Swimming thread

[Gorn Captain]

I have a cottage on a Salt Lake in Saskatchewan, and I would defy even the worst swimmer here -- yes, that's you sinkers -- to not be able to float in this lake. It's one of the saltiest bodies of water in the World, and has never had an accidental drowning.

There's hope for me yet!!!!!

[Joe90]

I have a cottage on a Salt Lake in Saskatchewan, and I would defy even the worst swimmer here -- yes, that's you sinkers -- to not be able to float in this lake. It's one of the saltiest bodies of water in the World, and has never had an accidental drowning.



I've seen children who had a huge fear of water morph into water sprites in minutes once they realized that they couldn't sink.

No fear of Asian Carp taking over this lake as the only indigenous aquatic life in the lake are a species of Brine Shrimp. Some of you may know them better as...



You just don't want to drink the water -- unless, of course, you're constipated...

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

Hey Cat, can I housesit for you the next time you want to come to the US. That view is awesome!!! And the dog looks like a good pal as well.

Sure . I sure do miss my dog, looking really forward to seeing her in a couple of weeks.

[Rallygirl]

I have some asian carp in my house. They call them koi!

Koi is what they are called when someone paid waaaay too much for them at a fancy garden store. Asian carp is what these nasty, icky, jumping, harmful, invasive fish are called when they have been released into the wild and are threatening the entire Great Lakes ecology along with fishing and boating industries.

Michigan is currently fighting Illinois to close the Chicago Sanitary and Shipping Canal before the carp make their way into Lake Michigan. It may already be too late.

[lepage]

Just wait until the Asian Carp take over; nobody will be safe!

I have some asian carp in my house. They call them koi!

[Rallygirl]

I miss the fresh water lakes up North.

Just wait until the Asian Carp take over; nobody will be safe!

[jwyblejr]

My specialty is "The Brick".....

I call mine "glub glub glub."

[rche]

Hey Cat, can I housesit for you the next time you want to come to the US. That view is awesome!!! And the dog looks like a good pal as well.

[megoapesnut]

I have to pass along my jealousy with all of those who live next to the ocean. I would love to live somewhere like that. Sandy, that pic of you diving is awesome. That's one of the few things I have never done that I really want to do someday.

[lepage]

although the people in the thread are confused, this photo was taken literally 5 minutes from my house. I know because I read the newspaper article when it came out and this photo was on the front page. That hog is a large boar hog that would have weighed close to 80lbs. I can tell because of the size of the cutters. I see wild boar everyday to and from work and I have many co workers who hunt/trap them.
anyway, this is what your swimming with in fresh SOMETIMES salt water.

Gator.. or crocodile Pieces

[lepage]

unless it is in my pool, I don't swim anymore especially here in Florida. The Gulf has Portuguese man of war, sharks, sea urchins, etc. and the fresh water has gators and cotton mouth snakes. I miss the fresh water lakes up North.

[Rallygirl]

Growing up in the late 60's and early 70's, my family owned tourist cabins on a harbor within sight of Lake Michigan. Yes,...those cruddy, little cabins that dotted the pikes before interstate highways were how we made our living. On top of having Lake Michigan access, we also had a pool for both family and guests. After the family sold the cabins to some guy who built a mega-million mansion on the site, we moved into town and once again had a pool. I hated the water then and never learned to swim, even with water all around me.

This all proved problematic in high school, were I flunked phys ed only because I couldn't pass the swimming section. My senior year, I was still stuggling to pass swimming. The teacher finally told me if I could jump off the side of the pool and get back to the ladder I would pass. I jumped so close to the ladder that I actually hit it! LOL But I graduated!

Prior to my marriage, I bought a house on a large river. I wanted to take swimming lessons so that I wouldn't drown if I fell off my dock. I took adult swimming lessons that entire first summer in the river house and it didn't work; I still cannot swim a lick. My biggest frustration was that I also sunk like a rock. My instructor told me that not everyone can float. And boy, oh boy, do I ever NOT float! LOL So even to this day, I HATE water and anything that has to do with it. I will not go in pools, even shallow ones, or on boats.

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

Honestly, I, myself could've learned that way---its just I was so so
young when I learned how to float that I forget just how I learned it.


I used to pretend I was SUPERMAN---I would go in the deep end
and get rid of most of my "breath"----it helped to sink faster.
Then I had a few seconds to walk on the pool bottom like it was
"the ground"----and THEN I'd "take off" and "fly" to the top
just like SUPERMAN!

I also pretended I was AQUAMAN a lot.
Aquaman used to manipulate water during
the FILMATION cartoon and I used to pretend
to do that too.....my favorite thing to do was
to spread my arms out and spin around quickly
creating a "whirlpool"

I did too Hue

[HardyGirl]

I can't swim.
On my first swimming lesson, the teacher opted for the "throw him in the deep end, he'll swim" approach, as I was hesitant.
And no, I didn't swim.
They had to drag me out of the water.
To this day, I cannot stand water covering my face. It might sound stupid, but when I shower, and the water splashed over my face, I snap back as if I'm drowning.

Thank you, teacher psychology. You sure did me a world of good....

How horribly traumatizing! I really hope you can one day conquer your fear and get into a good adult swim class one day. It really is a lot of fun to swim.

[Cmonster]

My favorite "stroke" ... not sure if this is even a real one but I have pretty big feet - size 12 and I can swim only with my feet flapping with my hands beside me ... Like a frogman would swim.

Is that even a real swimming stroke ?

Yup, and it's even called the "Frogman".

SC