Q&A for How to Tread Water

Fear of deep water is natural. To overcome this, first learn to swim various strokes properly, master one stroke and learn one way of treading and one way of floating which you feel comfortable with, all in water depth you feel comfortable with. Then slowly enter the deep water and spend a bit of time to adjust yourself. It can help to have a good swimmer with you, for reassurance.

Try wearing goggles and practice going underwater, you'll feel better if you can see what's happening. Start by going under for a few seconds and see if you can gradually increase your time.

Blow air through your nose when water enters it.

Try lying back and paddling gently with your feet. Do a flapping motion with your arms. Make sure to keep your back straight, and stay calm and very relaxed. Breathe deeply. If all else fails, try some floats to assist you.

Just practice as much as possible, and start near the edge of the pool. Try all treading techniques and see what suits you best.

First try easing yourself in by treading water in shallow water and then ease yourself - over several weeks - into deeper and deeper water. If you feel that this is a full phobia, you could try cognitive behavioral therapy.

Push your neck and chest upwards so that your head isn't as close to the water and you have less chance for your head to go under.

Try doing these things in the shallow end of the pool, or near the wall, where you can grab onto things if you need to.

Your legs are going backwards of what they should be. Your right leg should be going counter-clockwise, and your left leg should be going clockwise. This will make treading much easier.

You must inhale when you turn your head up out of the water for every stroke you do, and when you put your face in the water, you must exhale through your nose or mouth into the water. Your breaths should be relatively deep and even.

Yes, but they may not help block water. Try rubbing some Vaseline (petroluem jelly) in your ears to help block water instead.

Always have some sort of flotation device to start until you get comfortable in the water, or stay in the shallow end. Also make sure you don't go in the water without a lifeguard or swim instructor who can help you if there is a problem. Take deep breaths and remind yourself that there is nothing to fear in the water if you're properly trained to swim.

Bend your head to the side of the ear without water so that your ear is horizontally parallel with your shoulders, pour some more water into the ear already with water, remain still for 5 to 7 seconds and then bring your head back so that the ear with the water is horizontally parallel with your shoulders. The water in the ear should pour out effortlessly.

Push down, bring your arms down all the way to your hips, and come up with your arms forward. If you begin to run out of air, come up to the surface, take a breath, and then dive down again. Repeat the butterfly arms with the breaststroke kick.

If you tread water quickly, you will get tired quickly. However, don't tread too slowly because you can sink. You should ultimately tread at a pace that is comfortable for you.

The Little Mermaid technique is when you put your legs together, and then whip them around like you're whipping cream. It's basically the eggbeater kick, but it is with your legs together as if you have a fin instead of legs, hence the name "Little Mermaid."

Use an eggbeater kick. It's similar to the breaststroke kick except you're swimming vertically and alternating by kicking your feet at different times.

You should be able to hear the water splashing or feel any body part smacking the water. Also, you should be able to tell when there is suddenly much less resistance to movement, due to your limbs surfacing above water.

It's easy and fun. First, get ready. Take a deep breath and use your power to dive to the bottom. Use your limbs to propel yourself to the bottom. Try to be fast in order to time it with your breath. Once you reach the bottom of the pool, stop swimming and you will return to the surface! Your buoyancy wants to take you to the surface, so getting back up is easy. It's getting down that requires effort.

Practice consistently working from 5 minutes increments and increasing by a minute as it becomes easier. Strength and conditioning exercises will also help.

Yes, but it would be very difficult. The easiest way to tread water is to use both your hands and your feet, your feet kicking eggbeater-style and your hands sculling the water.

1) Try moving your hands across the surface of the water like it's a table, and move your legs like you're on a bicycle. 2) You can do the same arms, and move your legs like a jellyfish. If you're sinking, you can lay your head back to prevent it.

Pretty darn hard. It is a continuous and strenuous exercise, your muscles will get cramped from the lactose acid build up. However, with practice I'm sure you can get to five minutes, and more. I like to do it one minute, 30 seconds rest, 2 mins, 30 s rest, 3 mins, 30 s rest, then back down to 2 mins and 1 min. I've never tried 4, and I know 3 is hard enough, so I assume 5 would be hellishly tough. But you can train and practice to increase your endurance.

Just move your arms in a swimming water a few strokes, to sort of push up against the water. Alternatively, turn on your stomach and get upright from there. Or let yourself sink a little and swim to the upright position. Or stop moving your legs, they will sink and the momentum will carry you upright. Or exhale and your entire body will sink until you're upright.

Compare your center of gravity to the direction in which your frog kick is aimed. The more this is horizontal, the more you will move forward.

It could be, but consider looking into aqua-jogging. It's basically running, but you wear a flotation belt and hold on to other flotation devices while "running" across the pool. Most YMCAs and gyms offer aqua jogging and other aqua fitness options.

Consider low-profile goggles or a swim cap. I am a swimmer on a swim team, and find it more reassuring if people do not see my eyes. Otherwise, just tune them out, which a swim cap can help with if you are at swim lessons, swim team, etc.

Yes, you can but you won't be able to carry anything or anyone to safety in the case of a lifeguard, for example. You won't be able to play around in the deep end the same way you would if you learned how to do an eggbeater. Also, arm strength tends to be weaker than leg strength, so you will tire earlier.

The most efficient and strongest form of treading is the eggbeater kick, that's why water polo players use it. And don't do it for too long, as holding the brick will tire you.

Relax, lean your head back and try to get horizontal on top of the water with your legs spread apart and your arms out like a T. Take a deep breath to start and try to stick your belly button up to the sky.