Swim kit: what to buy and what to skip
A short list for parents before the first class.
Learning to swim as an adult
Why it feels harder than it did for your children, and how we make it easier.
Adults who cannot swim usually carry a memory: a push into a well, a scare at the beach, years of sitting on the steps while friends swam. The fear is real, and the first job of an adult beginner course is to respect it.
We start with breathing. Standing in chest-deep water, you learn to breathe out slowly through the nose with your face in the water. It sounds simple, but most of the panic in swimming comes from holding the breath.
Next comes floating. Held by the coach, then by a noodle, then alone, you learn that the water will hold you up if you relax. Most adults float on their own by the fifth or sixth session, and the change in confidence is visible.
Kicking, arm strokes and breathing to the side come after that. Adults usually progress more slowly than children in the first two weeks and faster afterwards, because they can understand the technique. A full length unaided typically comes between session 20 and 30. Keep coming twice a week after the course and it stays with you for life.
