Javik
Registered
I am not a diver, and a vague low to mid level swimmer. I can do the front crawl but it's a totally uncoordinated flailing mess, I don't get the whole hand-foot coordination thing.
I would like to learn to SCUBA dive but whether that will actually happen, don't know.
It would be nice to find someone who can tell me honestly if my experiences with floating are normal or if I'm just "naturally negative buoyant" and swimming will always be a struggle.
* Floating on my back only works if I REALLY arch my back hard, with my lungs kept nearly full of air just breathing out a little of the air.
* Natural floating comfortably upright, breathing with a mask and snorkel, is with my head about 4-5 inches below the waterline. I can put my hand over my head in the gap and it doesn't break the surface.
* If I breathe all the way out, I sink straight to the bottom, quite quickly I might add.
All these "intro to swimming" guides say how easy it is to float. It is not easy to float, it's quite hard, at least for me.
And swimming up from the 12 ft zone, after sinking to the bottom with no air in my lungs, is a lot of work. It's a struggle because I continue to sink back down, even as I try to swim up. It seems the only safe way to do this is to hyperventilate first to give a little reserve while trying to claw my way back from the bottom, since I've got nothing in my lungs.
So is this just simply normal, and most "learn to swim!" guides are just putting lipstick on a trout trying to claim floating and buoyancy is easier than it really is?
Or am I just naturally dense and will always have a harder time floating than others?
Having body fat sure doesn't do anything for making floating easier. I am not athletic. I am a desk surfer, I spend upwards of 12+ hrs a day in front of a computer. I'm a 40 year old guy, 5' 11" and about 240 lbs and "should" probably lose 60-80 of that.
I've found that most public swimming pools and the YMCA do not care if you wear a wetsuit. I get some odd stares at times but nobody says a word to me about wearing a full Orca triathlon wetsuit in the pool. Besides everyone else is basically nude except for a tiny square of fabric, while I come in with a full wetsuit and no weights.
The wetsuit allows me to float comfortably without struggling, but it also probably means I'm not learning to swim "the right way". Should I be learning to do it like everyone else, struggling to keep my head above water?
I doubt I can claim "buoyancy handicap" (person requires full wetsuit) to get a basic SCUBA certification. I can certainly work with that limitation myself, but doubt the instructor would allow it.
I would like to learn to SCUBA dive but whether that will actually happen, don't know.
It would be nice to find someone who can tell me honestly if my experiences with floating are normal or if I'm just "naturally negative buoyant" and swimming will always be a struggle.
* Floating on my back only works if I REALLY arch my back hard, with my lungs kept nearly full of air just breathing out a little of the air.
* Natural floating comfortably upright, breathing with a mask and snorkel, is with my head about 4-5 inches below the waterline. I can put my hand over my head in the gap and it doesn't break the surface.
* If I breathe all the way out, I sink straight to the bottom, quite quickly I might add.
All these "intro to swimming" guides say how easy it is to float. It is not easy to float, it's quite hard, at least for me.
And swimming up from the 12 ft zone, after sinking to the bottom with no air in my lungs, is a lot of work. It's a struggle because I continue to sink back down, even as I try to swim up. It seems the only safe way to do this is to hyperventilate first to give a little reserve while trying to claw my way back from the bottom, since I've got nothing in my lungs.
So is this just simply normal, and most "learn to swim!" guides are just putting lipstick on a trout trying to claim floating and buoyancy is easier than it really is?
Or am I just naturally dense and will always have a harder time floating than others?
Having body fat sure doesn't do anything for making floating easier. I am not athletic. I am a desk surfer, I spend upwards of 12+ hrs a day in front of a computer. I'm a 40 year old guy, 5' 11" and about 240 lbs and "should" probably lose 60-80 of that.
I've found that most public swimming pools and the YMCA do not care if you wear a wetsuit. I get some odd stares at times but nobody says a word to me about wearing a full Orca triathlon wetsuit in the pool. Besides everyone else is basically nude except for a tiny square of fabric, while I come in with a full wetsuit and no weights.
The wetsuit allows me to float comfortably without struggling, but it also probably means I'm not learning to swim "the right way". Should I be learning to do it like everyone else, struggling to keep my head above water?
I doubt I can claim "buoyancy handicap" (person requires full wetsuit) to get a basic SCUBA certification. I can certainly work with that limitation myself, but doubt the instructor would allow it.