Swim Better Weekly - One small change to make swimming easier.

Hi there, Mark here. Hope all is well with you.

Welcome to this week’s Swim Better Weekly - one small change to make swimming easier.

The problem

You’re happy in the shallow end. You can swim a width, maybe even a length. But as soon as the floor drops away beneath you, everything changes. Your breathing quickens, your arms start rushing and you head straight for the side to grab hold.

It’s frustrating, because you know you can swim. You were just doing it a moment ago.

Why it happens

Here’s the reassuring part: the depth of the water doesn’t change how you float. Your body floats exactly the same in deep water as it does in shallow water.

What changes is your safety net. In the shallow end you know you can stand up the moment something feels wrong. When that’s taken away, your mind decides you’re in danger. Your muscles tighten and your breathing gets short, and a tense body sits lower in the water, which seems to prove the fear right. I’ve answered some genuine concerns from swimmers who were terrified of heading into deep water, right here - check out my responses and solutions.​

What you need is a new safety net: knowing you can always get yourself back to the wall.

Try this in the pool

Start in water where you can comfortably stand, next to the wall and holding on.

1. Push gently away from the wall, no more than a body length, and glide or swim a short way without putting your feet down.
2. Turn around and swim back to the wall, still without touching the floor, and hold on again.
3. Each time it feels comfortable, start a little further away. Notice that you got yourself back every single time.

Practise this for around 5 minutes before trying it during a short, easy swim.

A quick safety reminder: never swim or practise alone. Use a supervised pool and stay within a depth that feels safe for your current ability. If you’re nervous or unable to swim independently, practise with a qualified swimming teacher or another responsible person close by.

Watch out for…

Starting too far from the wall, or moving into deeper water too soon. If an early attempt frightens you, your mind takes it as proof that deep water is dangerous. Keep a secure exit close by and make each step small. Only move into slightly deeper water, still beside the wall, once turning and returning feels easy.

Remember

Deep or shallow, the water holds you the same.

Want more help?

Deep-water confidence is something I’ve helped many nervous swimmers with over the years, and I’ve put my step-by-step approach into The Complete Beginners Guide to Swimming.

The Complete Beginners Guide to Swimming contains guidance on overcoming your fear of the water, including deep water, along with exercises for floating, submerging and building confidence one small step at a time. It’s been downloaded more than 12,000 times.

See you next week,

Mark
Swim Teach

P.S. Has deep water been holding you back? Hit reply and tell me where you’re at: shallow end, halfway, or nearly there. I read every reply.