Can you swim?

[Gevin Chapwell]

I like swimming by the way. I used to be pretty good (I remember doing 50 lengths for a BHF sponsored swim when I was young enough that 50 lengths was decent) but what I've learnt from swimming with Indra recently is that my technique is very rusty and I get tired much more quickly. But I still absolutely love being in the water.

Swimming is ridiculous, and this has really made me reconsider you as a person. Getting wet is just annoying and swimming is one of the most overrated activities in the world.

People try to make out that learning to swim is essential and that you might need to know how to swim in case you randomly fall into an expanse of water one day. Sure, that might happen, but people spend far more time walking along pavements right next to roads, and no-one ever says "You should never do that because you might fall in and you haven't learnt how to survive a 50mph impact with a car." Also, unless you live right by a swimming pool, the chances are you're going to go to your swimming lessons by car, and I would suggest that you're more likely to die in a car accident on the way to a swimming lesson than randomly find yourself out of your depth in some water one day. The only reason to learn to swim is for fun, and it's not fun.

I didn't go in a swimming pool at all between 1989 and 2007. I think that's a good record.

By the way Matt, your technique is only going to get more rusty the more time you spend in water. That's how rust works.

Just to follow this up, most people who drown are people who can at least sort of swim but decide to go into the sea or a lake or something and then get into difficulty. If people didn't learn to swim at all, this wouldn't happen. It's one of the biggest myths in the world that learning to swim is likely to save your life. It's the opposite.

[Marc Meakin]

I like swimming by the way. I used to be pretty good (I remember doing 50 lengths for a BHF sponsored swim when I was young enough that 50 lengths was decent) but what I've learnt from swimming with Indra recently is that my technique is very rusty and I get tired much more quickly. But I still absolutely love being in the water.

Swimming is ridiculous, and this has really made me reconsider you as a person. Getting wet is just annoying and swimming is one of the most overrated activities in the world.

People try to make out that learning to swim is essential and that you might need to know how to swim in case you randomly fall into an expanse of water one day. Sure, that might happen, but people spend far more time walking along pavements right next to roads, and no-one ever says "You should never do that because you might fall in and you haven't learnt how to survive a 50mph impact with a car." Also, unless you live right by a swimming pool, the chances are you're going to go to your swimming lessons by car, and I would suggest that you're more likely to die in a car accident on the way to a swimming lesson than randomly find yourself out of your depth in some water one day. The only reason to learn to swim is for fun, and it's not fun.

I didn't go in a swimming pool at all between 1989 and 2007. I think that's a good record.

By the way Matt, your technique is only going to get more rusty the more time you spend in water. That's how rust works.

Just to follow this up, most people who drown are people who can at least sort of swim but decide to go into the sea or a lake or something and then get into difficulty. If people didn't learn to swim at all, this wouldn't happen. It's one of the biggest myths in the world that learning to swim is likely to save your life. It's the opposite.

Absolutely although if im wearing a buoyancy aid i feel invincible in the sea/ river/pool.
I think swimming is over rated says this 63 year old non swimmer but having passed my driving test a month ago never say never

[Robert Ring]

I didn't go in a swimming pool at all between 1989 and 2007. I think that's a good record.

That's so weird it's easy to imagine Ron Burgundy saying it (just sayin')