Learning to swim as an adult...inexpensively

[EconDiva]

I'm 37.  I can't swim at all.  I find when I travel I always end up being drawn to and going to places near the ocean.  But all I can do is wade in the water a bit.

That's getting old :)

I went to the Bahamas with friends like 5 years ago...decided to get on one of those "floating beach mats" and long story short fell asleep on it for just long enough (which wasn't long at all) to find myself alone far far out in the ocean just floating away on top of the huge waves of deep waters that, had I moved in the slightest wrong way, I would've simply toppled right over and drowned.  Still have nightmares to this day while waiting on that mat for my friends to notice I was gone and get help to pull me back to shore.  On another trip to the lake my first experience jet skiing was cut short after 4 consecutive falls into the lake off of the jet ski (some girls just like to ride hard I guess lol).  My nerves just couldn't take not being able to even maneuver myself back onto the jet ski from the water each time that happened.

Anyways!!  I need to learn how to swim!  I did a little hunting around and swimming lessons simply are not cheap.  I'm not finding anything that fits into my budget or that I wouldn't feel frivolous about spending on.

So...has anyone here learned how to swim as an adult?  How did you learn and how much did it cost you?  For my purposes I just want to be able to lose my fear of drowning, participate in water activities when I travel such as snorkeling, and feel comfortable enough to go out into the ocean either with my friends or on my own. 

Thoughts?

[CowboyAndIndian]

I'm 37.  I can't swim at all.  I find when I travel I always end up being drawn to and going to places near the ocean.  But all I can do is wade in the water a bit.

That's getting old :)

No, you are not too old to learn swimming!

I asked the same question and I am a lot older than you are (http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/off-topic/is-it-too-late-for-me-to-learn-how-to-swim/). I got a lot of encouragement from this forum (what wonderful people on this forum!).  I started this topic in September and it took me till late in the year to work up the courage to take the plunge.

Anyways!!  I need to learn how to swim!  I did a little hunting around and swimming lessons simply are not cheap.  I'm not finding anything that fits into my budget or that I wouldn't feel frivolous about spending on.

I ended up taking private lessons which are held in hotel pools in this area. It is expensive (approx $37/half hour session). This worked best for me, it is expensive but worth it.

You can do it for a lot cheaper if you have access to a pool e.g a community pool or if you are member of the Y or your fitness club has a pool. Then you may be able to get lessons for about $20.

You could also join an adult swim class in your community Y or fitness center. There may be 4 or 5 people per class. These are much cheaper.

So...has anyone here learned how to swim as an adult?  How did you learn and how much did it cost you?  For my purposes I just want to be able to lose my fear of drowning, participate in water activities when I travel such as snorkeling, and feel comfortable enough to go out into the ocean either with my friends or on my own. 

As of this time, I am able to do the free style on the long side of the pool (12 meters or approx 40 feet). I can float on my back and do an elementary back stroke. I am learning to tread water.  I'm not sure I can confidently say I have learned, but I think I can say that in a couple of months.

BTW, according to my instructor, snorkeling is far easier than free style swimming. He even brought in flippers one day and I tried it out.

So go for it! We are all rooting for you.

[Thinkum]

For such an important life skill as swimming, I would not balk at pricey lessons if that is all that is available/convenient to your schedule. I don't mean to say you should drop $100/lesson, but certainly you can find a good class to join or private lesson. Have you tried looking at community classes? This is usually the time they start sending out their schedules for Spring/Summer. You can also try to find aquatic centers in your area. Once you get the basics, you can go out and practice without an instructor. There are also a lot of how-to videos online. It's never too late to learn.

[lbmustache]

I agree about paying for lessons because it will probably be the easiest/fastest.

I think you can teach yourself how to swim with 1) a pool* and 2) pool noodles. I learned how to swim when I was a kid (pre-Youtube!) so it might have been easier/more intuitive. I would hold on to the edge of the pool and learn to kick, and then graduate to the pool noodles. Then I would let go of the pool noodle a bit and sort of swim to it - kind of like half-swim/half doggy-paddle; eventually I picked up the correct technique and figured out all the different strokes through observation.

Maybe some youtube videos can help as well?

*Most pools will have an elevation/grade that starts around 3-4ft, so your feet should always be able to touch the bottom (unless you're really short).

[SilveradoBojangles]

I used to teach swim lessons, and taught many adults to swim. Consider group classes for beginner adults at your local YMCA, which tend to be less expensive.

The biggest differences between teaching kids and adults to swim are a) adults are more afraid, which makes them tense and undermines their ability to float, and b) you can make kids do things they don't want to do. It's just easier to get kids to push their boundaries and try new things, which is essential for learning any new skill. But the basics are the same.

You might be able to do some work on your own in a shallow pool since you don't seem to be terrified of water. The most important component of swimming is learning to float. If you can learn to float (both face down and on your back), you can keep yourself alive in an emergency. The second thing I teach is breath control. This means putting your face in the water, then exhaling slowly through your nose, then lifting your face to take a breath in through your mouth, then face down, slow exhale through your nose. You want to become very comfortable with this style of breathing. Then you'll combine floating and breath control, ideally learning to roll to the side or on to your back in order to get your mouth out for your breath, then rolling face down again.

Once you are comfortable with breath control and floating (back and front), it's time to learn how to propel yourself forward. This is done through kicking and arm movements. You can watch you tube videos on these for technique, but the biggest problem adults have with the kicking is learning to point their toes. Without pointed toes during a freestyle kick you'll actually go backwards. I generally teach people the kicks and arm movements separately, and then we work on putting it all together.

The first "swimming" people do in my class is to float face down, and then start kicking in order to move. Once my students are comfortable with floating and kicking together, we add in arm movements and learning how to roll to the side for a comfortable breath. I also teach other low impact strokes like breaststroke, side stroke, etc. But if you just want to be able to save yourself in an emergency, start with floating, breath control, and kicking.

I absolutely recommend you start with lessons to learn the basics, and then take some time to practice on your own to get those basics down. Really, its all about being comfortable with your face in the water, which takes time.

[CowboyAndIndian]

Really, its all about being comfortable with your face in the water, which takes time.

I would recommend swim goggles. It used to bother me getting the chlorinated water in my eyes, but goggles allow you to see underwater (so cool).

I got this one, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ENQSYU

[Tom Bri]

I learned to swim as an adult (I was 19). I was afraid of the water as a kid, and was so skinny that I sank. Chubby people float, skinny people sink! I decided to learn to swim, and just went to the college pool and started trying. Breast stroke is easiest, because your face is above water most of the time. Backstroke is nice too, very relaxing.
Then, learn to crawl. Don't worry about rolling to breath at first. Just put your face down in the water and stroke with your arms. Stick your head up and breath every few strokes. You really don't even need to use your legs at first. Once you have your arms and legs working in rhythm, you can learn to roll nose-up and take a breath.
The suggestion above to wear goggles is perfect, much more pleasant swimming.
It took me a few months to get good at it. Eventually I was able to swim a mile without stopping.
Stick to shallow water when learning, so you feel confident you can stand up if you inhale water. A calm, warm beach, if the water is shallow a long way out is great too. Sea-water is more buoyant so swimming is easier.

[EconDiva]

Really, its all about being comfortable with your face in the water, which takes time.

I would recommend swim goggles. It used to bother me getting the chlorinated water in my eyes, but goggles allow you to see underwater (so cool).

I got this one, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ENQSYU

Ah...you just brought back memories of me having problems with this.

I forgot to mention as a child I did take a basics class but don't remember anything from it.

But I do remember the difficulty of seeing in the pool; I could never open my eyes under water without feeling the burning sensation and having to close them....

[ShoulderThingThatGoesUp]

Goggles give you a lot of confidence when you end up entirely underwater.

[Zikoris]

You can teach yourself to swim. I finally learned when I was 16 by going down to the local lake with a friend who could swim, and just practicing until I stopped sinking. My friend gave me pointers here and there and kept me from drowning (though I stayed in the shallow area, so it would have been hard). It's really pretty simple to learn. You could also use pool noodles or something to start.

[2Birds1Stone]

See if there is a USMS Masters Swim Group in your area. I go to one on Monday nights after work and LOVE it.

I could only doggie paddle when I started back in October 1st.

This past Monday I swam 2200 Meters in 49 minutes using freestyle stroke.

I pay $180 for a package of 10 one hour sessions. Totally worth it!!

[RetiredAt63]

Goggles are good for pools and salt water.  In fresh water you can open your eyes and it won't hurt.  If your hair is long enough to get in your eyes or mouth when you are swimming, tie it back or wear a swim cap.

If you learn to swim in a pool, you will find it different when you hit open water.  There is a bottom (sandy or not as nice) and waves.

Lessons are good to start with - you want to learn good technique so you are not wearing yourself out with inefficient movements.  A friend and I spent a whole summer walking up and down the side of the pool, giving feedback to my husband, who was swimming on sheer muscle power, no technique.  Two months later he was a good swimmer.

[olivia]

Definitely can be done!  I'm taking adult group swim lessons right now and I can't recommend them enough!  (I actually started with private lessons but it wasn't nearly as helpful as I thought it would be-too much pressure and the coach didn't seem to understand just how beginner I actually was.) The group format is definitely much better, at least for me.

I work at a university and belong to the gym there ($16/month). As a member, group adult swim lessons are $40 for 8 sessions. (4 week session, lessons 2x/week.) There are 3 levels at my gym for adult group lessons-beginner, intermediate, and adult. You first take an online quiz and based on your responses, it recommends which level to start at. (I was placed in intermediate because I could put my face in the water, float and doggy paddle.)

After just 4 weeks I can now do freestyle, breast stroke, backstroke, elementary backstroke and sidestroke, as well as proper turns and dives. We also had one class devoted to water safety, like how to swim against a current, which was very helpful. Aside from the swim lessons I only practice once/week in the pool, but I do sometimes watch videos and practice some of the movements at home.  (As a non-swimmer I have no muscle memory so just practicing how to kick or move my arms while I'm on the couch is helpful.)

The beginner class is held right before ours and my swim teacher said that it starts off out of the pool and very slowly progresses, because many of the adults have no swimming experience at all. So you will definitely not feel self-conscious as an adult who doesn't know how to swim!

I would check out swim team pools, university gyms or YMCAs for group lessons.  All of those around here offer group lessons.  (I didn't even know there were entire swim team pool complexes-was obviously not a swimmer growing up so it just wasn't on my radar.)

I'm actually signed up for a triathlon at the end of April with a mile long swim, and I feel super confident that I'll be able to do the full distance by then, and safely. The possibility of a triathlon is what spurred me to learn how to swim.  And it is an INSANELY good workout-I continue to be shocked at how worn out I am after an hour long lesson, when large parts of the lesson are the instructor teaching, not me swimming!  :P

[StacheInAFlash]

I too never knew how to swim until an adult. I mean, I could swim an extremely short distance (like 10 meters) using brute strength, but no way could I save myself from drowning under anything but optimal conditions. I was also not scared of water; I was fine being underwater, and what not.  I took private lessons at a local college. $45 for 3 lessons. I did two packs total, so 6 lessons, one on one with the instructor. I went that route because I considered it cheap, it allowed me to custom fit my lessons into a busy schedule, and I didn't want to deal with time wasted while the instructor dealt with other students.

As for how it went, I can now swim over a mile non-stop in the pool. It took a long time to get there though, but it was more about learning my breath and proper pace, and not the actual swim motions. I actually could never do more than 2 laps in the 25 yard pool without being out of breath and needing to recharge for a minute before going again. However, one day there was a guy next to me swimming super slow, and so I tried to slow down too, and lo and behold, I did 18 laps without problem. So I went from a max of 2 to 18 just by slowing down a bit.  And now, as I said, I can do 36 laps (a mile) without stopping, and on occasion I've done 54 laps (1.5 miles) without a single break. I know the backstroke, but I swim exclusively with the standard front crawl. I never could get the hang of the breast stroke, and I"m certainly not worrying about the butterfly yet.  Flip turns I have attempted twice, with disastrous results both times, so I just stick to touching the wall and turning around. Once I'm FIRE for sure, I'll focus more on swimming.

And for goggles, I'm surprised that is even being mentioned as a recommendation. I would have just considered that standard. In all my time in the lap pools, I've never seen anyone not wearing goggles. Swim caps are worn by almost every woman, and several of the more serious men too. I think your instructor would require you have them. Very few adults are going to learn to swim in a pool if their options are swimming blind or swimming with eyes exposed to chlorinated water, because you aren't going to learn without submerging your head. And don't get cheap goggles. Spend $20 for decent pair, which is still pretty damn cheap. Also, swimsuit...don't wear what you'd wear lounging at the beach. Get something meant for lap swimming. For women, this typically means a one piece, although there are some appropriate two pieces. For men, speedo trunks (not briefs, unless you want, but most don't unless they're competition ) rather than baggy long board shorts.

[teacherwithamustache]

If you live near Houston DM me and I will set you up with some cheap cheap adult swim lessons.

[Zacharias]

I coach a high school swimming team as a hobby and used to have lessons with runners that were terrible at swimming but wanted to improve to compete in tri-athlons.

We had a lot of success following steps from Total Immersion written by Terry Laughlin. If you're inclined to do a little bit of reading, the book has drills that build from floating in the water all the way to a full freestyle/front-crawl stroke.

[mm1970]

So, a little backstory.  I've never been a strong swimmer.  A couple of lessons as a kid.  Then I joined the Navy, and my first swim test in ROTC I flunked.  I took a class in college that got me proficient enough to pass.

But I've never been a strong/ comfortable swimmer, didn't snorkel on my honeymoon, etc.

When I was 40, I had a miscarriage.  Shortly after, I gave in to the suggestion from a friend (she'd been working on me for a few years) to try my hand at a triathlon (I was already running). There was a team called Moms in Motion (they are across country, now, and there's a similar one called Momentum for Life).  It was a sprint tri, and I warned her that I couldn't swim.  She was the swim coach for the moms in motion team (no, you do not have to be a mom).

Anyway, the team fee was not cheap.  $250, and the training went from June through mid-Sept.  Plus I had to get gear.  BUT, it started in the pool (local HS pool), also included a few weeks of once/ week at a health club, and eventually moved into the ocean, yikes!  I did the tri 2 years in a row, and slow as molasses, and the ocean still freaks me out (last time I did it was 2011).

HOWEVER, now I can swim.  I generally try to swim 2x a week at the YMCA, 1500 yds at a time.

How to do it cheaply is going to depend, completely, on where you live.  Where I live, we have a couple of public pools that you pay a membership for (get a punch card to swim, at about $5-10 per swim).  There are health clubs with pools, including 24 hour fitness, the YMCA, and some really expensive country clubs and fitness clubs.  Most of these places have swim lessons.  There are also smaller places in town (people with backyard pools) that will teach you to swim.

None of these are really cheap.  The YMCA is the cheapest (approx $5-10 per 30 minute class for a group class for kids), but you get what you pay for.  For my toddler's class, the more expensive class is much much better.  So, consider that quality can vary a LOT.

The next is practice.  Do you already have access to a pool?  (Like at your gym).  That is very important. Once I learned to swim, I eventually joined the Y because my other gym's pools had 2 lanes and was only 12 yds long.  Do you have any friends who swim?  They may be able to help you out.

Otherwise, I have the book Total Immersion, which has been helpful to me on form.  A little bit.  Note, I'm still slow as molasses.  I've managed to increase my speed such that it *only* takes me 42 minutes to swim 1500 yds.  But I am comfortable in the water, in a lake, and in the ocean if the waves aren't huge.

In short, look at:
YMCAs
Swim clubs
Private pools
Private lessons
University classes
High schools (during the summer)
City/ county classes
Places that may teach scuba
Friends

ETA: 
YMCA lessons were about $10 per 25 minutes for my 8 year old
My toddler lessons are $200 for a 9 week session, 30 minute lessons - $22 per half hour
Private lessons down the street were $30 per half hour

[mm1970]

I coach a high school swimming team as a hobby and used to have lessons with runners that were terrible at swimming but wanted to improve to compete in tri-athlons.

We had a lot of success following steps from Total Immersion written by Terry Laughlin. If you're inclined to do a little bit of reading, the book has drills that build from floating in the water all the way to a full freestyle/front-crawl stroke.

Great book, I also mentioned it

[Paul der Krake]

The key is to get comfortable in the water first.

Go to the training pool (where you touch the bottom), and go up and down by a combination of pushing off the ground, using your homegrown version of breast stroke, whatever works for you. As you get more comfortable, trying becoming more horizontal, using a kickboard, and without. Get used to rolling on your belly. Get used to the water supporting your weight.

Then get proper technique. Swimming well is 90% technique, 10% fitness.

[Cognitive Miser]

OP, You can do it!  I am a lifelong competitive swimmer, swim lessons instructor, and lifeguard.  I taught a friend to swim in her 30's.  The first step is learning to float on your back.  Then your front (it is scarier to put your face in the water), then start moving.

I'm actually signed up for a triathlon at the end of April with a mile long swim, and I feel super confident that I'll be able to do the full distance by then, and safely. The possibility of a triathlon is what spurred me to learn how to swim.

Olivia, you may want to get your coach to simulate the triathlon experience for you with your group.  You cannot imagine how many elbows to the face you might get - count on losing your goggles.  Triathlon swimming is a full-contact sport.  It's worse in open water when everyone starts at the same time.  In a pool swim, they usually send you one at a time and as long as people are honest/know their times pretty well, triathletes sequence themselves pretty well.  I've had to climb over a few egotistical men who thought they'd be faster than a skinny woman, and I usually do it by grasping their ankle and using them to propel myself forward, and then either doing the same with their shoulder or bonking them on the head for good measure.  I'm not proud of it, but this is just to illustrate what happens.  The triathlon swimming experience is a shock the first time you do it.

[mm1970]

OP, You can do it!  I am a lifelong competitive swimmer, swim lessons instructor, and lifeguard.  I taught a friend to swim in her 30's.  The first step is learning to float on your back.  Then your front (it is scarier to put your face in the water), then start moving.

I'm actually signed up for a triathlon at the end of April with a mile long swim, and I feel super confident that I'll be able to do the full distance by then, and safely. The possibility of a triathlon is what spurred me to learn how to swim.

Olivia, you may want to get your coach to simulate the triathlon experience for you with your group.  You cannot imagine how many elbows to the face you might get - count on losing your goggles.  Triathlon swimming is a full-contact sport.  It's worse in open water when everyone starts at the same time.  In a pool swim, they usually send you one at a time and as long as people are honest/know their times pretty well, triathletes sequence themselves pretty well.  I've had to climb over a few egotistical men who thought they'd be faster than a skinny woman, and I usually do it by grasping their ankle and using them to propel myself forward, and then either doing the same with their shoulder or bonking them on the head for good measure.  I'm not proud of it, but this is just to illustrate what happens.  The triathlon swimming experience is a shock the first time you do it.

My experience with this is such: I'm a super slow swimmer, so both tris that I did I hung back.  I pretty much let almost everyone go in front of me.  And because I'm slow - I never caught up with anyone.

The only problem I had one year is that there were two women my speed.  I kept trying to pass one who was a TINY bit slower, but she kept moving in front of me - I ended up swimming a good 5 yards further out to sea to get around her.

Bonus was that the next age group (50+) didn't catch up with me before I got out, but it was only 500 yd swim.

However - we do have a summer swim/ run series (well, more than one).  One of them is super competitive for the swim part (you can choose to one or both).  I've done the run, it's fun, but have never done the swim.  My friends who have done it tell me the swim is VERY competitive - much like you mentioned, and people are likely to "Swim over you". I'm not a strong enough swimmer to be able to tolerate that without panicking.

[norabird]

IN NYC, the parks and rec department offers adult swimming lessons for free--Chicago probably has something similar?

It's great you are doing this. I had a professor years ago who drowned in a pool accident (he did not know how to swim). Very tragic.

Plus it is just great great fun when you can do it.

[olivia]

OP, You can do it!  I am a lifelong competitive swimmer, swim lessons instructor, and lifeguard.  I taught a friend to swim in her 30's.  The first step is learning to float on your back.  Then your front (it is scarier to put your face in the water), then start moving.

I'm actually signed up for a triathlon at the end of April with a mile long swim, and I feel super confident that I'll be able to do the full distance by then, and safely. The possibility of a triathlon is what spurred me to learn how to swim.

Olivia, you may want to get your coach to simulate the triathlon experience for you with your group.  You cannot imagine how many elbows to the face you might get - count on losing your goggles.  Triathlon swimming is a full-contact sport.  It's worse in open water when everyone starts at the same time.  In a pool swim, they usually send you one at a time and as long as people are honest/know their times pretty well, triathletes sequence themselves pretty well.  I've had to climb over a few egotistical men who thought they'd be faster than a skinny woman, and I usually do it by grasping their ankle and using them to propel myself forward, and then either doing the same with their shoulder or bonking them on the head for good measure.  I'm not proud of it, but this is just to illustrate what happens.  The triathlon swimming experience is a shock the first time you do it.

We actually do open water swims once it warms up so I think we will. Thank you for the heads up! I'm inherently aggressive (in sports, only occasionally in life :P) so I'm kind of excited about the possibility of grabbing dudes and pushing them out of my way. (I played co-ed soccer in adult leagues for years, I love it when guys being sexist works against them!)

[Lance Burkhart]

I coach a high school swimming team as a hobby and used to have lessons with runners that were terrible at swimming but wanted to improve to compete in tri-athlons.

We had a lot of success following steps from Total Immersion written by Terry Laughlin. If you're inclined to do a little bit of reading, the book has drills that build from floating in the water all the way to a full freestyle/front-crawl stroke.

Great book, I also mentioned it

They sell a bunch of videos on how to swim also.  I highly recommend this.  It helped me straighten out my wife's stroke for open water swimming and I used the concepts on my kids. 

You can teach yourself if you get access to a pool with a shallow end you can swim across.  Once you get used to kicking in a streamline and floating on your lungs you're practically there. 

If you're going to wear goggles, Swedish goggles are the only ones I've found to work. 

[Lance Burkhart]

I hasten to add that learning the TI way from the beginning is the best because of the streamline and stroke efficiency it gives you.  Many swim instructors are not powerful or efficient swimmers.. 

[seattlecyclone]

The Seattle parks department offers 30-minute adult group swimming lessons for $7 each. Definitely look into that in your city.

[Cognitive Miser]

We actually do open water swims once it warms up so I think we will. Thank you for the heads up! I'm inherently aggressive (in sports, only occasionally in life :P) so I'm kind of excited about the possibility of grabbing dudes and pushing them out of my way. (I played co-ed soccer in adult leagues for years, I love it when guys being sexist works against them!)

Glad to hear you see it as a good challenge rather than a scary obstacle!  I meant to be more "realist" than "alarmist" but worried about it later...

[olivia]

We actually do open water swims once it warms up so I think we will. Thank you for the heads up! I'm inherently aggressive (in sports, only occasionally in life :P) so I'm kind of excited about the possibility of grabbing dudes and pushing them out of my way. (I played co-ed soccer in adult leagues for years, I love it when guys being sexist works against them!)

Glad to hear you see it as a good challenge rather than a scary obstacle!  I meant to be more "realist" than "alarmist" but worried about it later...

Ha no worries at all, I took it that way for sure! But even if I didn't, it's probably better to be alarmed than get into an open water swim thinking we'll all stay in our lanes like at the pool.  :P