CAN YOU SWIM?

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22985, 12 March 1938, Page 9 (Supplement)

CAN YOU SWIM?

It is E To Learn and All f Young Should M Effort By JOHN HUTTON MOST Auckland boys; are lovers of the sea, and hundreds of them, probably thousands, can swim ; yet a surprisingly large number cannot, and do not seem to realise that learning to swim is one of the most important parts of their , education. lr the past summer, there has been throughout New Zealand terrible loss of life as a result of drowning. Boys and girls, ;is well as men and women, have Wii drowned in rivers, lakes and jn the sen, and it is the general belief that a great number of these tragedies could have been prevented had all the victims been fair swimmers. Some Are Terrified Some young people have an instinctive fear of/ the sea. They are terrified by its immensity. The crashing of ■waves on a rocky shore, and the blinding showers of spray that fly high in the air. serve only to increase the terror that such people feel. This is something that must be overcome, as in a sea-girt country like New Zealand, which is also rich in rivers and lakes, it is practically impossible to avoid being some large stretch of water sooner or later, with prospects of boating and fishing trips. Inducements Offered It is extremely unlikely that the Ordinary boy or girl who cannot swi.ii will ever become a champion, yet tha important point is that this is uniieressary. Only a very moderate degree of skiil as a swimmer, knowledge of how to keep afloat until help comes, n-av make all the difference between Jife and death. , , Sipme of the Auckland schools already have .swimming-baths, which - the chil-

which sections can bo detached as the pupil progresses, until he is swimming unaided. This method is confined for the most part, however, to learning to swim in swiftly-running rivers. In the sea, or in baths, the teacher usually provides what support is necessary in the earlier stages, until tho pupil' can keep himself afloat. It is quite unnecessary to learn a number of fancy strokes, high-speed swimming, or anv of the "stunts'' that have been developed in nearly every branch of sport. Enthusiasts inav develop their skill as far as thev" like, but the average 'swimmer has only one aim in view, enjoyment in safety of New Zealand's hundreds of beaches, and the comforting knowledge that ifi an emergency he has an excellent chance of saving his life. Over-indulgence An important consideration in fwimming is that it should not be overdone. It is particularly strenuous exercise, excellent for' the general development of the whole body in moderation, but liable to cause strain through overindulgence. Little and often is the secret of success in tho early stages, and as the body becomes accustomed to the unusual exercise—a#rt nearly every muscle has to do its share—the length of time in the water can be increased. Once a beginner finds he can float unaided, and even make somo sort of awkward progress through the water, his confidence increases by leaps and bounds. No longer has the deep end of the baths any terrors for him. He knows that he is in no danger, and that whether or not lie is out of his depth, ho can take his time and reach the edge without trouble. "Getting a Mouthful'/ Soon, when he can swim a length without undue fatigue, he longs to try his new-found skill in open water. This is more difficult, because the surface is rarely as smooth as that of the baths, but open-water practice is essential. After all. a mouthful of salt water never injured anybody, and after a while a novice learns when to open his mouth, and when to keep it closed. Those high-speed swimmers who travel like fish, with their head almost buried, swallow very little water, solely as a result of practice. The boy who has had some little experience of swimming in the sea finds that many of his earlier fears of boating have disappeared. Perhaps, one day. he is tipped out of a canoe, strikes out