Survival Swimming is a Skill which everyone should be able to do.  Bodies of water (Pools, Water Parks, Lakes or Oceans) are everywhere around us and we always tend to go where there is water.  Therefore we must all have one thing in common, learn to survival swim in order to maintain ourselves a float being able to breathe consistantly and most importantly providing enough time for someone to notice you and HELP YOU!

It only takes a couple seconds for someone to drown even in a couple inches of water.  Humans natural response to a panic situation is tightening our whole body (Fetal Position) and inhaling a lot to prepare ourselves for whatever is ahead.  In this instance, panic is the worse thing to do in the water.

Remember:

• When in the water, always breathe through your MOUTH not your nose
• Your MOUTH has a larger diameter/size than your nose which will eliminate choking on water
• Relax yourself whenever fear starts to set it
• Relaxing, slows your heart rate, therefore, conserving your oxygen

Panic In An Emergency:

Tightening up in a fetal position, squeezing every muscle in your entire body. will actually cause you to immediately sink like a rock.  Reason for this is because we all have a center of mass which is our "buoyant spot" (around our chest area).  If we tighten up and curl up in a fetal position then we over ride it and cause the boyancy to become heavier.  Therefore we must always relax once e are submerged into a body of water and wait untill we start to float towards the top. 

Practice this in a safe environment with proper supervision.  Jump into a pool and once you have hit the water, spread your arms in a "Y" position and spread your Legs in a "Y" position as well and hold your breath and don't blow out.  Exposing your buoyancy (Chest) and holding your breath in your lungs will also help you  immediately come up towards the surface.  Once at the surface, pop your head above water quick enough to breathe one time and relax again. You will  see that you will go up for air and then immediately sink, but trust yourself to be able to hold your breathe for 20 seconds till your body slowly rises up towards the surface.  Doing this multiple times will help you maintain oxygen and someone will be able to rescue you successfully.

In order to prevent the panic situation, you must continuously practice survival swimming techniques.

Survival Swimming 101:

Just like anything in life, practice WILL make perfect.  Training day in and day out will prepare your nervous system to respond when the day(s) comes up.  Can't expect your body to dive straight into "Survival Swimming" when it has never attempted to do so.  So take it slow and build up your training till comfort & confidence starts to set it.

Start now, so when the day presents its self, you will BE PREPARED!