Learn How To Swim 101 - How To Learn Torpedo

How To Learn Torpedo Step x Step

I can't believe I've not done this. I've somehow missed "how to learn torpedo" as a step in learning to swim. I was looking through my past post and discovered this vital link missing.

Wait... Get Your Lesson Plans Here

Reading my sequence of posts you could be forgiven for thinking that I was of the opinion that you can learn how to swim without first learning to do torpedo. It's a vital step and without knowing how to do it you are going to struggle with so much in learning how to swim.

So this article is dedicated to learning how to do and how to teach torpedo.

Before I begin let me just say that you cannot learn to do a torpedo until you are comfortable with putting your face in the water.

Many an adult beginner wants to skip this step because of their fear and the desire for expedience but I need to tell you the you are winning over neither if you try.


Once you are comfortable with putting your face in the water(link) you are ready for the next step.

Learning How To Float

The next step is to learning how to float on your front. This too presents it own problem in that many people are afraid to learn to float on their front because the don't know how to recover to a standing position from a face down position. So before you start leaning the front float you should be familiar with how to recover from it.

I suppose that it could be argued that since the recovery is so important to the front float then surly that means that leaning how to recover is the next step. Although I see the argument, the issue is that front float and recover are so integral to each other that they cannot be separated enough to make them separate steps. Hence since this subject is about learning the torpedo it makes sense to talk about this in terms of the front float being first and the recovery from the front float is just part of the learning to do the front float.

Start in the shallowest water you can find and practice laying on you stomach and putting your face in and then getting up on your hands and knees. Once you can do that, progress to slightly deeper water.

Keep increasing the depth of water until you are coming to your feet and not your knees into a standing position. Keep in mind that the deeper you go the more you will need to use what you have learned about front float recovery.

Having Mastered Your Recovery

Once you have mastered a recovery from a front float to a standing position, it is time to do a modified torpedo.

In shallow water, from a standing position, gently lean forward until you are in a front float position and hold for the count of three.

The Torpedo Position

You should feel yourself moving slightly forward.

Now bring your self to a standing position using what you have learned earlier about recovery. You have just done your first torpedo!

Repeat the process above until you are comfortable with it. When you are comfortable, move to slightly deeper water and do it again.

If you have been really fearful of swimming till now don't be afraid to get a friend involved to help you. But do try to do this yourself as much as possible.

It's Now Time To Start Your Kick.

As soon as you are comfortable with your new front float and recovery and your gentle forward movement in the new depth of water, it's time to star learning how to add a kick to complete the process.

As before, from a standing position, gently lean forward until you are in a front float position and hold for the count of three. You should feel yourself moving slightly forward.

Now do a short SLOW kick. Please don't do this fast you will create more problems than you solve.

Remember to keep your feet just under the surface of the water as you kick. Don't splash! Splashing Means your feet are leaving the water. If your feet are leaving the water then, for as long as they are out of the water then they are kicking air and the more air you kick the more propulsion you loose.

Filppy Floppy Feet

Remember also that your feet need to be filppy floppy or you will reduce your movement forward in the water.

Keep practicing with the slow, just under the water, flippy floppy feet, until you are making good progress in the water and then gradually increase you kicking speed.

By good progress I mean you are moving forward at a nice even steady pace. That is you should not be expecting to go fast but when you stand up you should find that you have covered a little more distance that the last time you tried. Each time you should be a little more comfortable covering the same distance.

When you can travel about 10 to 15 meters comfortably you have learned to do a proper torpedo and the doors are now open for you to learn how to swim freestyle(link), breaststroke(link) and even sidestroke (though I get a basic mastery of breaststroke first before you attempt that)

Enjoy
   Richard

Benefits of UV Protective Swimwear

Liv is a guest blogger from the UK, who I thought had a unique perspective on baby swimwear and Kids Wetsuites 

UV Protective Swimwear Hard To Find

It is no secret that babies have delicate, sun-sensitive skin. As such, it is part of any parent's responsibility to make sure that their child can play and swim safely in the sun, free from harm and discomfort. However, because babies are so sensitive, as summer approaches in the U.K it can be difficult to find swimwear that will protect your infant's skin without causing irritation.

Why is baby skin so sensitive?

Sun protection for baby

An infant's skin, being underdeveloped, has not built up a tolerance to the gases, chemicals, and pollutants that adults are used to dealing with. The sun's harmful ultraviolet rays which if overexposed could cause cancer are included in this list. When a baby is exposed to too many of these factors at the same time, as in the case when they go swimming in the hot sun, they start feeling discomfort and could develop rashes, eczema, and even baby acne. That provided, it is imperative that your child is protected from excessive amounts of chlorine, salt and UV exposure.

Swimwear Solutions

With so many factors affecting your child's skin, it can seem very difficult to do anything regarding keeping them safe. However, there is plenty of swimwear even here in the U.K that is both stylish and comfortable while providing protection.

Floating Swimsuit

• Full Body UV Swimsuits are effective because they cover the entire body, including wrists and ankles, greatly reducing the amount of skin that is exposed to the sun. A baby wetsuit typically includes a front zipper, a lower zipper for diaper changes, and sun-resistant fabric. 
• Baby Swim Trunks cover a baby from the waist down to the knees. Swim trunks are not as effective as the full body swimsuits, but they allow for more range of motion and can be more comfortable. Swim trunks are generally made out of polyester with an adjustable waist.
• Swim Diapers are made out of water-repelling material on the outside and ultra-absorbent material on the inside, preventing accidents while not swelling in the water. Swim diapers are made out of nylon and have gusseted leg holes to prevent itching. They are specifically designed to protect the infant without restricting movement and sacrificing comfort.
• Baby Rash Guarders, typically used along with swim trunks or swim diapers, protect the skin from becoming irritated during contact with chlorine or swim toys. They are designed to enable more mobility than a full body swimsuit. Rash guarders are made of nylon and spandex, enabling them to flex easily and dry out quickly.
• Bucket Hats are not designed for submersion in water. Instead they are designed to protect your baby's head and face at the beach, pool, or any sunny area. This keeps your child cool and protects the eyes. Bucket hats are most commonly made out of polyester for durability and ease in cleaning.
• Water Shoes are meant to protect small feet from hot surfaces, while still allowing children to wade in the water. Protection from the heat means less crying and more fun! There are various kinds and styles of water shoes, giving you plenty of choices. Many feature padding to prevent blisters and are comfortable both in and out of water.





UK Baby Bathers

• UV Swim Goggles double as sunglasses, protecting little eyes from both salt and chlorine in water and the harsh rays of the sun to prevent discomfort. Young children also enjoy the ability to sneak a peek under the water.

Your Baby Will Be Exploring

In summary, your baby will be exploring and making new discoveries in the water soon, and it is a real duty to make sure that the experience is both exciting and safe. It can be done without sacrificing comfort and style due to the wide range of comfortable baby swimwear available that do not impede movement while affording protection and security — perfect for those little rompers who won't stay still. The new peace of mind they provide will make it easier for your whole family to enjoy themselves in the pool and at the beach.

Liv

Catch Up Stroke and Its Value

Catchup is a Useful Tool

I keep getting told that catchup stroke should not be encouraged these days.

Wait... Get Your Lesson Plans Here

I personally find this instruction very frustrating. After all a tool is a tool. Used incorrectly all tools are bad and over reliance on any tool will dull your skills. However the right tool in the right place is a definite bonus.

The reason given that we should not teach catchup when teaching Freestyle front stroke is that it introduces faults. Can I just tell the world that practically every drill that we give a student will introduce some sort of fault that will have to be taught out later. It's just a fact.

Worse than that a student is going to introduce their own faults despite our best instruction.

If will help a student to get the idea of what I'll want them to do, I am going to teach catchup.

What is catchup stroke? Well the video below gives examples of its use

For mine when someone tells me I can't use a kick board or get a student to touch hands in front at the end of each stroke. I just smile and say "fine" and then I go ahead and teach it anyway if the student needs it.

I always listen politely to what they have to say however. Who knows I might learn something.

Enjoy
   Richard

Swimming Pool Humor: Swimming Funnies About And Around The Pool

Swimming Pool Humor For The Twisted Mind

Every now and then I come across swimming funnies: swimming pool humor that is either too good or too bad not to record. This can be a creative cartoon,like the one below or just a comment that made me giggle.

Wait... Get Your Lesson Plans Here

Funny Things Parents Say At The Pool:

One day I was life guarding and over heard a child say to her father:

"Is the water wet Daddy"?

To which the parent without missing a beat replied:

"only when it feels like it Sweetheart"

. One other time I was on Life Guard duty and approached by a parent

Parent: Can you get the attention of my son please?
Life Guard: which one is he?
Parent: the one with the goggles on

Are swim teachers smarter than sound technicians?

You can often hear Swimming teachers counting as they encourage their charge to do their strokes: 1,2,3, 1,2,3, 1,2,3

As a sound technician at my church I can often be heard to count 1,2 into the microphone.

One of my swim students who also happened to go to my church heard me counting on the microphone one day and came and asked me "did you forget how to count up to 3.

I am always telling my swim students jokes One day one of my swim students proudly reciprocated with:

Q: What do rabbits dry themselves with after they have been swimming

A: A hare dryer

This one resulted in some very fruitful smiles!

I don't know about you but I think that God has a great sense of humor, hence I find these next ones funny but be warned that if you find religious humor offensive you probably should skip these.

Enjoy
   Richard

Dog Paddle When Do I Stop Teaching It?

Starting With Dog Paddle

I taught myself to swim. Starting with Dog paddle

Wait... Get Your Lesson Plans Here

Oh my parents tried to have me taught and I don't really know what happened but the teachers that tried to teach me, despite several of them owning their own or managing commercial swimming pools, just didn't seem to have any real understanding of how to teach swimming when I was a child: let alone how to teach me. So I just plodded along picking up tips here and there.

The first stroke I learned of course was dog paddle.

Well, today it's not classified as a stroke but we'll use the term for want of a better word.

I persisted with dog paddle for two or three years until I discover breaststroke: or at least my version of it.

Why am I telling you this?


Because there is still a very strong belief around that the first "stroke" you should teach is dog paddle, followed by breaststroke.

Dog Paddle Should Only Be Taught To The Very Young

In my experience and my very strong opinion dog paddle should only be taught to the very young: to those that don't have the motor development for anything else; and breast stroke should be taught in tandem with the other main strokes; but essentially the last stroke taught.

This is because we now know that, if you know how to teach the strokes properly, it takes much longer to master breaststroke than the other strokes.

Not Everybody Should Be Taught Dog Paddle

Knowing how to teach is the key here, in that for those that have the motor development, in the time you have taken to teach them dog paddle you could have taught a student backstroke or freestyle; be it a simplified version.

So my argument is that if you know how to teach freestyle or backstroke and if the child is old enough to learn them, then you should not be teaching dog paddle at all.

Now the research has been done on when a child should begin freestyle training and it has shown that a child of about 5 years old has enough motor development to be able to do the front crawl (freestyle) reasonably efficiently. However with the proper training I have usually had no trouble getting children of 3 to do a reasonable version of backstroke and a good facsimile of freestyle (without the breathing).

So When Do I Stop Teaching Dog Paddle?

Hence the answer to the question "when do I stop teaching dog paddle?" is: at about 3 or as soon as they have master dog paddle.

Would I stop teaching dog paddle if a child under 3 has not mastered it? That depends: if I teach dog paddle at all (and I only teach it to under two year olds because everything else is beyond them), I teach it in conjunction with floating. I would start teaching backstroke as soon as they can float on their backs and freestyle as soon as they can do a torpedo. As soon as they can do something that resembles backstroke and non breathing straight arm freestyle, then I would give up teaching dog paddle, weather they had mastered it or not. In my case that would be between the ages of 2 and 3 years old.

Regardless of age I would stop teaching dog paddle as soon a child has any kind of mastery of it and I would stop teaching it as soon as a child reached 3 years old regardless of whether they had mastered it or not in order to concentrate on the other more efficient strokes.

I would never start teaching dog paddle to a child over 3.

Enjoy
   Richard

Water Intoxication: Dont let Baby Drink The Water

I have to say that Water Intoxication is pretty rare but it does carry its dangers.

Wait... Get Your Lesson Plans Here

I have hesitated to raise this as a subject because the vast majority of parents are responsible and would never allow their children to drink so much water that they become sick.

However this is a situation where ignorance is not bliss and I do get a little disturbed when instructor, some parents and worse still, some parents because of the laissez-faire attitude of some teachers not realizing that their child is in danger.

Also known as water poisoning, Water Intoxication it is potentially fatal. Essentially too much water in the stomach can cause a disturbance in brain functions that results when the normal balance of electrolytes in the body is pushed outside of safe limits (e.g., hyponatremia) by overhydration, i.e., over-consumption of water.

Hyponatremia

Hyponatremia can occur when a baby swallows a large amount of water in a short period of time. It can cause lethargy or vomiting even unconsciousness and convulsions. Symptoms may include distended stomach, irritability, increased urine output, vomiting.

Now I need to say that just because a child is tired after swimming lessons doesn't mean that they have Water Intoxication.

Also just because they become sick after swimming lessons it doesn't mean that your child is suffering form Water Intoxication. Children get sick for any number of reasons just because they are children.

Don't Let them Drink The Pool Water

More than that children sometimes swallow water and it may not agree with them so they throw it back up. This too doesn't mean they have Water Intoxication. It's ikky but better out than in as they say.

Extremely Rare Never-the-less

Let me say again the condition is extremely rare. Never-the-less you should avoid letting your child drink the pool water. Evey child will drink some water whilst in swimming lessons but in my opinion there should be a limit on the number of submersions that you do in baby and toddler lessons just in case.About 6 time or less is more than you should need to successfully fulfill all the requirements of a lesson. Besides most children start to object to being submerged more than 6 times in a lesson.

In short:

• Don't let them drink the water if you can help it.
  
• Keep submersion to under 6 times in a lesson
  
• If your baby shows symptoms don't panic: you should seek medical advice immediately.
  

Other wise relax and enjoy your time with your baby

Enjoy
   Richard