If a person reads a lot of theory about how to swim, different types of techniques, other people’s written experiences etc., can they swim if thrown in a deep swimming pool? Or, at least, be able to swim enough to reach the steep end and save themselves from drowning?

By “a lot”, I mean spending over 6 months to a year, gaining theoretical knowledge. And when we throw them in the pool, they are willing to try it, as in, “I have learnt enough, and I am willing to try it out.”

  • WolfLink@sh.itjust.works
    3·
    2 days ago

    I doubt someone who has only ever read about swimming could do it in deep, cold water. But they are talking about taking it to a swimming pool to practice. I think they’ll be fine.

    • douglasg14b@lemmy.world
      2·
      2 days ago

      Yeah, but if you’re doing it in a swimming pool to practice, then you didn’t learn how to swim by reading about it. You learn how to swim by practice, which is how everyone learns how to swim

    • 𝕽𝖚𝖆𝖎𝖉𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖍@midwest.social
      1·
      2 days ago

      Well, yeah. But they could also skip the books; the practice will be much more useful.

      You can’t watch your form in a mirror, in a pool. Well, Elon and Bezos probably can, but most normal people can’t. So you can’t tell how you’re doing, if you’re trying to actually swim well. Having an instructor, or even a friend who knows a little about swimming would even be better than any amount of book reading.

      I’m all for book learning, but I doubt many people learned to ride a bicycle by reading a how-to first.

      If they’re going to spend time trying to learn to swim, that time is better spent in a pool, than reading about it.