Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

37 percent of adults cannot swim the length of a 25-yard pool

well.blogs.nytimes.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–56 of 56 posts

Re: 37 percent of adults cannot swim the length of a 25-yard pool

#51

Post by termarks »

I spent six years in the US Navy, and never learned how to swim before or after I joined.

They give you a basic swim test, administered by Navy SEALs. It involved (at the time, mid-90s) jumping from a 25ft high diving board into a pool, and treading water for a bit. This simulated having to dive over the edge of a ship in case you had to evacuate.

Anyway, I climb up, get to the edge of the diving board and just freeze. A very unhappy SEAL actually had to climb up and push me off the board. I must have been a really sad, pathetic case because one of the other SEALs doing the training pulled me aside and worked with me for the remainder of the day so that I could pass the swim test later that afternoon.

Kinda makes me wish I had learned when I was a kid, or had the time to learn now. At least I can still tread water.

Re: 37 percent of adults cannot swim the length of a 25-yard pool

#52

Post by mongol »

daliusd wrote: post #19
mongol wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To improve your chances of survival if you fall into the water? Pretty important skill to have I think.

How many times have you felt into the water involuntary in your life? I can't count single time.

It's certain that many people will fall in the water. Taking that into account it is sensible to teach children how to swim. It is a simple skill that saves lives

Re: 37 percent of adults cannot swim the length of a 25-yard pool

#53

Post by jameshart »

jiggy2011 wrote: post #43
jameshart wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And one key phrase in there that emphasizes a difference between the UK and US is "council pool". My experience in the US - even in Massachusetts where they actually have functioning local government and aren't too afraid of providing public services - is that providing a swimming pool is a pretty low priority for town government. Often a pool will be provided by the local school system, but access will still be base…

Council pools will still charge membership fees or one off fees for use by non-members. Though these fees are probably somewhat cheaper than they would be if privately provided.

One off fees are fine - my experience in the US is that pools that allow any non-member access are few and far between.

Re: 37 percent of adults cannot swim the length of a 25-yard pool

#54

Post by jrockway »

jiggy2011 wrote: post #48
jrockway wrote: post #44

I guess I don't think this is very important. The key is to exercise your heart, and there are plenty of easier ways to do that. I think people focus too much on running and swimming. Both are difficult; running puts a lot of strain on your body as it counters forces several times its own weight 180 times a second. Good for your bones, if you can handle it. Swimming is less strain, but the equipment is very, very exp…

The downside to cycling is definitely safety unless you're using a stationary bicycle which is boring as hell. It can also get relatively expensive.

Cycling is expensive if you want it to be, but if you're trying to get exercise, there is no point in optimizing for the weight.

The difference between a 200 pound rider on a 15 pound bike and a 200 pound rider on a 20 pound bike is a $2000 rounding error.

Re: 37 percent of adults cannot swim the length of a 25-yard pool

#55

Post by etfb »

mathieuh wrote: post #39
etfb wrote: post #26

Dateline: nineteen seventy-mumble. School swimming lesson, small town rural Australia. Me, aged seven, evidently having a mild but irritating panic attack about having to go into the water. Swimming instructor gets sick of my shit and throws me in. Oddly, this does not reduce my panic attack! He pulls me back out again and yells at me for disrupting the class. ... And learns an important lesson: if you're going to lo…

It's good that you got someone fired because of who your parents are, top job.

He got himself fired for being an idiot. My Dad would have done the same regardless of who it was; the only difference is that some other kids (or parents) might have been too timid to approach him about it.

But yeah, thanks for your interpretation, that's good too. Pat-pat-pat.

Re: 37 percent of adults cannot swim the length of a 25-yard pool

#56

Post by daliusd »

mrgriscom wrote: post #50
daliusd wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How many times have you felt into the water involuntary in your life? I can't count single time.

Good, because if you can't swim, it only takes one time!

That can be said about any survival skill: hunting (e.g. shooting, searching), identifying non-poisonous mushrooms or plants, knowing how to make fire without dedicated tools, surviving in cold climate, hot climate, sea and etc. You simply can't know everything. It is nice to know these skills but there is low probability that you will benefit from them.

Only 20% people in Hong Kong (and I believe mainland China) know how to swim - doesn't look like a problem for them.

Post reply on HN