🏊 Stuff Every Swimmer Should Know: Training Guide

Drowning is quick and quiet

Drowning usually does not look like it does in movies. A person can slip under the water within seconds and make barely a splash. You may not hear shouting or splashing, so you cannot wait to hear trouble.

A child or weak swimmer can drown in about the time it takes to reply to a text message. That is why the person watching children must put the phone away and keep eyes on the water the whole time.

If a child goes missing near a pool, check the water first. Seconds count when someone may be under the water. Then alert a lifeguard and call for help.

Rules that protect swimmers

The Red Cross says no one should swim alone, no matter their age or skill. Even strong swimmers can get cramps or tired. A buddy can get help if something goes wrong.

At a US beach with lifeguards, the chance of drowning is about 1 in 18 million. Before entering the water, talk to the lifeguard about conditions.

A lifeguard watches a whole crowd, not just one child. If lifeguards are present, a responsible adult should still stay and watch children in the water. At parties, adults can take turns as the water watcher and pass a card every 15 to 20 minutes.

Pool alarms that sense waves do not always catch a child going in because a small child may not make enough waves. Do not rely only on an alarm. Watch the water.

Helping without becoming a victim

If someone struggles in the water, use the Red Cross rule: reach or throw, don't go. Reach with a pole or towel, or throw something that floats while you stay out of the water. A panicked swimmer can pull a rescuer under.

Stay away from pool and hot tub drains and any openings that cause suction. A drain can trap hair, swimsuits or body parts. Tell an adult if a drain cover is loose, broken or missing.

Do not run on a pool deck. Wet decks are slippery, and falls cause scrapes and bruises. Walk carefully, and wear sandals on the deck and locker room floor.

Breath holding and drowning myths

Swimmers should not breathe fast and deep before underwater distance contests. That habit is called hyperventilating. It lowers the carbon dioxide that tells your body to breathe, so you can black out underwater.

Near drowning, dry drowning, delayed drowning and secondary drowning are not accepted medical conditions. Doctors define drowning as breathing trouble caused by being underwater. Anyone who coughs a lot or breathes hard after trouble in the water should get medical care.

The Red Cross lists bathtubs and buckets among places drownings happen, not just pools and oceans. A child can drown in very little water, so watch them around any water.

Rip currents

A rip current does not pull you under the water. It pulls you away from shore. If you are caught, relax, float and get out of the current before you swim back.

Stay at least 100 feet, or 30 meters, away from piers and jetties when you swim. Permanent rip currents often sit alongside those structures.

A rip current may look like a dark, narrow gap between breaking waves. The water there can look calm, but it is moving out to sea.

Dangerous rip currents can form on calm, sunny beach days. Great beach weather does not always mean safe water. Check the forecast and ask the lifeguard.

Cold water

Sudden gasping and rapid breathing from cold water can start in water as warm as 77 degrees Fahrenheit, or 25 degrees Celsius. Water does not have to be icy to cause trouble.

When you kayak or paddle board on a warm day, dress for the water temperature, not the air temperature. Always wear a life jacket, because if you fall in, the water decides how cold you get.

If you are stuck in cold water with a life jacket, use the H.E.L.P. position: pull your knees to your chin and keep your arms against your sides and legs together. H.E.L.P. stands for Heat Escape Lessening Position. If others are in the water with you, huddle together to save body heat.

After a person gets out of cold water, their core temperature can keep dropping. Keep them warm and get help.

Sun and thunder

There is no waterproof sunscreen. Some sunscreens are labeled water resistant, but every sunscreen eventually washes off. You need to reapply after swimming or sweating.

A water resistant sunscreen label must say whether it stays effective for 40 minutes or 80 minutes while swimming or sweating. After that time, put on more. Put sunscreen on 15 minutes before you go out in the sun.

If you hear thunder while swimming outside, get out and go indoors right away. There is no safe place outside when thunderstorms are around.

After the last thunder, wait at least 30 minutes before getting back in an outdoor pool. Electrical charge can linger after a storm seems to pass.

Safe entry and diving

Only dive into water that is clearly marked safe for diving, at least 9 feet deep with no underwater obstacles. Diving into shallow water can cause serious head and neck injuries.

Do not enter the water from a height, such as a bridge or boat. You cannot see rocks, logs or shallow spots from above, and the impact is hard on your body.

Natural water can have sudden drop offs that change how deep it is. Never assume water is deep enough just because it looks deep.

Life jackets that work

Color does not prove a life jacket is safe. Look for the US Coast Guard approval stamp on the jacket. Check the label for weight and size to get the right fit.

A properly fitted foam life jacket should fit snugly and not ride up past your chin or ears. If it slides up, it is too big. Most adults need only 7 to 12 pounds of buoyancy to keep their heads above water.

Water wings and floaties are not life jackets. They can deflate or slip off, and they do not prevent drowning. Use a properly fitted Coast Guard approved life jacket instead.

When boating, everyone should wear a life jacket, no matter how well they swim. Falling overboard is sudden, and cold or rough water can tire anyone.

Ears, eyes, and food myths

Swimmer's ear is an inflammation or infection of the outer ear and ear canal. Bacteria in water often cause it. If your ear hurts or drains, see a doctor.

To help prevent swimmer's ear, dry your ears well after they get wet. Do not put cotton swabs or other objects in your ears, because swabs can scratch the ear canal.

You do not need to wait 30 to 60 minutes after eating before you swim. No major medical or safety group recommends waiting.

Red, irritated eyes after swimming may come from chlorine and other pool chemicals. But contagious eye infections can look similar. If your eyes stay red or sore, see a doctor.

The four strokes

In a freestyle race, a swimmer may use any style, but most choose front crawl because it is fast. Some part of the swimmer must touch the wall at the end of every length.

Backstroke is swum on the back the whole race, except during turns. The shoulders may roll, but the swimmer must be back on the back when leaving the wall.

In breaststroke, both arms move together and both legs move together. Alternating arm or leg movements, like a flutter kick, are not allowed.

Butterfly uses a dolphin kick: both legs move up and down together and may not alternate. It began around 1930 as a variant of breaststroke and became a separate stroke in 1952.

Medleys and turns

The individual medley order is butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, then freestyle. Each stroke covers one quarter of the distance.

Freestyle and backstroke normally use flip turns, also called tumble turns. You do not have to touch the wall with your hands, so most swimmers flip and touch with their feet.

Breaststroke and butterfly require a simultaneous two hand touch at turns and finishes. The two hands must be separated, not stacked.

Pools, starts and finishes

Olympic swimming uses a 50 meter pool, which is called long course. Short course pools are 25 yards or 25 meters.

A length is one trip from end to end. In a 25 yard pool, 100 yards is four lengths. Swimmers count lengths because people disagree about what a lap means.

A false start means starting before the signal. Under World Aquatics rules, a swimmer who false starts may be disqualified.

Backstroke swimmers start in the water, facing the wall and holding the starting grips with both hands. On the signal they push off onto their backs.

To finish a backstroke race, a swimmer must touch the wall while still on the back. Rolling onto the stomach to touch can get you disqualified.

In freestyle, a swimmer may touch the wall at the finish with any part of the body. Breaststroke and butterfly require a simultaneous two-hand touch, with the hands separated though fingers may touch. A freestyle swimmer may stay fully underwater for up to 15 meters after the start and each turn.

Swimming history and stars

World Aquatics pool rules call for 8 lanes at the Olympic Games, each 2.5 meters wide. World Championships pools list 10 lanes.

Women's swimming events were added to the Olympics in 1912. Men swam at the Games since the first modern Olympics in 1896.

The next Los Angeles 2028 Games will have 41 swimming medal events, six more than Paris 2024.

Across the 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympics, Michael Phelps collected 28 medals. That total includes 23 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze, with 8 of the golds earned at the Beijing Games.

Katie Ledecky won four straight Olympic gold medals in the 800 meter freestyle from 2012 to 2024.

Freestyle breathing and kick

Bilateral breathing means breathing on both your left and right sides. It can make your stroke more even, and in open water it lets you breathe away from waves.

Breathe out while your face is in the water, and breathe in when your mouth is out. Holding your breath is a common mistake that makes each breath rushed.

The down kick of a freestyle flutter kick begins at the hip. The knee moves second and the ankle third, like a whip. A good kick also keeps your hips up, which cuts drag.

In a 50 meter freestyle sprint, some swimmers breathe very little because a poorly timed breath can disturb body position and add drag. There is no single right breath count.

Training tools

A kickboard holds up your arms and upper body so you can work on just your kick. For freestyle kick, hold the back of the board with your face in the water to keep your hips from sinking.

Place a pull buoy between your upper legs to hold your legs still and lift your hips. With your legs kept from kicking, you can practice only the arm pull.

Mirrored goggle lenses are best for sunny, high glare swims and give the best UV protection. Blue or violet lenses suit cloudy days and indoor pools.

A competitive swim cap keeps hair out of the way and makes the head smoother in the water. Caps also help protect hair from chlorine and make open water swimmers easier to see.

Open water skills

Sighting means looking ahead during your swim to find a marker, like a tree or landmark. Open water has no lane lines, so sighting keeps you on course. You can practice in a pool by looking for a spot on the wall at the end of your lane.

A wetsuit keeps your body heat from escaping into cold water and adds buoyancy, so your legs do not sink. In warm water, a wetsuit can make you overheat when you work hard.

In open water races, the water temperature often decides whether wetsuits are required or not allowed. Cold water can be dangerous, and warm water can make a wetsuit swimmer overheat. Each race sets its own limits.