Safer Response

Emergency : What To Do When a Drowning Happens

About a 2 minute read

This week we learn Safer Responses to aquatic emergencies.  

Safer Response includes:

• Calling 911
• Safety equipment or tools ready near the water at all times
• Adult and child CPR training from a qualified instructor
• Emergency Action Plans prepared, planned and practiced

In every drowning accident, seconds count.  They literally make the difference not only between life and death, but also between recovery and permanent injury.  For every fatal drowning, the International Life Saving Federation as well as Lifeguards Without Borders estimates there are 6 hospitalizations.  The worst of these non-fatal cases are lifelong vegetative states. 

Emergency Action Plans should encompass the entire family and include:

• 911 call practice
• Address and location knowledge
• Explanation of the emergency
• Finding adults who can help
• Practicing immediate action

Kids will complete and color an Emergency Action Plan with you.  This additional practice reinforces what kids can do in a drowning emergency, but in also in any emergency situation.

Helping others means keeping yourself safe.  Flight attendants teach us to put on our oxygen masks first.  This is a cornerstone principle of every safety and rescue discipline.  Anyone who helps another must keep themselves safe first, or risk a double emergency. 

Nicholas and Anthony Aurilia are twins who drowned in their Melville NY home just last July.  Did Nicholas go in and try to help Anthony?  We will never know. 

Drowning doesn’t care.  Drowning doesn’t discriminate.  Our exercise during National Water Safety Month help move the needle and help your family protect itself.

Safer Water

Teaching Your Kids Awareness & Respect for The Water

About a 3 minute read

Awareness and respect for the water is essential for every family member.  Whether calm or choppy, natural or man-made, the drowning risk presented by water never goes away.

This week’s theme is Safer Water.   We teach children to avoid dangerous situations around the water.  This includes outside the house, the yard, friends’ houses and your home too.

While poolside, your children will make Water Watcher Tags.   They will bring these tags them home to show and share.  Use this tag to designate an adult Water Watcher when you next visit the pool, beach or lake.  Water Watchers are the “designated drivers” you’re your family is swimming.

Drowning risks are everywhere.  They are easy to forget.  Swimming pools and hot tubs are pretty obvious.  Water features in a garden or building lobby are somewhat lower-profile.  Water that exists around your home and neighborhood – water you don’t even know is there or think about – is an unexpected danger.

Help your children learn to make Water Smart Choices.  This includes “don’t play around water unsupervised”.  Even shallow water can be dangerous.  Learning awareness, making better choices and asking for help keeps everyone safer.

Whenever children are around any source of water (such as pools, rivers, lakes, bath tubs, toilets and even buckets of water), undistracted adults must provide constant and active supervision.  Pediatric drownings occur most often because of failures in supervision.  The multiple screens in our pocket makes distraction especially challenging.  Even if a child or adult can swim very well or the water seems shallow, follow the old “swim with a buddy” rule.

Seek layers of protection at a pool.  This includes:

• Restricted access to the pool area.
• Fencing all the way around the pool’s perimeter.  Four feet high with self-closing gates is critical.
• Pool alarms.
• Safety locks on each gate, door and window leading to the pool area.
• Allowing children in the pool area only when an adult has given them permission
• Active supervision.  We don’t let friends and family drive intoxicated.  The same care and thoughtfulness applies to swimming and water safety.

Knowing the risks and planning for Safer Water can help prevent drowning!

Safer Kids

Giving Your Child the Skills & Experience to Survive a Drowning Event

About a 3 minute read

This week your children will practice essential drowning prevention and water safety skills at the pool.   This experience will complement what they already learn each week in swim class.

Students will participate in the Water Safety Challenge designed especially for young kids by Stop Drowning Now, a national non-profit focused on drowning prevention education.

SwimTots through SwimWinners will wear a t-shirt in the pool for part of their lesson.  If your children should ever find themselves suddenly submerged while wearing clothes, this exercise will prepare them for those sensations.  They will learn how the water can weigh them down differently than a bathing suit, what it feels like, and have better sense of how to respond and act with safety.

Please remember to bring a t-shirt with you to class April 30th through May 6th, 2018.  Your child will wear it in the pool. The t-shirt is an essential part of the lesson!

Your child will also practice “Reach – Throw – Don’t Go”.   It is common in a water emergency for a second person to get in trouble while trying to help the first.  This skill teaches your child how to avoid what is effectively a “double drowning”.  

Your child will learn:

• Don’t go into the water in an emergency – even if you can swim
• Yell loudly for help
• Lie down on the water’s edge.  Help but do not get pulled in.   Extend something long enough to reach the person – but keep yourself safe.
• Throw something that floats to the person to assist them
• Call 911
• Find an adult to help

Stop Drowning Now’s Safer Kid principle also teaches :

• Active supervision – Constant, undistracted & responsible oversight while someone is swimming.  Kids must be monitored at all times when in or around the water.  Kids will learn they need a designated Water Watcher at the pool, shore, lake or even spa or bath.  Drowning risk never goes away.  A Water Watcher is the designated driver for everyone who is enjoying swimming. 
• Swimming with a buddy – Swimming alone is risky.  Swimming with a buddy is more fun and helps if something goes wrong.  It does not replace the need for adult supervision, however.  Teaching to swim with a buddy invites your child to seek you if they want to go into the water.   An excellent habit for all generations.
• Coast Guard Approved Lifejackets – Children who cannot swim must always wear Coast Guard approved lifejackets, even if there is supervision.  Same for boats, kayaks and other recreational water vessels.  Ordinary retail blow-up “floaties” have no safety requirements and can easily puncture, tear or malfunction.

Finally, your children will learn smart behavior choices around water.  These choices include understanding and following water safety and pool rules.  This will be the Pool Rules coloring sheet you will see poolside.   Your kid will bring this home to enjoy with the whole family.

Each student will receive a Water Safety Challenge certificate upon completion.   It’s a wonderful way to anchor their experience and create a lasting lesson of safety for your child and others.

Why do we do this?  Why is this so important?

Drowning is the number one cause of death in young children.  It happens in seconds.  A child can lose consciousness in 30-40 seconds; permanent brain damage in as little as 2 minutes; death can happen very soon thereafter.  Humans can’t make it long without air. 

Remember – drowning doesn’t look like drowning.  It is never like Baywatch.  Drowning is silent and fast. 

To learn more about Stop Drowning Now, please follow the link below or go to stopdrowningnow.com

Safer Me

Bringing Water Safety to Your Kids the Whole Month of May

Less than a 4-minute read…

Drowning is the #1 cause of accidental death among children under 4.  Each year, 4,500 Americans die in drowning tragedies that are almost always 100% preventable. 

Water safety and drowning prevention are organic parts of SwimJim’s program all year round.  We love that our work each day is dedicated to ending drowning in our lifetime.  Your child is already on the path towards greater water safety with swim lessons and swimming skills.  Knowing how to swim can be life-saving.  But swimming alone is not enough.

Drowning is complex and always unexpected.  There are 3 principles of water safety you and your family can take with you any time you are enjoying the water.  

Safer Water: water means drowning risk

• Pools need protective barriers, like fences and gates with automatic locks. Otherwise there is a huge risk that a child could wander into the pool unsupervised. 
• Hot tubs and spas need covers.  Not only at your pool, but also at friends and family’s homes that you visit. Same at hotels and resorts.  Look for them and ask about them.  It is not too bold; it is smart.  You’ll be glad you did. 
• Pool drains in homes are not required to have safety-release features.  Ask your friend, neighbor or family member if their pool has a safety-release drain when you visit for a pool party.  Ask your hotel or resort manager too. Drain entrapment is real and can be deadly or crippling.
• Oceans, lakes, rivers and other natural bodies of water are Mother Nature’s domain. In her backyard, a parent or caregiver can only bring safety awareness and undistracted supervision.

Safer Kids: water safety starts early, with education & experience

• Learn to swim consistently & progressively.  It is fun, healthy and a potential life-saver.
• Have focused, undistracted supervision.  No lifeguard on duty? A designated “water watcher” is like a designated driver.  Someone must keep eyes on all swimmers – including adults – at all times.
• Learn to follow pool & beach rules.  Wear US Coast Guard-approved lifejackets while boating or enjoying other aquatic sports. Floaties don’t cut it.  They can and do fail.

Safer Response:  know what to do in a water emergency

• Emergency Action Plans are how we to respond if a drowning emergency occurs. Talk to your children about emergencies.  Drownings are not the only ones.  They happen. 
• Learn CPR, emergency response procedures and first aid. Google CPR Party for a fun way for a group to learn CPR.
• 911 and first responders are always available.  Teach your kids when and how to call it. You could be the one in trouble. 

There is no “safe” when it comes to the water.  Risk is always present.  Avoid a false sense of security.  We must teach our kids to be safer through awareness, education and action.

From April 30th through May 6th, 2018, students in our learn-to-swim and advanced programs will complete Stop Drowning Now’s – Water Safety Challenge program, so please make sure that your child brings an extra shirt with them to the pool for this activity.  We will help your child learn to make safer choices when in or around water.  And it will be a lot of fun!

By making safer choices, your child will learn how the risks can be drastically reduced.   No one is ever “water safe” or “drown proof”.   Water safety is the responsibility of the whole family.  Drowning doesn’t look like drowning.  Drowning happens when you least expect it.

Smart Choices for a Safer Me!

Here are some of the important topics we will cover this month:

• Never enter the water without supervision.
• Only play or swim with adult supervision (also known as Water Watchers).
• Follow all safety rules.  They are there for a reason.
• Choose a Coast Guard-approved lifejacket.  Water wings and inflatables are not Coast Guard approved.  They malfunction frequently and can create a false sense of safety. False safety increases drowning risk.
• Learn to swim.
• Know what to do if you ever fall into water fully-clothed.
• Practice an Emergency Action Plan.  Know what to do in any emergency.
• Never enter the water to help someone.  A bad situation can become a double drowning.  We like to say: Reach! Throw! Don’t Go! Let Someone Know!  

Do your part: be water smart!  As always, it is a privilege and a treat to teach your child.

April is National Autism Awareness Month. The Autism Society notes “National Autism Awareness Month is an excellent opportunity to promote autism spectrum disorder (ASD) awareness, autism acceptance and to draw attention to the tens of thousands facing an ASD diagnosis each year.”

ASD kids respond particularly well to swimming and thus swim lessons.  But as for every child, drowning risk is the first and foremost consideration.  Water is a nonnative environment, and drowning is silent, fast and very complex.

The National Autism Society reports that children and adults with ASD are often attracted to water sources such as pools, ponds, and lakes; drowning is the leading cause of death for a child or adult who has autism.  There is a 91 percent chance that a fatal accident impacting a child with autism 14 and younger that wanders away from their home, school, or caregiver will be caused by drowning.  It is truly grave and serious.  These facts bring a lot of ASD kids to swim programs of all kinds everywhere.

We sat down with some SwimJim families impacted by ASD to hear what swim lessons mean to them. When asked why her son Mikey should learn how to swim, our parent Sheryl responded

“I have a strong belief that every child needs to learn to swim for safety.  This is even more important for Mikey with his limited receptive and expressive language as there is a great fear he will not understand dangers or be able to call out for help if he is in a dangerous situation.  I also hope for a secondary benefit for Mikey in the sensory input the water offers him, as he tends to be under reactive and needs extra stimulation.  This also makes the safety issue more imperative as he is drawn to water.”

Children with ASD typically have a limited sense of danger.  And like most people, they have an innate and ancient affinity for the water. When you put those two things together, the risk of a drowning incident dramatically increases. That is why we believe it is imperative to teach children with ASD to swim.

Other than safety, there are many other benefits in a child with ASD learning to swim.   In Swimming with Autism, the authors Tammy Anderson-Lee and Cathy Ball explain that

“The hydrostatic pressure (water surrounding the body), turbulence (movement of the water) and viscosity (the thickness of the water) are all properties of water which help to aid a person with sensory awareness challenges and autism spectrum disorders. When the body is submerged in the water, the hydrostatic pressure is very calming.”  People without ASD can relate to this.

The book continues

“Aquatic activities can also help to improve fine and gross motor movement, coordination, independence, attention span, language development, as well as be a way for children to learn the hazards in and around the aquatic environment.”

Karl and Marie, parents of Jason say

“The benefits [of Jason learning how to swim] are multiple.  Jason learns how to interact with people in a new setting, how to follow directions, and how to gain greater control over his body.  It is a healthy form of exercise that seems to leave him much calmer afterwards.  

I like to think, too, that it gives him a feeling of accomplishment as he makes slow but steady progress in his swimming. It also gives us something that we can do together as a family and that Jason can do with his cousins and friends. Besides the therapeutic reasons discussed above, it is also important to us that Jason knows how to be safe in the water.  Like many autistic children, he is drawn to water, and we want to make sure that if he were to fall in to a pool or pond, he would know how to swim, even in water over his head.”

Through swim lessons, we help the student accomplish what some ASD practitioners believe is impossible.  We set goals these students can achieve and gently push them to self-challenge a little more each week. As a result, they are able surpass successive milestones and develop self-esteem.  Working with every child is the SwimJim Team’s greatest privilege, but the results achieved by our students with ASD are particularly and deeply rewarding.

Esther has three children, one with ASD.  Esther says

 “The most important benefit of knowing how to swim — for Natasha and for my other two children — is safety. To me, knowing how to swim is a necessary life skill for being safe around water.  Swimming also brings Natasha health benefits. It keeps her active and athletic and gives her great, effective, regular exercise.

For Natasha in particular, as a person with autism, learning to put together the steps necessary to do the crawl, the backstroke, the elementary backstroke, to dive is important to her general ability to learn to follow instructions, to repeat and string together steps and to connect with people in different environments.

If my main goals were safety and exercise when I first started Natasha in lessons (she was four months old then, and showed no signs of autism), I continue them for those reasons and because swimming makes her happy. Period. She loves being in the water and being a swimmer. And swimming brings her peace, a sense of calm and a clear sense of accomplishment. What more could I ask for?”

SwimJim is a dedicated advocate for inclusive class environments for all our students.  Those with autism spectrum disorders are no different and receive love, acceptance and appreciation. We are very lucky to have them in our classes and to build the relationships and results with them that all of us enjoy.

What are your experiences with ASD and swimming?  Does a friend or family member have ASD?  How might swimming help them.  We would love to hear from you.  Let us know at info@swimjim.com

Not all wetsuits are created equal. Here are the important features to look for when you are purchasing a wetsuit, along with a few of the best picks for different water sports.

Types and Style

There are a few different types wetsuits. A full wetsuit covers everything but the neck and head, wrists and hands, and ankles and feet. You can add a hood, gloves, and booties if you want entire coverage. A shorty or spring wetsuit has shortened arms and legs. A short John has short legs and no sleeves. A long-john is a full suit but without sleeves. Other options include wetsuit jackets or vests which are great for swimming and doing water aerobics in pools.

When it comes to choosing your personal style, more and more designers are looking to add color and sass to their wetsuit line. If you don’t want to sacrifice style, look to the brands Roxy, Saint Jacques, Cynthia Rowley, and Glide Soul.

Fabric and Construction

Each wetsuit comes labeled with a number rating, which represents the thickness of the material. Thinner suits are best for warm water and thicker suits are rated for cold water.

• Rating 2 = 2mm for water temperatures of the upper 60s to mid-70s
• Rating 4 = 4mm for water temperatures of the mid-50s to low 60s
• Rating 6 = 6mm for water temperatures of the mid-30s to mid-40s

When you see a suit with two or three number ratings, it signifies different thicknesses for the arms and legs.

When considering the construction of a wetsuit, look at the waterproofing of the seams. For warm water, overlock stitched seams or flatlock stitched seams are fine. For colder water, you will want seams that are sealed, taped or glued, and blindstitched.

Fit and Comfort

If your wetsuit fits properly, then you will have less sagging and pooling of water against your body. Also, being able to move and rotate your arms won’t be a problem. When you first try on a suit, you may be surprised at how snug it feels. This is normal, as long as it’s not constricting. When wet, the fabric stretches.

When choosing between a back zipper or a chest zipper, consider comfort and price. Back zip suits are somewhat less expensive and are easier to get on and off. However, they may be less flexible and leaks can be bothersome. Chest zip suits can be tougher to get on and off, but leakage isn’t usually a problem.

Best-Rated Wetsuits

• Best Wetsuit for Casual Swimming and Water Sports: You want a wetsuit that gives broad freedom of movement and low buoyancy so your kick strokes aren’t too high in the water. Try the Exterra Vortex Sleeveless wetsuit.

• Best Wetsuit for Surfing: Surfers want a full or sleeveless wetsuit to help create buoyancy while reducing drag. Try the O’Neill Psycho Tech F.U.Z.E. Closure wetsuit.

• Best Wetsuit for Triathlon: Whether you plan to compete in one triathlon or many, a highly flexible, full wetsuit is the right choice for you as it will be the slightly faster option. Try the Roka Maverick Pro wetsuit.

• Best Wetsuit for Scuba Diving: When looking for a diving wetsuit, you want one that keeps you warm underwater and protects you from sunburn, scrapes, and stings. Try the Scubapro Everflex wetsuit.

There you have it! Now you know everything you need to find the perfect wetsuit for you. To find out more information about what to look for in swim gear, read our other blog posts!

Not only is snorkeling a great way to stay active, but it gives you a front row seat to some of the earth’s most enchanting spaces. Even today, the ocean is still full of mystery in many ways. Snorkeling allows you to experience it firsthand.

Is a beginner snorkeling trip in the near future for you? The key to making it a successful undertaking is to be relaxed. It’s normal to be nervous about a new experience, but try to keep it under control and not think about it too much. With enough practice, those nerves will disappear and the ocean will become a spellbinding wonderland.

If you’re just getting into it and are wondering how to snorkel, here are a few tips to make it as enjoyable an experience as possible.

Practice Breathing Through a Snorkel

Start out practicing with your snorkel outside the water first. Just put on your mask and breathe through the tube, holding it gently in your teeth so your jaw doesn’t tire out quickly. Get yourself really accustomed to it by practicing some simple breathing exercises, such as equal breathing (inhale for a count of four, exhale for a count of four) or the abdominal breathing technique (place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly, inhale deeply and slowly through your nose using your diaphragm to stretch your lungs—so your belly should move, not your chest).

When you feel confident breathing with it on land, it’s time to take it to the water. The best way to get the hang of it is just floating calmly facedown at the surface. If you feel anxious at all, try to concentrate on the things you can see under the water. This will help you to just focus on your breathing.

Always Use Fins

To get the proper snorkeling experience, you need to wear fins. You want fins that fit snugly but aren’t too small. If you can’t straighten your toes or they hurt even a little bit, get a bigger size. Squished toes lead to foot cramps, so it’s better if your fins are a bit too big than too small.

Try getting your feet wet first before pulling them on–this helps them to slide on smoothly.

Use Your Mask Properly

This is probably the most important snorkeling advice–your mask needs to fit your face. To check the fit of your mask, hold it to your face and inhale through your nose. A properly fitting mask should seal and stay in place without you holding it up. Because if air can leak in, water can too.

A lot of times hair can get in the way and loosen the seal. So keep your hair back and your face shaved. If you don’t want to shave, some lip balm or petroleum jelly below your nose can help secure the seal.

Mask straps are designed to be worn at the crown of your head, which is the widest part. If the strap isn’t in the right spot, water is more likely to leak in.

Another good skill to learn is how to defog your mask. After all, the whole point of snorkeling is to see the underwater world. There are materials you can buy that keep your lenses clear longer, such as gel products, special types of crushed leaves, or even a drop of Johnson’s baby shampoo rinsed out with seawater can help keep out the fog.

Consider taking our swim lessons to help you fine-tune your snorkeling skills. Contact Swim Jim today!

There’s something about being on and around water that simply feels good. Water provides a cool reprieve from summer heat, invigorates and inspires us, builds memories, creates nostalgia, relaxes, and renews our minds. And while it’s easy to enjoy the benefits of aqua-serenity, being properly equipped and wearing the right gear can make the difference between having a good time on the water and having a great time on the water.

This quick and easy guide will help you discover the advantages of having proper water-friendly footwear and how to choose the best water shoes for your needs.

Why water shoes are important

Sticks, rocks, hooks, plants, shells, broken bottles, debris—these are just a few of the potential hazards lurking beneath the water’s surface threatening to injure your feet and mar your plans of enjoying any future water activities. By wearing proper water shoes, however, these threats are immediately reduced.

Along with providing reliable toe and foot protection, water shoes also offer excellent traction, boosting both ease and safety in and around water. If you’re active in water sports, especially in rocky and rough conditions, water shoes don’t just keep you safe, but they also make it easy for climbing in and out of the water. Unlike tennis shoes that quickly absorb water and bog you down or old school water shoes with flimsy support and sub-par materials, today’s water shoes offer innovative design features and are created with high-tech materials that combine functionality and style to make them ideal for everyday use in and around water. Use the guide below to help you find which the best water shoes for your type of water activities.

Water sandals

Thanks to their versatility, water sandals are the most popular type of water footwear on the market today. Far superior to flimsy flip-flops or cheap generic sandals, water sandals provide excellent traction for virtually any type of water activity. From slick river banks to soggy lake beaches, water sandals have the grip needed to keep you steady on your feet and the design features that make them easy to slip on and off. Often considered the best water shoes for swimming and floating, water sandals are also the perfect go-to for romping around town and wade fishing.

Water shoes

Designed for water lovers who spend ample time participating in water activities, water shoes offer many additional features that water sandals do not. Along with superb traction, water shoes also feature foot and toe protection for added safety. With the comfort of an everyday athletic sneaker and grip of a hiking shoe, water shoes are versatile enough to wear while walking on rocky trails or navigating wet, rocky terrain. Water shoes are perfect for water lovers interested in overnight float trips through rocky and varied terrain, hiking and wading adventures and day hikes in moist conditions.

Wet shoes

More of a bootie than a shoe, wet shoes are typically the go-to footwear for guided float trips and swimming at the beach. These neoprene booties fit snugly around your foot to add insulation and warmth in the water. Because wet shoes have virtually no sole, they aren’t meant for hiking around or wading in rocky, rough terrain. Essentially a wetsuit for your foot, these boots are ideal for water activities such as ocean swimming and river rafting (in-raft use only).  

By choosing the perfect type of water footwear for your activities, you can keep your feet comfortable and safe during all of your fun adventures. Check out the Swim Jim blog for more fun and interesting water-related articles.

In the late 1950s, a man by the name of Robert Byers developed a small recreation park on the banks of the privately-owned Lake Dolores in the middle of the hot Mojave Desert. What started as a personal retreat for his family was soon opened to the public in 1962, after which water slides and other exciting water attractions were slowly added in an effort to provide the growing number of visitors an enticing reprieve from the scorching desert heat.  

Though he doubtfully understood it at the time, Byers’ miniature water attraction was the first of what would quickly become a growing sensation across both the US and the globe: water parks. In 1977, Orlando’s notorious Wet n’ Wild water park cued its inaugural season and set the mold for other modern-caliber water parks to follow. Today, with thousands of water parks worldwide that attract nearly a billion visitors per year, the standards of amusement and excitement have far superseded Byer’s old-school blueprint.

For thrill-seekers and adrenaline-junkies looking to ride the tide of excitement, check out these 7 top water parks in the world.

1. Etnaland

Where: Sicily, Italy

Features: With 18 water slides, three amusement parks, and even a technically advanced laser show, this jungle-and-dinosaur theme park is the pinnacle of European inventiveness.

1. Aquaventure Waterpark

Where: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Features: Aquaventure Waterpark is often considered one of the Middle East’s greatest amusement attractions. Home to the world’s widest water slide, the Middle East’s longest zip line, and a river ride that floats for nearly 1.5 miles, this park also offers a 2,296-foot-long private beach, several water coasters, and even a Shark Lagoon where visitors can hand-feed stingrays.

1. Water Cube

Where: Beijing, China

Features: Beijing’s National Aquatics Center, aka the Water Cube, allows visitors to swim, splash, and play in the same place athletes of the 2008 Olympics once competed. With a wave pool, lazy river, spa area, and 13 water slides and rides the 12,000-square-meter Water Cube is the largest water park in Asia.

1. Aquatica

Where: Orlando, Florida, USA

Features: Two massive wave pools, a white-knuckle water slides, and a dolphin-filled aquarium make Aquatica one of the coolest water parks in the U.S. Furthermore, a soft, white, spanning beach and a South Seas-inspired garden with over 60,000 different plant species transport visitors to a relaxing, tropical oasis.  

1. Waterbom

Where: Bali, Indonesia

Features: Voted the #1 waterpark in Asia by TripAdvisor, Waterbom features world-class water slides, breathtakingly beautiful landscaped gardens and water systems, and an eco-reserve that’s home to a number of endangered native species. With award-winning dining options, G-force waterslides, and tranquil relaxation areas, Waterbom offers a memorable experience for the whole family.

1. Beach Park

Where: Porto da Dunas, Brazil

Features: As the largest water park in South America, Beach Park is also home to the tallest and fastest waterslide in the world. Aptly named the Insano, this notorious waterpark sends riders jetting down 135-feet of slide at a breathtaking 65-miles-per-hour.

1. Tropical Islands

Where: Spreewald, Germany

Features: As Europe’s largest tropical holiday resort, Tropical Islands features swimming pools, sports facilities, a thrilling Whitewater River, a 10,000-square-meter Sauna & Spa complex, and the world’s largest indoor rainforest. The Tropical Islands is the go-to attraction for both those who seek thrilling water adventures and those eager for rest and relaxation.  

From simple lake slides in the middle of the desert to modern marvels the world over, water parks continue to offer thrills and shrills for adventure seekers across the world.  For information on more fun water parks, helpful pool tips and tricks, and much more, check out the Swim Jim blog, today!

Do you know how to swim? If so, welcome to the elite group of just 56 percent of Americans who can perform the five core swimming skills needed to qualify you as a capable swimmer by the American Red Cross. Often referred to as one of the most difficult sports to master, swimming is a sport that can be traced back thousands of years. This article will explore the history of swimming as a sport—from its days as a men-only sport to one of the most popular activities in the nation.

The primitive days of swimming

The history of swimming begins in 36 B.C. when the Japanese held what would today be considered the first type of swimming races. However, it wasn’t until the early 1800s that swimming was turned into a competitive sport when swimmers would face the monumental challenge of successfully navigating the English Channel. During the early days when swimmers gauged their ability on simply making it across the English Channel, one’s speed, technique, and style didn’t particularly matter.

The origin of swimming all changed when a group of American Indians was invited to attend a swimming competition in London in 1844. Unlike the steady breaststroke that was the norm in competitions early days, the North American Indian swimmers propelled themselves through the water using windmill-like arm movements—a technique that was soon deemed far superior to that of the breaststroke. After the Australian swimmer Richard Cavill mimicked this over-arm recovery in the early 1900s, the stroke was soon dubbed the “Australian crawl.” In 1912, swimmer Johnny Weissmuller broke the one-minute barrier for the 100-meter freestyle using the “Australian crawl.” It wasn’t soon after Weissmuller’s accomplishments that this form of swimming was officially named freestyle.

Women join the sport

The same year Weissmuller introduced freestyle to the swimming world, women also made their debut in Olympic swimming competitions. Though they weren’t initially allowed to compete in all Olympic swimming events, women were first welcomed formally into the sport by being able to compete in the 100-meter individual freestyle race and the 4×100 Freestyle relay race during the 1912 Olympics.

Just 14 years after the inclusion of women in the Olympics, 19-year-old Gertrude Ederle conquered the English Channel, deeming her the first ever woman to complete the arduous stretch of water. Along with outswimming the contemporary men’s record by more than two hours, Ederle also made history as the first woman in a major sport to beat a record previously set by a man.

Introduction of other strokes

As many sports do, swimming quickly progressed in both its efficiency and its technique. While breaststroke and freestyle were dominating the scene, both swimmers and coaches began experimenting with the various ways in which swimmers could swim the length of the pool at the quickest times possible. Unlike the freestyle stroke which involved an arm-over-arm movement, Americans David Armbruster and Jack Sieg developed the double-over-arm recovery in the 1930s. When paired with a dolphin kick, this tactical stroke proved to be a challenging, yet remarkable way to navigate the water. Soon deemed the “butterfly” stroke, this innovative technique was declared a separate, valid stroke by the Olympic committee in the 1950s.

Prior to butterfly being added to the swimming stroke roster, backstroke was also included as one of the valid forms of Olympic swimming. Similar to the freestyle stroke, swimmers did the backstroke by repeating an arm-over-arm recovery while remaining on their backs, facing up, for the entirety of the race.

Swimming today

Now, thousands of years later, swimming continues to be a sport enjoyed by both trained competitors and leisure participants alike. For more interesting swimming history facts and to learn more about the popular sport of swimming, visit the Swim Jim blog, today.