ernestrp

I could back in the day so I picked yes.... But with all the cooties, etc. in the past 30 or so years, I just use my own bathtub/shower for water immersion. I know how to swim but I would probably be a mess at it now, but I think I could still float on my back and do the backstroke.

CRM114

Geez, what do you people do in the summer?

taffer

There are a trillion and one things to do besides swimming for recreation.


Gills was a poor example to use since they aren't needed for swimming. They are for breathing underwater. I should have said fins and flippers instead.

Whales and dolphins are mammals and not fish, that is true, but they still have fins and flippers.

Amphibians and reptiles don't have fins and flippers, but they do have other things for swimming like webbed feet or long tails.

I did mention that humans have legs for walking. It's not about being able to walk right from birth. It's about being born with the right body parts. Humans don't have the right body parts for swimming. Yes, humans can swim, but they weren't born with the right body parts to really do so efficiently, and so swimming is not truly a "basic function" of humans. Human arms and legs weren't designed for efficient swimming. Notice that even the best human swimmers cannot come anywhere close to the same swim speed as fish, amphibians, or reptiles. You're not going to outrace a shark or alligator in the water.

CRM114

Dog paws aren't "designed" for swimming but throw any dog into water and watch what happens. It's magic!

taffer

My point goes right over your head, doesn't it? Either that or you're just trolling.

Yes, dog paws and human legs and arms are not designed for swimming. That means they don't have the right body parts for efficient swimming. Therefore, swimming is not a "basic function" for dogs and humans. Notice that like humans, dogs cannot outswim fish, amphibians, or reptiles.

Fish, amphibians, and reptiles have the body parts for efficient swimming. Humans and dogs do not. Therefore, swimming is a "basic function" of fish, amphibians, and reptiles, but NOT for humans and dogs.

And hey, cats CAN swim too. They fricking hate it, but they CAN swim. Are you going to try and say swimming is a "basic function" for cats too?

What about monkeys? Monkeys can be trained to do a lot of things. Monkeys CAN do karate. Are you going to try and say karate is a "basic function" for monkeys because they CAN do karate? Man, I hope we get some karate apes in the next Planet of the Apes movie. We got an ape dual-wielding assault rifles in the last one, and that was awesome.

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DaveyJoe

CRM114

I am saying swimming is somewhat of an inherent capability in many animals regardless of equipment.

Ringmaster

I learned how to float and swim on my back over the summer, but I still can't swim or float standing up. I would definitely feel liberated if I can learn how to swim. It's been one of my goals in life.

Norm de Plume

Swimming is one of the few enjoyments in my life, but I don't do it in a cardio-vascular training capacity, rather strictly for relaxation.
I'm one of few people on the planet who can pull off what's known in German as "toter Mann" (dead man), which is floating for an extended period of time on one's back with all extremities above water. For me, it took decades to learn. It's a Zen-like discipline.

kd5

Like a fish (who has to come up for air every now and then).

zyzzle

Please elaborate, and give us a picture. This sounds like it would be literally impossible to do unless your body shape is irregular or you weigh little more than a fly...

Norm de Plume

I weigh 200 lbs, but I'm not fat or irregular. I can't explain it other than to say it took about 30 years for me to learn it. My mother has been able to do it for as long as I can remember, and I could never figure out how. My legs would always sink and I'd end up treading water. But now I can lie there for as long as I want, my upper body, midsection, legs, and arms all floating, as if on the Dead Sea.
It requires maintaining a certain spinal posture and careful breathing rhythm. It's like riding a bike (only much more difficult). Once you can do it, you never unlearn it.

DRG

To play devil's advocate here, I'm guessing a large number of those situations are avoidable in that they come from recreational events. If you're into any sort of water-based (or even water adjacent) recreation then, yes, you're putting yourself in danger by not knowing how to swim. But if you have no interest in waterslides or beaches or fishing or jet-skiing or rafting or cruise ships, etc. then your chances of drowning decrease by a wide margin. Sure, there are always the random "car goes off a bridge into a lake" scenarios... but those are difficult to survive even with swimming skills.

hbilly

This makes people who can't swim look very dull and boring.

funkyryno

Do the folks who only know how to doggie paddle fall into the 20% who can't swim category? (Seems like an obvious yes).

CRM114

We rent a house every summer on a glacier kettle pond (a small freshwater lake type thing) and it is one of the greatest things in my life. It is super warm and pretty much completely untouched by humans except for those occupying the 6 or so houses on it. I float on a noodle for hours after the beach or in lieu of the beach. I use the noodle because it's about relaxation and the pond is very deep.

lewisb73

I am surprised at that too, more surprised at how defensive some people get over not being able to swim... but neither of my parents ever really learned how to swim

I can't think of anyone my own age or younger that doesn't know how to swim, summers are a lot more fun being able to engage in that type physical activity to keep warm.

Chrisedge

I can. I did a Triathlon in May, and have a SCUBA License...(I snorkel though, haven't been diving in 30 years)

wendersfan

Oh, the normal stuff - cotillions, polo, an occasional steeplechase...

Hiro11

Why rule out so many potentially fun activities? Anyone can go from "afraid of the water" to swimming in about 10 lessons. My health club charges $180 for 10 group lessons. That seems pretty nominal for such a life expanding skill.

Also, my best (SCY) times in high school back in the 80s:
200 IM: 2:02
100 back: 56

...that's all I can remember.

Hiro11

Summers in Rangoon. Luge lessons.

CRM114

I never took formal swimming lessons. I learned how to tread water. Then I swam from ladder to ladder in the corner of a pool until I figured it out. Treading water is the key.