fear of water

How many times do have I heard the usual response to this statement? I can't swim.

"But EVERYONE can swim!" is the usual response. "it's easy- just lie on your back and float- you can float, can't you???"

...no, actually, I can't.

Apparently, one in a hundred people have negative buoyancy. Let me explain- the concept of buoyancy is simple- an object is positively buoyant if it displaces a greater weight of water than its own weight. In such a case, the object floats 'on' the surface.

If an object displaces a weight in water equal to its own weight, it is considered to be 'neutrally' buoyant, and floats 'at' the surface (just a little below 'on' the surface, if you want to be pedantic)

However, if an object displaces a weight in water less than its own weight, it is considered to be 'negatively' buoyant, and it sinks.

Guess which one I am? (all muscle and bone, no fat- yup- I sink like a stone!)

You try explaining this to people who have lived in the water all their lives, gone swimming, floating, paddling, etc- and watch as a proportion of them develop a glassy eyed stare.

"you can't float? Of course you can- everyone can float- just lie back! Like me! Watch!!!"

(glug, glug...still falling...glug...)

Am i deterred? No.

Am I apprehensive?

Apprehensive of water would be the wrong term.

Let's explain using a different concept- do you like heights? Spiders? Snakes? Dark places? Ever been mugged? Ever gone into work or school knowing you are about to be told off? Ever been pulled over for speeding?

Remember the feeling? Your insides go cold. Goose bumps form on your arms. You find your breath quickens, a cold, hard knot forms in your sternum or stomach, and the thought of doing anything with that concept- whether it be heights, or spiders, etc- robs your mind of reason and all you can think of is the negative, the worst, the end...

Well, ladies and gentlemen, that's how I feel about water.

Which is why this year, I'm not only learning to swim, I'm literally jumping in at the deep end (pun intended) and learning how to scuba dive too!

Why am I doing this when I'm appre...no, scared...no, lets' get this right- terrified of water?

Because I hate being scared. That's it.

How did this start? Age seven, my junior school, took my class swimming. I, being nervous, needed a leak whilst the rest of my class did two widths. Upon returning, I was met with an "off you go, simon- do two lengths"

I nearly made one width when I lost it and sank. I remember floundering, panicking, a line of bare feet and legs of half the class dangling in the water just ahead of me. I came up spluttering- and went down again. I came up a second time and went down again- and all the while the teachers stood and watched- I remember seeing them through the water- arms folded, chatting, my class watching me as I nearly drowned. Three times I went down and just made it to the side to be told "oh- you really can't swim can you? Oh well, never mind, just swim back across to the other side..." (I only went down once on the way back before reaching the side)

This instilled from that age a life long fear of water.

But now, the tide is changing (again with the intentional puns!) because I have reached a turning point.

I was once scared of heights until I jumped out of planes with a parachute on and that put paid to that problem.

As a child I suffered from a speech disability that for nearly twenty one years denied me the chance to communicate, so I went on stage and got rid of that when I was twenty five.

This is the latest thing, and it's a biggie.

I am going to learn to dive. The group I've picked (Picked? Dragged along to?) is a very professional outfit near my home, and my best friend is the senior dive instructor.

Through this blog, I intend to publish my thoughts and experiences. If you're a non-swimmer, if you're terrified of water, or maybe you're someone who is trying to teach or encourage a non-swimmer to get in the water and do this, then I hope something I may write might be of use, encouragement or support.

Besides all that, the concept is so mind blowingly terrifying to me that I want to share the experiences I've had so far since the course began in April 09. Some have scared me, and some made me leap out of the water (not literally) with the biggest grin on my face you've ever seen.

This blog is not about being afraid- it's about taking that fear and denying it the chance to rule your life.

Si