Swimming Teaching

Learn How To Swim 101-How To Learn Torpedo

2012-05-29T14:20:00.000+10:00

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

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.

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(link). 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.

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.

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.

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

2012-05-28T09:07:00.000+10:00

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

As summer approaching in the U.K 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, it is difficult to find swimwear that will protect your infant's skin
without causing irritation.

Why is baby skin so sensitive?

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.

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.

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.

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

2012-05-22T19:37:00.000+10:00

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

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 (description)

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 go ahead and teach it anyway if the student needs it.

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

Enjoy
Richard
Keep your baby warm in the water with quality Childrens Wetsuits.

Swimming Funnies

2012-05-15T18:16:00.000+10:00

Every now and then I come across swimming funnies. This can be a creative cartoon,like the one below or just a comment that made me giggle. This one resulted in some very fruitful smiles!

Enjoy Richard

When Do I Stop Teaching Dog Paddle?

2012-05-08T16:23:00.000+10:00

I taught myself to swim.

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 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.

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.

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).

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

Dont let Baby Drink The Water

2012-05-01T19:04:00.000+10:00

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

And 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.

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.

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 submerge 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
Richard

Learn How to swim - correct freestyle hand - arm entry

2012-04-24T09:34:00.000+10:00

Correct arm and hand entry in front crawl or freestyle is a critical factor in efficient movement through the water.

The result of an efficient stroke is maximum water catch and the more water that you can pull and push through with your hand. The more water that you can push and pull through with your hand the better you will move through the water.

Previously I have talked about how to change the pitch of the hand. What that does is makes sure that you are grabbing as much water as you can from the very moment your hand enters the water. If your hand enters the water at the wrong angle there is a good chance that you will actually be pushing water the wrong way resulting in you effectively pushing yourself sideways or even backwards: which is obviously not efficient at all.

Whilst the pitch of the hand can change the shape of the arm and hence the entry of your hand, it is also true that the shape of the arm can and will effect the pitch of the hand.

I have watched swimmers struggle to get their hand position correct, but try as they may they have been singularly unable to adjust the pitch of their hand. If this is your problem, try and reverse engineer the problem. Instead of trying to adjust your hand, try and adjust your arm.

To adjust your arm all you really need do is move your arm away from your body, in an exaggerated way and raise your elbow toward the roof.

The result should be that you have more freedom to rotate you hand into the shape you want for an efficient hand entry. This is so because for some people, their arm is so structured that the more they move their arm away from their body the more they are able to pointing their elbow to the roof and the easier it is to rotate their hand and change its pitch as it enters the water.

Ideally your hand should enter the water at just above your ear and push through the water close to the surface until your arm is fully extended.

With your hand at the optimal pitch you should find that you are now pulling and pushing more water and hence swimming more efficiently.

Enjoy
Richard

Learn-To-Swim In The Ocean

2012-04-18T12:19:00.000+10:00

I had a request from a reader the other day which went:

" I’m looking for learn-to-swim in the ocean information or curriculum.

Not open water swimming or adult swimming, or tri/biathlon training; seriously learn-to-swim.

If you know of anyone who has something already created or if you have any thoughts, ideas, resources, please, please send them my way."

I was unfortunately only able to respond with:

"Ocean information or curriculum sounds exciting!

I've had a think about it for a couple of days and I've come up a little short I'm afraid."

So I have decided to publish this request here and see if anybody else out there has any information.

If you know of any learn-to-swim in the ocean information or curriculum. I would be very happy for you to contact me at: richard_roper@swimteaching.com

Now remember we don't want information about open water swimming or adult swimming, or tri/biathlon training.

What we are looking for is seriously learn-to-swim in the ocean.

I'll make sure that information is passed on and maybe we can come up with a collaborative learn-to-swim in the ocean curriculum.

Enjoy
Richard

Head bands

2012-04-10T19:52:00.000+10:00

A weeping child stands on the edge of the pool "mommy your pulling my hair" the entire time that your wrestling to get the bathing cap on.

Do you ever breath with a sigh of frustration when you hear, once again and you know it wont be the last time "daddy it's still getting in": as you pull that bathing cap down over your child's ears and you think to yourself with sarcasm "oh the joys of bathing caps".

You are not alone in this malaise.

Of course the simple solution is to leave the bathing cap off but many of us don't have a choice because of medical reasons or just because your child can't stand water in their ears.

Now I would love to say "head bands to the rescue" but I would be lying if I said they are the complete solution. Never-the-less they are an alternative and the right way to go for many children.

Sometimes headbands are better than bathing caps because they only go around the head rather than cover the entire head. This results in your child's head being allowed to breathe resulting in a cooler head, practically no pulling in their hair and a much easier fit.

Not only that but they look cooler!

Head bands still need to be adjusted occasionally but they are easier to adjust because they don't cover the whole head. Easier to put on before swimming starts also, because of the Velcro.

The down side of head bands is when they are worn with goggles: which is most of the time. Unlike bathing caps they have a ridge which can often interfere with the fit of the goggle eye piece and strap. Whilst not a deal breaker it does sometimes mean a reasonable effort needs to be put into getting their placement correct so head band and goggles are not in conflict.

You will need to experiment a little. My suggestion is to put the goggles on first and the head band over the strap of the goggles rather than under the strap like you would with bathing caps and adjust from there.

Bathing caps do manage hair and keep the head warmer. But nothing will hold ear plugs in place better than head bands. This is where they simply excel.

Weather bathing caps or head bans keep water out better is purely subjective. Some people will argue for one or the other but there is no doubt that head bands are effective, it just may depend on the scale of the head that the band is going around.

In brief head bands keep heads cool as well as look cool. They are easier to fit, help reduce water getting into the ears and are an excellent alternative for keeping ear plugs in.

Enjoy
Richard

Swimming & Ear Plugs Alternatives

2012-04-03T16:56:00.000+10:00

How to get or keep water out of your ear after or during swimming without the use of ear plugs.

You may hate to use ear plugs when swimming but still have a need to minimize water in them. You may have a medical reason or maybe you just can't tolerate too much water in your ears, yet that same need may mean anything in your ear is undesirable. Whatever the reason some of you would defiantly prefer alternatives to having something stuck in your ear canal when you go swimming.

Then you may be one of those swimmers that are happy to put up with the water whilst in the pool but for whatever reason can't get the water out of your ears after you have leave the water.

There are only three alternatives (and definitely none are Blu-Tac) that I know of for those that cannot or will not use ear plugs when you should or feel as though you should:

- Create a natural barrier
- Cover your ears completely
- Get the water out as quickly and safely as you can after you get out of the water.

For of some of you creating a natural barrier will be sufficient; others will want the added protection of covering your ears completely; but everybody should get the water out as quickly and safely as you can after you get out of the water.

The best results for your preferred level of protection against water in you ears can be achieved by one of the following combinations:
- Wear a swimming cap or head band.
- Wear a swimming cap with head band.
- Shaking your head on the side or from side to side when you get out of the pool or even at the end of a sequence or lap until the water clears.
- Jumping on one foot with your head tilted to the jumping foot side until the water clears.
Audi clear
Aqua ear
or oil provided it's Ok by your Doctor

The first three of the above are pretty much self explanatory but the last three may be new to you.

Audi clear and Aqua ear

Audi clear and Aqua ear are brand names so the actual product name may change from country to country but they are available over the counter at most pharmacy here in Australia.

Aqua ear is for those that are having problems clearing the water from their ears after swimming. I have to confess that this product saved me from a lot of pain one time when I just could not get that water out. Nothing I tried worked and I was hurting and fully expected the doctor to flush my ears but instead he suggested I try aqua era first. Spraying fluid in my ear felt a little uncomfortable at first and laying still on my sided for a few minutes was boring but the relief was almost immediate.

You check with your doctor fist but if you are someone that often has water stuck in your ear and you have reasons that you don' want to ware ear plugs then this may be a good way for you to go.

Audi ear is a preventative in some ways in that it is a non obtrusive way of clearing wax build up from your ears and hence for our purposes water runs our a lot more easily.

Olive or vegetable oil in your ear

There is one more thing that you can try but you must consult your doctor before you try it: put a couple of drops of olive or vegetable oil in your ear before you swim it sets up a natural barrier to water and therefore your ear becomes more water resistant. It is a little unconventional but it did seem to work brilliantly for some of my swim students.

So there are some alternatives to wearing ear plugs whilst swimming if you have a need or preference to do so but you will need to weigh up the benefits to the inconvenience. But you must remember that I've put forward needs to be checked with your doctor before use. I cannot over emphasis the importance of that point.

Enjoy
Richard

Should you Dive Into The Shallow End of The Pool?

2012-03-27T15:07:00.000+11:00

Is it safe?
I have said before that I know that there are schools of thought that are convinced that it is or should be Ok to dive in Shallow water (anything under 1.8 metres -about 5'9"- according to Royal Life Saving Society of Australia is considered shallow for diving).

I also know that that there are even swim schools out their that train for it but all the research says it's not safe. If you doubt me all you have to do is type diving accidents in swimming pools into Google and see all the lawyers writing articles and amongst all that you will find the research. If the research itself doesn't scare you off consider that lawyers who make their living out of litigation, are writing article to tell you how unsafe it is.

What about the Example set?
Let's just for a moment, imagine that you are safe because you have trained in diving in shallow water (I say your deluded but lets follow the argument through), have you considered the example you set for those less skilled than yourself? Or don't you care that your example may be the cause of some child or mother or father or sister or bother being injured or worse paralyzed for life because you were showing off.

Insurance
What happens if with all your skill, you make a mistake ind injure yourself have you considered that in a pool where there are signs everywhere telling you not to dive, you, yourself, may not be covered by insurance? Wouldn't it just make more sense to respect the rules of the pool you want to swim in?

Everybody who learns to swim should learn to dive correctly and safely but diving in shallow water is neither safe or correct and that is not just my opinion.

Richard

Types of ear plugs for swimming

2012-03-20T17:11:00.000+11:00

There are three main types of ear plugs used for swimming:

There is the solid type
These are essentially a solid piece of rubber or other similar substance that looks a bit like a cone with no top and the thin end goes into your ear.

Then there is the rimmed or ringed types:
Still cone like but with soft ridges or rings. The soft ridges make it easier to fit in the ear and are supposed to do a better job of keeping the water out than the plain type above.

The fact of the matter is however that the rimmed type ear plugs only minimize the water getting in, they don't stop it. Now minimizing the water getting in to your ears may be all that you want and if that is so then these ear plugs are ideal but they will not do for those who want almost dry ears.

Ear molding plugs:
these are the most expensive but also the most effective at keeping the water out of your ears.

There are two types of ear molded plugs:
1 the pre molded type
2 the Soft plastic putty type

1) The pre molded type:
These are the most expensive ear plugs and they also come in two types:
A) the Generic Pre Molded type
B) the personalized molded type

A) the Generic Pre Molded type:
are shaped to fit the generic internal ear shape. That is they are designed to an ear that a standardized or considered to the most common ear shape.

Although more efficient that all the above types, because these types of plugs are not specific to your ear canal they are usually the most ineffective of the two pre-molded types at keeping water out, but swimmers often chose to buy them over the personalized ones because they are cheaper and they look cool - they usually come in bright colors which at lest makes them easier than other plugs to find in the pool when they fall out and they will fall out - and they look like they will keep the most water out because they cover a large part of the inner ear. Unfortunately just because they cover most of the ear don't mean these plugs always seal that ear, thus they are the least effect at keeping water out.

B) Personalized molded type:
sometimes called prescription plugs because Doctors sometimes prescribe them and they are then specially made up; these ear plugs are specifically designed for you or your Childs ear as the case may be. A mold is taken of the inner ear and a soft plug is created that fits exactly that ear shape. Such plugs are by far the most effective at keeping water out but they are not perfect because as I have said before, no ear plug is perfect at keeping water out(link)

2) Soft plastic putty type:
Are a pliable plastic putty that can be molded by hand to fit most comfortably onto the ear canal: they are the second most expensive of all the types of plugs and they're almost as effective but considerably less expensive than the pre-molded type.

Next: alternatives to ear plugs and what not to use

Enjoy
Richard

Smart Swimming Or Just An Ass

2012-03-13T10:49:00.000+11:00

I sometimes marvel about how little people care about their own safety, about anything let alone when it comes to swimming.

As a life guard a simple thing like asking people to move lanes because they are either going too fast or too slow for that lane can end you up with a torrent of abuse. But even the blind guy that swims at our pool could see that it is just not safe to swim in a lane that is not suited to your pace of swimming.

Banged heads, kicked noses, even dislocated hips are just some of the injuries that I'm trying to avoid. And what sort of life guard am I going to be considered to be if I allow two swimmer to end up unconscious from hitting heads, after one tries to pass another, just because they would not wait. You can bet there'll be some abuse going around then not to mention the need for a rescue, potential spinal injury of not just of one but potentially both swimmer and that is all before the legal action starts.

Their are the adults who are convinced they are immune from slipping just because they are adults that run not because they forgot, we all forget, but because they seem to think they should be exempt from the laws of physics. Little kids I understand, its in their nature. Of course I still tell them but we all know, telling them not to run is like telling birds not to fly but adults.... Seriously!

Then there is diving.

I know that there are schools of thought that are convinced that it is or should be Ok to dive in shallow water (anything under 1.8 metres -about 5'9"- according to Royal Life Saving Society of Australia is considered shallow for diving) but even if that were true and all the research says it's not, then surely respect for the rules of the pool you want to swim in, the signs that say don't do it - their are nine in our pool - and the need to set an example for the less skilled would be enough to convince any reasonable person that the life guard does not deserve the finger when you are asked not to do it. You should not even need to know the level of risk you are putting yourself at by diving in the shallow end and the fact that you may not be covered by insurance if you survive a paralyzing spinal injury.

I don't know if they are embarrassed or just being complete asses.

Baby Wetsuites and Childrens Wetsuites Testimonials

2012-03-07T15:34:00.000+11:00

The following are testimonials of parents that have purchased the Konfidence Baby Wetsuits / Childrens Wetsuits.

As you will see these people are using the wet suits on a regular basis and are not just casual users.

I thought that it was important for others to see just how important it is to keep children war in the water. I can harp on about it all that I like but in the end my word is not sufficient. People wont trust just my word but they may trust the word of other parents that have used kid's wetsuits and have found them useful. In fact in some cases I venture to suggest that it may have saved a parent or twos sanity.

Just a quick note to my North American I would not want you to discredit what has been written in this post because some of the spelling is different. I needs to be pointed out that these testimonials wee written in Australia and some of our words are spelled differently (not incorrectly)

hi Richard,
"I purchased a Konfidence wetsuit for my son Liam when he was 2 years old. He's a skinny little thing and after just 5 minutes in the pool his lips would turn blue and he would start to winge. Obviously once he had one, his older sister wanted one too. I was amazed at the difference.

The warmth factor meant they could both comfortably stay in the water a lot longer... in fact I frequently have to drag them out of the pool after well over an hour. However, I had not expected the benefit of the added bouncy. Both children found increased confidence in the water and my daughter's swimming immediately improved. Even Liam started to "get it" and is now happy to be in even neck-high water without being scared (though obviously not alone!).

My only concern is that they will come to rely on the increased buoyancy and therefore be unable to swim without them... however Asha and I trialled this last week and she assured be it is not a problem (after I rescued her from the bottom... joke!).

All in all I have been really happy with the suits. I was a little nervous paying so much and them not wearing them but they wear them all the time they are in the water - pool, lessons and the beach. I would certainly recommend them to any parents whose children need either extra warmth or extra buoyancy confidence in the water."

Jacqui, mother to Asha 5 and Liam 3

Dear Richard
My son, Sam, started swimming lessons just before he turned two. After a few weeks, we realized he was distressed in the pool because he was so cold. He was even shivering under the water and it was not a pleasant experience for anyone. I was going to have to stop lessons till the weather improved.

After you suggested getting him a kiddie [Childrens] wetsuit to try and keep him warmer I bought one soon after... It was called a 'warma wetsuit' by Konfidence.

The next lesson Sam wore it over a swimmer nappy and a rash vest. It was easy to get on and was secured by two Velcro straps behind his shoulders. In the water there was an immediate change in Sam's behaviour, 'no tears!' During the lesson when it was time for Humpty Dumpty, ie, sitting out on the edge of the pool, he began to get upset. He knew it was a time when he would normally get very cold. This time when he sat on the edge it was like turning off a switch. He immediately stopped crying as he realized he wasn't cold.

The change in his behaviour was dramatic and for the better.It is great because we can also use it at the beach, for longer play in and out of the water. He is now getting a lot more out of his lessons and loves it in the water.

Amanda (grateful mum)

Enjoy
Richard

Ear Plugs - Why Bother Wearing Them?

2012-03-06T17:04:00.000+11:00

Important, important, important, I can't over emphasize the importance of my next statement

"No ear plug is perfect at keeping water out"

So why bother with ear plugs at all?

Because although it doesn't matter for those who don't have to wear ear plugs for medical reasons, far to often it is overlooked for those who do, and it's mostly the children who have no control that suffer.

And then there are those that just don't like water in their ears.

The ear is flexible and never remains static, therefore no matter what sort of ear plug you wear you will have regularly gaps opening between the ear canal and the plug.

When I was a child I had a lot of ear problems, so I know both how important and how annoying ear plugs can be.

Now days they are more of a nuisance to me so of course I don't wear ear plugs at all, but then I don't need them these days as my ears drain very well and can you imagine a swimming teacher trying to teach swimming with ear plugs: although I have to admit, it may be advantages with some children who seem bent on screaming just for pleasure.

Taking into account all the above it is worthwhile to talk about all the different types of ear plugs, their advantages and disadvantages because their are many difference between them and the technology has changed a whole lot since I was wearing them when I was young.

Next time starting to define the different types of ear plugs.

Enjoy
Richard

Swimming and Ear Plugs

2012-02-28T17:50:00.000+11:00

You know ear plugs would have to be the single most bothersome piece of swimming equipment that I know of.

Not only is the advice given by the medical community as varied as the biology of the earth but there are even arguments as to weather they do any good at all.

People were ear plugs because:
they hate getting water in their ears
they are afraid of getting ear infections
they have a skin reaction or rash from the water

But the most common reason for ear plugs is tubes in the ears. Children who have had constant ear problems often have a very minor operation when tubes are inserted in their ears in order to assist with drainage and that is where the most common controversy comes in.

Some doctors don't like ear plug because too many people don't wash them well enough between uses and bugs breed on them. Yes you have to clean your ear plugs after each and every use because if you don't, the wax from your ears stays on them even after they have been in the pool water. Even if you are convinced that you can see nothing, a thin layer of wax usually remains on the plugs and that collects dust and dirt, sometimes just from the surrounding air but most often from the container which they are kept in and that is a breading ground for bugs which cause ear infections.

Yes the container itself has to be cleaned. Most people forget to clean the ear plug container which is also a incubator for germs.

Most doctors insist however that children with ear problems and particularly with tubes use ear plugs to minimize the amount of water that get into the ear during swimming and swimming lessons. I said minimize because the keeping water out of the ears is problematic, as most ear plugs are not water tight and some water always gets in. As yet I have not come across any ear plus that fit they way they need to in order to keep water out completely.

So why bother wearing ear plugs? That's just what we will talk about next time.

Enjoy
Richard

Learning to Swim: Don't Get it Perfect Just Get it Started

2012-02-21T14:00:00.000+11:00

Whether doing judo or swimming one of the worst attitudes to overcome is the student that demands perfection from themselves.

The attitude is great until the student comes across an action that they have problems mastering and then your just stuck. Over and over again, the same drill but instead of improvement you get stagnation.
Then the frustration sets in and then the depression and eventually the anger. You end up with a student that is intransigent and unable to progress.

Stop! If you or a student of yours is stuck in this mode, do not do or let them do that drill anymore. Move on! If you don't, not only do you end up with a student with a bad attitude but you also end up drilling in bad movement.

Even to the point of promoting a student before they have passed every exercise in that stage, I would much rather have something imperfect than no progress.

I have gotten into a lot of trouble with this in my time. Administrators often do not like it when you tell them to promote someone that is not fully competent at the previous level. But my reasoning is that not everybody develops at the same pace and more often than not the faulty action will be fixed or fix itself whilst other things are allowed to advance.

"But what if the fault doesn't get better you say?" Providing it is not stopping the student from swimming it's not an issue. Unless your student is intending to become a competitor then what does it matter. Sometimes students and teachers get obsessive over some things and it just silly.

"What if the student does intend competing?" is the next obvious question. You or your student are still far and way better off giving the skill a break. Repeating incorrect actions will only ingrain faults that will be that much harder to fix latter on.

Of course there are limits to pushing forward regardless. Any good swim teacher worth their salt will tell you of the exasperation they experience when they get a new student come to them after having been in swimming lessons for sometime, that has clearly missing out on significant amounts of skill development.

I remember very clearly the day that I was asked to take on a group of students that had specifically asked for me. The problem was they had been in lesson for 12 month and had not progressed. I had to go right back go basics because they were missing a whole heap of skills. It only took three lessons and they were up and swimming.

Clearly the above case was an instance where pushing forward regardless was not in the best interest of the students. Suffice to say it was disappointing that this had not been picked up earlier.

In contrast the worst case of "perfectionism" I came across was in a class I took over and discovered one student that had been in that class for 2 years. When I asked why I was told that it was because he had not mastered the kicking properly. I immediately promoted him with "the are a heap of good swimmer out there that don't even try to kick even if they can.

And whilst that is not to say that kicking is not important it is to say "Don't get it perfect just get it started".

Enjoy Richard

Blu-Tack Ear Plugs & Swimming Not Safe

2012-02-14T20:39:00.000+11:00

Don't use Blu-Tack* For Ear Plugs!

Lots of swimmers use Blu-tack as substitute ear plugs because of it's flexibility and it's easy molding to a the ear.

But the parents of one of my students told me that their doctor was very unhappy with the idea, so I thought I would mention this in passing to our pediatrician.

If I were to say that pediatricians are not fans of Blu-Tack as a substitute for ear plugs, I think that may be understating it a little.

What happens, apparently is that tiny little bits flake off and stay in the ear. Thus Blu-tack is not a good thing for anybody: but if your child has tubes in their ears the results of Blu-Tack flakes are untold complications. In short Don't Do It, there are plenty of earplug substitutes and lot of cheap effective earplugs so that you don't have to.

Enjoy
Richard

*Blu-Tack is a brand name that may be called different things in different countries. It is a flexible and pliable sticky substance the is intended for temporarily fixing things in place. I personally find it very useful in many situations. It's use in swimming is Not something that is promoted or recommended by the manufactures.

Backstroke and Raising shoulder

2012-02-07T11:29:00.000+11:00

I have a problem with swim teachers that spend an inordinate amount of time instructing new swim students to raise their shoulder just before they lift their arm out of the water to start their stroke.

Now don't get me wrong the idea of raising your shoulder out of the water when doing backstroke is great: it generates a small amount of rotation in the water; this increases your reach so that you are able to grab (or catch) more water, thus increasing you propulsion; it also reduces water resistance.

But, raising your shoulder is also reasonably natural if you are exerting enough force in the water with your pushing (stroking arm). So it is completely unnecessary to spend large amounts of time coaching in shoulder lift.

Instead learn to raise your shoulder when doing backstroke by making it a function of the amount of work you are doing under the water not as a separate action in itself.

In other word push harder under the water with you stroking (pushing) arm and you will end up raising your other shoulder naturally.

Simple really
Enjoy
Richard

Is Your Breaststroke Working For You? A Drill

2012-01-31T17:18:00.000+11:00

This site is not about coaching for swimmers so unless it has to do with learning to swim I try and stay away from coaching drills.

But this is a really simple little drill and if you are having trouble with your breast stroke then it's worth trying.

You don't need to be concerned if your breaststroke is looks or feel a bit funny or "out of wack"; you don't need to care if others are critical of your stroke. As long as you have the basics of breaststroke then this little drill can only help.

Go on give it a go it can't hurt and can only make you a better swimmer.

Enjoy Richard

I'm Cold in the pool but it's warm water

2012-01-24T16:45:00.000+11:00

It's so common to get parent saying "the pool is too cold" only to star at you with disbelief when you tell then that the pool temperature is 29 deg C (82 deg F) even when the water is at 32 deg C (89 deg F) it is not uncommon for swimmers and parents alike to question the temperature of the pool.

There are several things going on here:

Firstly there is a failure on the part of swimmers and parents alike to recognize that their body regardless of what temperature is around them is about 37 deg C (98 deg F). Therefore climbing into anything less than that is going to feel Cooler Depending on how sensitive you are to temperature change.

Secondly water dissipates heat faster than air, that is why we sweat to get rid of body heat faster. As someone in Yahoo answers put it: "Something feels warm or cool to your body based on how much heat is moved in or out of your body; if both the water and the air are 80 (F 27 deg C) degrees (both lower than body temperature) your body will give up more heat to change the temperature of the water than it gives up to the air. Because the water takes more heat from your body, it feels cooler."

Thirdly when you get out of the water because you are wet you are going to cool down really fast. All in all everything is conspiring to make you feel that the water is Colder that it actually is.

So next time you ask the life guard at your local pool what the temperature of the pool water is and it feels colder to you than what s/he says. Don't Get upset with him or her and accuse them of lying. Remember they are probable telling you the truth and it is your perception that is off.

Enjoy
Richard

When can I start swimming with my baby?

2012-01-17T16:40:00.000+11:00

Form the babies point of view there nothing stopping you form starting swimming classes as soon as you want provided; the water is warm enough.

There is normally no need to wait until your baby is immunized or anything like that before taking your star swimming but if you have any doubt check with your doctor.

In my experience the earlier a child starts swimming lessons the sooner they develop a healthy respect for the water. Combine that with the possibility of your child learning to float or even sort of swim and you have some great fun and safety going on with the exercise of swimming.

Having said that, for the mother, it’s best that you wait until six weeks after your baby's birth before you go swimming; this is for your sake more that the babies. If you go swimming sooner there is a chance you may pick up an infection. If you’ve had a caesarean section or stitches your health visitor or GP may recommend that you wait longer than six weeks.

There is however no prohibition on your husband or other significant person tacking your baby swimming before that: but do remember the water has to be warm enough for your little one (about 32 to 34 deg C). Always remember that babies only have small bodies and the loss of vital heat is therefore more rapid than in those older.

The other thing to consider is what your expectations are of swimming classes with your child. A very young baby (one that is not rolling or moving about or even sitting up by themselves) may be taught how to float but that is about it and there is no guarantee that they will do that in an emergency.

So if you are looking to drown proof your baby there is no such thing and there are no Ian Thorps at 6 months old.

The bonding experience in a warm aquatic environment is like no other and the respect that your new born will gain for the water, thus making them safer around it, is priceless.

Enjoy
Richard

Frightened, Screaming Children in Swimming Class Part 3

2012-01-10T18:21:00.000+11:00

Last time we discussed the do s of dealing with Frightened, Screaming Children in Swimming Class:

This time I would like to talk about the miscellaneous aspects:
"Bribery works"
"Expect that they will do what you say"
"Do what you say and say what you will do"

Bribery works

When my children were growing up my wide and I read all the raising children books that we came across...well the truth be known my wife read them and underlined all the bits that she thought I should read and. The one thing that was put forward over and over was that you should never bribe a child, you should always contract with them; to this day I have never figured out the difference.

Bribery works, not all the time but enough to make it worthwhile making an attempt.

It is definitely Ok to offer a child something in exchange for their compliance. This is one thing that parents can be a great help.

Parents usually know what their child would consider a worthwhile swap. But there is a caveat. The reward must be realistic and it must be a available as soon as the new swimmer complies.

Twenty dollars in 2011 to three year old is ridiculous but a bright shiny 20 cents could be just the ticket.
A ride in daddy's new car when he comes home is too long to wait but a big hug from mummy now may be just the thing. Get the idea?

Expect that they will do what you say

When I was a church youth leader I had Many occasions where I organized weekends away for children and young people. On one such weekend I had one of my leaders come to me and say in frustration "why will the children never do what I say" to which I replied "that is the problem, you never expect them to".
Children are very perceptive and if they detect any wavering on your part you can expect them to capitalist on it.

My favorite line in the movie kindergarten cop is "have no fear".

It's all about your personal presents. Say what you need to have done with confidence and say it in a way that there is no doubt that you expect it to be done.

It's not about raging like a fool or having an over abundance of courage. It's not about being overbearing. Rather it is having and portraying the confidence that you know what you are doing and have the well-being of your charges at hart.

If you believe that you are going to be ignored then you will be but if you respect and care for a person, particularly a child, then they are most likely going to respect you and if a child respects and cares for you they will do what you say.

It is kind of biblical really.

Do what you say and say what you will do

This to me is the most important thing of all. If you take nothing else away from what I have written here you Must take this.

Don't ever trick Or deceive your new swimmer into thinking you are going to do something and then do something else.

Don't ever tell a child you are no going to put them under water and then do just that. I know many a person has thought that if I can just get their head under water they will be fine and that may or may not be true but if you do it by deception, even if it works your credibility will be shot and you can expect resistance from then on. You can expect that the progress of your new swimmer will always be tempered by their lack of trust of you.

What's more, if you do something different from what you say you are going to do and it doesn't work you can forget about getting your student to do what you say for a Long time.

So make sure that you do what you say and say what you do. Do not deviate or deceive. Your relationship with any new swimmer depends on it.

In fact making sure you do what you say and say what you do should be your mantra no matter what level of student you teach.

Remember that the most important thing you can establish when you have a crying, frantic, frightened or screaming child is to establish trust. If you can't establish trust you are doomed to fail. But if you can establish trust you will not only gain a new student but a friend.

Enjoy
Richard

Frightened, Screaming Children in Swimming Class Part 2

2012-01-03T18:18:00.000+11:00

Last time we discussed the don't s of dealing with Frightened, Screaming Children in Swimming Class part 1:
Don't Panic
Don't try and do your lesson
Don't try to do anything

This time I would like to talk about the do s:
Do Talk

Do distract I used to use toys.
Do keep parents near by
Do listen to parents
Do let parents interact (mostly)
Do Talk

Talking is the second most calming thing that a person can do.

The most calming thing you can do is take a deep breath (this is a fact not conjecture), which you should do often.

Talk about anything that you think may be relevant to the child and ask lot of questions unless that is upsetting the child but although you must wait for an answer and even expect an answer, you must neither demand an answer nor be bother if the child chooses not to answer your questions

Do distract I used to use toys.

My favorite toy to use is red the bear. My next most favorite is my underwater viewer, but I have to make sure that it doesn't make things worse as some times even that act of be able to look is more frightening to some children than not knowing, so don't push it.

All my toys have names some of which the children themselves have named and I introduce all my toys to the children by name and offer each toy to them one at a time: if they reject them all I've lost nothing but if they get attached to one I have won a friend. Don't be upset if the child wants to take their favorite toy home because if they bring it back they may use it for comfort and if they don't you get to buy a new one (friend) to name.

I do encourage the children to leave the toys (new friend) behind but I don't get upset if they really, really want to take their new friend home. I have had children grow very attached to certain toys so I tell them that if they leave it behind it/he/she will be there waiting for them next time. Of course that means keeping a certain level of toy management so that the toy is their next time for that child.

I did have one child swimming student who would not swim without "red" for a long while; he made her feel safe.

I often tell the child that it is their job to make the toy feel safe and that often works really well. Toys are real people to children and I for one have no problem accepting that.

Do keep parents near by

Now I have to qualify this a bit: there are times when I have asked the parent to leave but only if I have tried everything else to get the child to focus me and not the parent; if the parent thinks it is a good idea, the parent may even suggest it and only for about 10 minutes tops to see if there is some settling of the child, if there is no gain in that time or it gets worse don't be afraid to surrender. You don't have to win every situation.

With that proviso you should always keep the parents close by. It is a great help to be able to say "it's Ok mummy/daddy (or whoever) is right there they are not going anywhere". It makes a child feel safe and that is a big, big factor in helping settle a child.

Do listen to parents

There is no guarantee that what they will have to say is helpful but if you don't listen you are never going to know. Too many swim teachers fail to listen to their students parents and the pay the price. Remember that parents spend a lot more time with their child than you do there is a good chance that they know more about what will help calm the unsettled beginner swimmer than you do. Very occasionally you will get a parent that really doesn't have a clue but truly you will never know this either if you don't ask or listen to them in the first place.

Then of course there is the difficult parent (link) but if you expect difficulty you will get it and you will be the cause. Your expectation may turn out to be why the child is upset in the first place.

Do let parents interact (mostly)

I have no problem allowing parents to get into the water with the swim student and I if that is what is necessary go calm the situation. I can't for the life of me work out what the obsession is that some parents and swimming schools have with excluding parents. It is important that you wean the parent out of the water as soon as you can but there should be no problem with it for short time if it helps.

If however a parent is fretful, always encouraging your upset new swim student to leave the water and always contradicting what you say then such parents is Not of the mostly group and your only hope is get them to leave the area.

Otherwise let the parents help you!

Next time I would like to talk about the miscellaneous aspects of Frightened, Screaming Children in Swimming Class :

Bribery works
Expect that they will do what you say
Do what you say and say what you will do

Enjoy
Richard

Frightened, Screaming Children in Swimming Class

2011-12-27T18:15:00.000+11:00

Frightened, screaming children can be a very traumatic for all concerned. Obviously for the child but also for the parent and the swim teacher.

After watching one teacher and child today struggling to come to an amicable settlement I just had to say sometime about it.

Over the next couple of posts I'm going to go over some Do's and Don't and some miscellaneous aspects of dealing with Frightened, Screaming Children in Swimming Class:

Don't Panic
Don't try and do your lesson
Don't try to do anything

Do Talk

Do distract I used to use toys.
Do keep parents near by
Do listen to parents
Do let parents interact (mostly)

Bribery works
Expect that they will do what you say
Do what you say and say what you will do

Don't panic

Children are very sensitive to the vibes (feelings and moods) of those around them. Anyone who works with children knows this and if you don't work a lot with children and you want to know just how sensitive children are to the mood of a place then just ask someone who does about the first time they were in a room full of children and one began to cry for a reason they were never quite sure of and soon every child was crying and you were quite sure they didn't know why other than the first child was crying

It is therefore vital that you convey calmness and confidences no matter what calamities are going on around you. Children will never trust you if you don't trust yourself.

Don't try and do your lesson

Your job is to get the child to trust you so forget about your lesson plan. Take the time to get go know the child, at least as far as that particular child is concerned. I have very vivid memories of watching one swim teacher holding a child that a parent had given her, looking up at me with pleading eyes for help as the child screamed and carried on; I tried to advise the teach through her supervisor; but despite her look for help she insisted on trying to do her lesson with the child the moment he started to settle down; resulting in the child getting even more agitated and the lesson eventually being forced to be abandoned. If the teacher had just been that little bit more patient and waited for the child to be ready to do something she would have not only won a new student but also a friend.

Don't try to do anything

I have had swim students were I spent two to three lessons just nursing them in my arms or letting them sit whilst I worked with other students all the time talking with them about anything but swimming.Other times I've done nothing but walked up and down my area nursing a screaming child and talked quietly in the child ear, reassuring all the time.

Next time I will talk about the Do's of dealing with Frightened, Screaming Children in Swimming Class

Do distract (I used to use toys).
Do keep parents near by
Do listen to parents
Do let parents interact (mostly)

Enjoy
Richard