Q&A for How to Teach Someone to Swim

If you're learning how to swim it can actually be harmful because you're letting out all of your air, which is supposed to act as a flotation device. It also decreases the amount of time you can spend underwater.

I would not recommend this. Some people blow air in a child's face to stop their breathing. However, that pauses the respiratory system wherever it is in the cycle, so they might not have as much air as they need in their lungs once they're under the water.

Make sure they can take a deep breath before they go under the water. Hold the student with their mouth about 6 inches (15 cm) above the water line and listen carefully to their breathing. When they take a breath in, slowly release your hands so they go underwater, then pick them up after 1-2 seconds. From there, you can gradually increase the time they spend under the water.

In fairly shallow water, take very small, manageable steps such as tossing a ball back and forth or just sitting in the water. Gradually work your way into deeper water.

You should try to find a very patient, very qualified swim instructor and take private swimming lessons. Sometimes larger swim facilities have swim lessons for adult novices, but usually the private lesson approach is best.

Have the person stand in water that is shallow enough to stand, yet deep enough to be able to bend and have the water above their shoulders. Have them bend and blow bubbles to them get used to the feeling of the water on their face. You can also have them practice holding their breath while starting with dipping half their face in the water, and then working their way to going underwater completely.

If the friend can swim and is experienced. Make sure a parent/guardian or lifeguard is near you and the friend, just in case.

Listen to the person that is teaching you. If you don't get how to do something, ask questions until you understand. Then just keep practicing the techniques until you've mastered the skills.

If you're too scared, take it one step at a time. Take swim lessons and tell the instructor that you're scared. They will ease you into the process. Don't worry, swimming is fun, there's nothing to be scared of.

It really depends on your hair length. Generally it's not necessary for boys/men to wear swim caps, but competitive male swimmers do wear them because they enhance speed.

This means her endurance is low. Do sets of a smaller distance with a certain speed required. Also check to see if her arm movements are effective.

Yes. Any time spent in the water is good -- the more time they spend in the water, the more comfortable they become and the easier it will be for them to learn to swim. Experimenting with different flotation devices is also good, so therefore both a life jacket and a kick board would be beneficial for him. You could also try getting him to practice floats by holding him yourself.

Tell him that you are going to be with him every step of the way and everything is going to be alright.

It's totally normal to be scared of deep water. Try swimming in the 12' water with a floatie, and look down every once in a while to remind yourself that you shouldn't be scared.

Yes, as long as you have confidence in yourself and know what you're doing. If it is your first time swimming, you should ensure you have supervision.

Start shallow where you can touch, so you can build up the confidence. Don't go deeper than you are comfortable though. It is better to be scared but safe rather than jump in where you can't swim and start drowning. Have a trained person watch you if you intend to jump in somewhere you cannot swim.

Start small. First let your child put his/her face into the water with extra protection, such as a nose clip. Later, as your child is more experienced, you can work to remove the extra protection. Additionally, try letting your child put their face in the water while not swimming, such as while in a clean bathtub.

Demonstrate and explain the parts that the student is doing incorrectly, and get him/her to repeat your movements slowly until they get it right.

Tell him about how buoyancy works. He should take a deep breath, and when he learns, have him do the front float, because it is the easiest. Tell him to relax, and he will float naturally.

By showing a child how to breaststroke leg kick yourself after fixing the kid's mistake, tell them to calm down as it prevents them from accidentally drowning, once they successfully do breaststroke leg kick with them, compliment them.