Floating made easy: science, teaching tips, and lesson plans inside.


How do I float, and why do I sink? It's a question commonly asked by beginners learning how to swim.

Hi, Mark here. Hope all is well.

​
Ever wondered why some people float effortlessly while others seem to sink like a stone? 🤔
This week, I’m sharing two powerful resources to help you (and your swimmers) finally crack the floating puzzle:


🧑‍🏫 For Swimming Teachers: A Ready-to-Use Floating & Gliding Lesson Plan

Teaching floating can be tricky — but with the right structure, it becomes one of the most rewarding skills to teach.

👉 Download Lesson Plans for Beginners that teach floating and boost confidence.​
It includes clear progressions and adaptable drills to suit different confidence levels. Perfect for:
âś… Saving planning time
âś… Ensuring structured progress
✅ Boosting your swimmers’ confidence

Looking for more ready-made lessons?
👉 Explore the full collection of Swimming Lesson Plans and build your complete teaching toolkit.


🌊 For Beginners: Why We Sink (And How to Float)

Floating while still is not the same as staying up while swimming. The secret lies in relative density — think logs vs rocks.

People with more body fat tend to float more easily, while leaner, muscular swimmers may sink. But here’s the good news: anyone can learn to float with the right technique.

👉 Read the simple science behind floating and sinking​
You’ll also find practical exercises that make floating click — even if you’ve always struggled.


📚 Your Next Step

Whether you’re a teacher looking to make your lessons more effective, or a beginner determined to feel confident in the water, these two pages will give you the knowledge and tools to get there.

👉 See More Lesson Plans for Teachers​
👉 Learn How to Float (Step by Step)​


Happy swimming,​
Mark
​Swim Teach

P.S. If this email was forwarded to you, subscribe here to get weekly tips, drills, and teaching resources straight to your inbox.

Hi! I'm Mark, creator of Swim Teach

I've been teaching swimming for over 30 years and I built Swim Teach so that I can share all my knowledge, wisdom and experience from the thousands of swimming lessons I have had the pleasure of teaching. Take a look back through my previous newsletters and see what you missed.

Read more from Hi! I'm Mark, creator of Swim Teach

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 Your front crawl kick takes lots of effort and creates plenty of splash, but it doesn’t seem to move you forwards very effectively. Your legs may tire quickly, leaving you breathless before your arms have had a chance to settle into a comfortable rhythm. Why it happens An effective front...

The complete beginners guide to swimming ebook pdf download

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 Swimming feels like pushing through the water rather than slipping smoothly through it. You may kick harder and pull faster, yet still feel slow or tired because the water seems to resist every movement. Why it happens Your body meets less resistance when it forms a long, narrow shape....

Breaststroke teaching toolkit for swimming teachers

Hi there, Mark here. Breaststroke is one of the strokes I’m asked about most by swimming teachers. And I understand why. You can teach the leg kick. You can teach the arm action. You can teach the breathing. But getting a swimmer to put pull, breathe, kick and glide together in the right sequence can be a completely different challenge. That’s exactly why I created the Breaststroke Teaching Toolkit. It gives you three practical resources to reach for whenever breaststroke starts becoming...