By Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin
Kimberly Fu learns to swim at La Pietra pool.
Adult learn-to-swim program
By Kimberly Fu
helps one native of these
ocean-bound isles take
her place in the surf
Special to the Star-Bulletin
So I'm 26, born and raised in Hawaii, and aquatically challenged.
So what?
Most kids are born to swim; I was born to be rescued. As a toddler playing in the shallow depths of Maili Beach, a minor wave almost towed me out to sea. Clinging for dear life to a pipipi-and-slime-covered rock, I screamed like a banshee until it was safe to crawl to shore.
At age 9 I almost drowned in drown-proofing class. Wading out too far into the deep end of the pool I panicked, chugging a keg of water and doing a bad imitation of a bobbing weasel until help came -- in the form of a male student's leg.
The owner of that leg towed me to the end of the pool and partway up a railing to safety, though I don't recall his name today.
By age 18, I could float and fake-swim, walking effortlessly underwater while making a show of moving my arms in the "correct" positions. I could hang out in the water with friends without worrying about drowning -- a win-win situation, right?
Wrong. Like other people of varying ages I've awakened to the fact that I'm missing out on something essential to island life -- the ability to swim whenever the mood hits, in any body of water available.
Jan Prins of Swim Hawaii said that that feeling is the No. 1 reason adult learn-to-swim classes are popular. When your friends, your kids, and even your dog can swim and you can't you're bound to feel left out.
By Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin
Jan Prins of Swim Hawaii instructs Kimberly Fu
in the art of swimming.
Which is why this day found me at the quiet La Pietra pool.With age comes wisdom and I knew I wouldn't be completely happy until I could really swim.
Little did I know that I wasn't the only swimmingly-challenged person in the state of Hawaii. According to a report by the Honolulu City and County Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services Division, Department of Emergency Services, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional death in those younger than 17.
Also, county lifeguards rescue 800-1,000 people a year at lifeguard-protected beaches around the state. Most people rescued either can't swim or are weak swimmers.
These statistics reflect the very real importance of knowing how to swim.
Getting to work
Sinking into the heated water was a dream after a long day of work. Unlike many people I have no fear of water, so I didn't mind jumping right in and starting the lesson.Overeager to start swimming I made several common mistakes -- diving into an activity without listening to the instructions first and thus spurting water through my nose and mouth; letting panic dictate my success and coming up short of set goals; closing my eyes underwater and almost knocking the instructor over like a speeding torpedo.
But I learned.
In the next half-hour I gained confidence in my ability to swim, perfecting the float, learning to kick with a board and against the pool railing, figuring out how to move my arms correctly and putting all the moves together to actually swim.
I was rarely nervous, mainly because I was basically comfortable in the water.
Said instructor Prins: "Once a person can open their eyes in the water and float," everything else will follow.
Lori Komer of Leahi Swim School said a little discomfort is actually good for the learning process. "There's got to be some fear. It all depends on what you bring to the lesson," she said. But, on the whole, she said, everybody improves.
Kicking with or without the board was a breeze -- if you're relaxed you can do anything, I realized. After a while I forgot where I was, becoming one with the water and reveling in the experience.
Time flew by quickly, and Prins was encouraging. If I kept up lessons at the pace I was going (about four or five lessons passed during my 30 minutes there), I could turn out to be better than a decent swimmer.
I plan to take more lessons this summer.
Learning the correct arm movements was the hardest part -- I looked more like I was slicing the water into chunks than caressing it with gliding hands. Prins assured me this was the hardest part, one even competitive swimmers struggle with.
The key, Prins said, is to keep your face in the water and not move it from side to side, as seen in the movies and at beaches everywhere. Too much movement can overwork your muscles and make you tired faster, he said.
There's no "magic" in these lessons, Prins added, just lots of encouragement and correct direction. Also lots of practice.
Rules of the lesson
No. 1: Make sure you hear ALL the instructions before preparing to do an exercise.As I dived into the prone float with kick exercise -- where both arms met above my head, my face was down in the water and I shot forward like an arrow as I pushed off the wall and started kicking -- I somehow missed the open-your-eyes part and almost drowned the teacher as I crashed into his chest. Not good.
No. 2: Relax.
I came up short of a set length-goal for an exercise because I hadn't pushed off the wall hard enough to gain the correct speed. Panicking, I tried kicking harder but my legs dropped down, my arms came up and I took a breath in the water, sucking up most of the pool.
A few coughs, a pat on the back and three tries later I got it right
No. 3: Don't worry about what you look like.
In an adult class everyone around won't know what they're doing, either. I was self-conscious at first, being that I resemble a puffer fish more than a slender koi, and because I AM getting up there in years.
Several adult learn-to-swim instructors assured me no kids are allowed in or near their pools during lessons, so there's no need to feel age-deficient.
No. 4: Make the most of each class.
"When an adult calls me to sign up for swimming lessons, I know there's a lot on their plate. There's years of embarrassment, shame, procrastination," Komer said. She added that although adults are initially nervous they quickly come around and become serious about learning, as they've decided to make a definitive change in their lives regarding swimming.
Still not sure whether to take a lesson? Imagine your next beach or pool party. Where would you rather be -- tending the food or playing in the water?
Adult swim classes
Swim Hawaii, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays in half hour sessions, $9 a class paid in monthly increments. Call 922-4192.
Click for online
calendars and events.
