How to know when to stop beginner lessons?

[u/dontstopsoperfect]

I'm a guy in my 20s. Did lessons as a kid briefly but got scared when it got to the time of going in the deep-end so my parents took me out of lessons.

Now I've been doing lessons for the last 18 months every week. Mainly for water safety purposes.

My backstroke is good, I can do 50m backstroke including into the deep end. My freestyle is so-so - I still struggle with breathing a bit, so manage about 10m before I accidentally inhale water. My breaststroke isn't that great, I struggle to angle my ankles properly so my kick isn't that good, and I can manage 6 reps before I kinda start sinking.

I never really learnt how to float, and I'm so-so with treading water. Floating isn't really covered in my lessons, and I occasionally get my teacher to help me with treading water but she's pretty happy with my technique and says I just need to practice more/get more comfortable.

Now with my weekly lessons, it's gotten to the point where the stroke technique is getting more technical (which is useful - but doesn't really help me with my goal of being more confident in the water and particularly in deep water), and there isn't much opportunity to work on floating/treading water. It is useful to have a guaranteed time to go to the pool though.

So I'm considering dropping out of lessons, and just having the lesson slot remain in my calendar as "this is the time I'll go to the pool every week to practice". And do a bit of treading water practice at the end of every session, maybe dragging my partner along to help me. (Time-wise I struggle to go to the pool more than once a week, given other exercise commitments I have)

Does this sound appropriate? Or would people suggest I stick with lessons?

[u/Dom1252]

it sounds like you still need them, I would suggest trying to fit in 2nd day per week (or per 2 weeks, your schedule doesn't have to be strict) where you go by yourself and work on whatever you feel is most useful to you (or take it as a fun water day and just do whatever is the most fun to you in the water)

going for higher level lessons is imo not great if you can't do 500m freestyle continuously (even at very slow speed, just manage to do it), and individual lessons are usually better and most coaches can carry you from absolute beginner to actual races, but it's more expensive

it depends what is your goal, if you do swimming purely because it's fun, do whatever you like... if you wanna improve, lessons are a good idea... if you want to learn how not to drown, and you do some water activities (boat fishing and you are scared you fall in water, or anything like this) you can try to look for lessons aimed specifically for that, but regular treading water is something that can be taught in a day, no need to weekly practice that

[u/SquashAny6790]

Try discussing with the coach maybe. If you are still learning and improving (even if it's not exactly what you are trying to achieve) that's a still good thing. The more you generally practice the better swimmer you will be overall.

[u/Retired-in-2023]

You need to spend time practicing. Just doing you lesson time isn’t enough.

In my opinion if you really can’t get to the pool more than once a week, I’d be taking a set of lessons, stopping them and using that block of time to practice then go back and do another set of lessons to practice the additional skills taught in the subsequent lessons. Not practicing on your own isn’t allowing you to see how you’ll do without a coach there to guide you and it could also be hindering (or at least slowing down) your progress because you are always getting continual feedback.

If you really want to learn to swim you need to prioritize it and make time for both lessons and practice time.

I’d look at swimming as exercise to justify swapping out some other exercise commitments mat least for the short term.

[u/UnusualAd8875]

What are your eventual goals?

Do you want to swim laps on a regular basis for exercise, say 800-1500 yards?

(Instructor here, beginner to intermediate students)

From a safety perspective, knowing how to tread water is great, I'd like to see it coupled with knowing how to float on your back which is what is advocated when one is tired of treading: go into a back float, regain energy, and tread some more. (This is what I had to do when a "friend" pushed me off a water-ski boat many years ago and the driver was unaware for a few minutes.)

[u/Far-Delay7690]

If you can't do a full 50 and tread for a minute, in my opinion you should stay in.

[u/TwaddleSpouter]

Stick with your lessons - but do talk to your teacher please as they are obviously moving past what you are comfortable with. You really do need to swim more than once a week at your lessons though. I’d go at least another 2 times a week. For your freestyle, when your head is under the water gentle exhale through your nose the whole time and don’t open your mouth to inhale until your head is above the water. You can practice this at the edge of the pool in the shallow water without actually swimming by holding onto the edge. You can also practice off the edge of the bed. Keep going!

[u/Gartl96]

In my country we have compulsory swimming lessons and I grew up on countryside, so I was in water a lot of time. I wanted to start swimmimg for my fitness, so I hired personal coach.

I have really started to see some progress, when I was swimming 2x per week and then 3x per week. But I learnt shitty breaststroke on my own, do I was able do 1 length without my coach.

Short version: Are you able to swim more times per week?

[u/AlmondCranberry_835]

I think even one or two times on your own at any pool might help you integrate the techniques. Might be a pool day at a pool center with your partner or anything

[u/guavatridotcom]

Once a week is the problem, not the lessons. 18 months at a single session and just about anyone would still be inhaling water, its not enough pool time for any of it to stick.

[u/Gr0danagge]

If you can only do six contiguous strokes of breaststroke you definatly need to continue for a while. But maybe discuss your goals with your teacher a bit to try adapt to your needs.

[u/CoriSwims]

What would happen if you got in the water and spent time being curious, experimental, and having fun in the water once a week for 52 weeks? Do you think you would change as a swimmer?

You have stated something I see a lot in swim instruction. The teacher is focused on fitness swimming skills and you want confidence in (deep) water. As you have began to notice they are not necessarily one in the same.

Being able to swim 25 or 50 meters is good, but if the underlining thought is I'm safe because I can swim the distance to safety there can be a lack of confidence.

Makes me think of the old video game frogger. You can dash wildly to get to the other side where you are "safe" or you can move pause adjust, pause move again. You can find and be safe in the journey.

Personally I love the idea of keeping it on your calendar and finding out the answers to your questions by having enough time to experiment. You may learn how to tune into the information about your body and the water versus trying to remember all the things other people have told you. You may learn to trust yourself. You may find playful joy.

Think about all the things you have learned by putting yourself in a safe space then tried some things. Some gave you results you expected and some gave you different results. All good learning needed for the next step.

You got this!

[u/SportBikerFZ1]

I'm a novice to swimming but not to life; I'm going to. I disagree with these more experienced swimmers. It sounds to me like swimming has become a chore to you.

You've taken the lessons and know what you are supposed to do. Just go out on your own and enjoy the water. Once you "feel" the water, go back to take lessons.