i've been around water my entire life, but i still don't know how. i used to take swimming lessons when i was little, but i quit after taking the same class as my little sister and failing (she passed, btw). the thing is, i've never heard of beginning swimming classes for adults...and it would be just a little weird joining a class full of seven-year-olds... eeeg.

uh. i imagine it wouldn't be hard to teach yourself how to swim in water that is shallow enough to stand in.

(see other post on previous thread) it seems so natural....dog paddling that is, the most basic of swimming techniques. pez with at least half a lung full of water you are buyoant enough to stay afloat....you only sink when you exhale and make no effort to stay above water... paddling your feet forward and backward will keep you up, its that simple.

Go to your local Y and see. I'm sure there are adult swimming classes in Portland. Or, you could ask a cute boy to show you how.

No offense, Pez, but I cannot imagine somebody not knowing how to swim. Or riding a bike, etc. Definitely go learn whether or not you have to learn with 7 year olds -- once you learn, you'll love it.

There are definently adult swimming lessons. Learn to swim. It's really useful.

I forget where you are, but at MIT and Cornell, everyone has to pass a swimming test, so you can learn to swim there and pick up tons of geek boys as well.

when i took swimming in college as a P.E. requirement, there were plenty of adults--many of them middle aged women--who had enrolled in the course, but didn't know how to swim at all. in my experience, most swim classes are divided into beginner, intermediate, & advanced. being an adult & not knowing how to swim is simply not that unusual. i've been a swimmer all my life, but i know plenty of people who can't. it's nothing to be embarrassed about. there ARE adult courses. the trick is to find one that you're comfortable with.

it's not like i'm really afraid of the water (i love to jump off of diving boards) but i can only dog paddle or tread water. and i'd love to learn some fancy dives. but i really do want to learn how to swim. it would be good exercise. and if i'm going to do any more canoeing (i used to do that every summer) or try kayaking, i really want to learn how to swim first. that way i don't have to be afraid of what might happen and just have fun.

Water rocks.

not to mention super soaker wars. last time i got in one, i ended up wading into the clackamas river. i slipped and fell, and couldn't get my footing again because i didn't want to let go of my water gun. my sister had to wade out to me, and grab the gun from my hand so i could get up instead of going past the bridge and even further downstream. it was pretty scary.

See: learning to swim is a good thing.

my grandmother used to take me to swimming lessons when I was a wee tot. I was in the best in my class, but then my grandmother died and no one else would take me to my class, so I quit.

My first time swimming,my aunt took my brother and I to a public pool in Rainell W.V.,I was about 5,he is two years younger.It was on a Sunday and she had her church clothes on,dress,hat,gloves,etc.We both just jumped right in,we couldn't swim,my aunt jumped in to get us with her clothes on,she couldn't swim either,the life-guards helped us all out,she was mad and we left.When we moved out here,my Dad would dump my brother and I off at the public pool from the time it opened till closing time(he said it was the cheapest babysitter in town).I got to be a good swimmer,was on the swim team,I have ribbons and trophies for swimming,espeacially the butterfly and frog stroke.