Not Able To Float

I have attended three classes. I was first taught to float. However much I try, I am not able to float. My Legs just don't come up and float. I was told to relax them. I tried. Still not working!.. Is it because I am thin and short? My friend who joined with me easily glides through water now. She is much taller and healthier than me and very easily floats. I have no idea what to do! help?

Learning how to float is not the be all and end all of learning to swim. In fact it is probably the least most important part to learn when learning how to swim.

The simple fact is that some people float and some do not, and clearly you do not float!

Your ability to float is determined by your body composition and as you have already stated you are, in your words, ‘thin and short’. This type of body composition is one that does not float.

Generally speaking people that are muscular, lean or thin will tend to sink. Those that have a wider surface area or a larger body fat percentage will usually remain afloat for longer. That said, everybody’s legs sink eventually due to their weight.

There is no point trying to ‘learn’ how to float because your body is simply not built to do that.

However don’t let this put you off of learning how to swim. The most important aspects of swimming are learning how to submerge, hold your breath and breathe out in the water. Then it’s a case of using your arms and legs to move along through the water. Before you know it you will be remaining afloat at the surface of the water whilst you swim. Job done!

It is the power and momentum that is generated from your arm pulls and leg kicks that bring about your movement through the water and therefore your ability to remain at the water surface.

So, stop trying to float in a static position and get on with using your arms and legs to learn a swimming stroke! Before you know it you will be a happy and confident swimmer.

Our best-selling book 'The Complete Guide to Simple Swimming' contains aspects of learning to swim plus over 80 separate swimming exercises to help all parts of basic swimming. You can download it, print out the parts you need and take them to your pool to try out. Click the link below for more information.

Click back to the homepage