort in the water!
Women naturally are better floaters tho...should demonstrate with a man next time
Hi King Yute. Thanks for the comment. True. Women, on average, have higher body fat levels than men, which helps them (on average), float higher than men.
Floating is the result of body composition (think fat, tissue, bone, and muscle) in combination with body size (height, width), plus the amount of air in your lungs.
Keep an eye out for our sinkers series, you’ll see men with the same floating experience as Denise (the lady in the video) - most humans share her experience whether male or female. You will also see a few men and women who ‘float’ below the top of the water or who actually sink. I’m looking forward to the series.
Women are naturally better at a lot of things 🙏