You’re not alone if you’ve ever wondered why you can swim underwater. There are many reasons why you can’t swim on top. Here are a few of them. Whether you’re scared of depths or don’t know how to swim, there’s a way to make it easier.
Exhaling for longer and longer increments
Exhaling for longer increments is one of the best ways to get used to breathing underwater. The goal is to exhale bubbles instead of holding your breath, so your body can sink as air leaves your lungs. It is also important to relax while exhaling. Try to bring your head out of the water slightly as you breathe. Once you have mastered this technique, you can move on to swimming underwater.
Exhaling through the nose is crucial to maximize airflow and avoid getting water in your sinuses. This is especially important when swimming upside down, during flip turns, and at the start of your backstroke. It is very unpleasant to have water coming up your nose. Many experienced swimmers are OK with achieving complete exhalation through their nose, but less experienced swimmers need to practice it until they reach it. Exhaling through the nose also makes your stroke more symmetrical and helps you recognize if it is out of whack.
When swimming underwater, remember that all mammals’ breathing reflex is innate. While holding your breath during a dive is natural, you need to control this reflex by exercising in the water. Holding your breath will give your child more confidence in the water and help them develop a rhythmic breathing pattern. Rhythmic breathing is essential to efficient swimming, as it is a synchronized pattern of inhales and exhales.
Reconfiguring body composition
Natural buoyancy is affected by bone density, and if your bone density is low, you’ll struggle to stay underwater. You can correct this by increasing the air you breathe out of your lungs. But this process takes months, even years. You can also work on your swimming strokes.
Keeping a streamlined position while swimming
Keeping a streamlined position while swimming is essential to proper swimming technique. It allows the swimmer to improve their stroke technique. The push-off is the most crucial part of any freestyle swim, and fine-tuning the push-off can lead to a more efficient freestyle swim. Keeping a streamlined position can also benefit swimmers who lack the range of motion.
To practice keeping a streamlined position while swimming underwater:
- Focus on a neutral position for the head and neck.
- Visualize an imaginary line on the bottom of the pool. Once you have the streamlined place, you can work on nuances of head positioning and body placement to achieve optimal propulsion and drag reduction.
- Remember that water resistance is constant, so reducing your drag will increase your efficiency in swimming.
The next step is to engage your core. While keeping your breath regular, engage your abdominal muscles and draw your navel toward your spine. This will increase your core strength. This will help you swim more efficiently and quickly. Another essential skill to learn is how to perform dolphin kicks. To learn how to do this correctly, start performing core development exercises to strengthen your abdominal muscles. Moreover, when performing dolphin kicks, keep your feet pointed and not bend at the knees.
When you swim underwater, keep an eye out for traffic, such as other swimmers. This way, you can chart a clear path for yourself. Once you have achieved a streamlined position, you can quickly dive deeper into the water and maintain your position.
Avoiding shallow water blackout
Avoiding shallow water blackouts is a crucial step in swimming safety. A shallow water blackout (SWB) is a sudden loss of consciousness while holding your breath in water. This can happen in any body of water, which is not detectable from above. Fortunately, there are several ways to prevent this from happening.
To prevent a blackout, divers must learn to recognize its symptoms. Those most at risk for this situation include snorkelers, spear fishermen, and breath-hold divers. It is also a risk factor for young and competitive swimmers. While blacking out in the water may be unpleasant, it is more manageable than you might think. The most important thing to remember when doing so is to breathe deeply.
Another risk factor for a blackout in shallow water is hyperventilation or holding your breath too long. This action reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood, which results in a lack of oxygen for the brain. As a result, the brain does not feel the urgent need to breathe, and it can even cause the swimmer to drown.
In addition to hyperventilation, another factor that increases the risk of a blackout in shallow water is the urge to breathe more rapidly than necessary. People who intentionally over-ventilate have a higher risk of experiencing a blackout, as they lose consciousness faster than usual. It is, therefore, essential to avoid hyperventilation before getting into the water.
Swimming in a storm
It would help if you took precautions to stay safe when swimming in a storm. First, you must avoid swimming in the battery itself. This is because lightning is electricity, and you’ll be at risk of a shock if the lightning strikes. Another precaution to take is to swim slowly. Also, checking the water temperature before getting into it is best. If you start to cramp or shiver, you should get out of the water.
Water conducts electricity, and swimming pools are no exception. The higher the surface, the better. The reason is that lightning prefers the highest places. You’re more likely to be directly struck if a storm rages. Even though the odds of being now hit are low, swimming in a pool during a storm is still a risk.
A day at the beach is a perfect place to see a thunderstorm, but you’re at risk because you’re still in the salt water. If a storm is approaching, it’s likely to produce lightning, potentially fatal for people close to the surface. Finding shelter can also be difficult if you’re at the beach.
Another danger of swimming in a storm is encountering a rip current. The currents can be so strong that you can be swept far away from shore. If caught in a rip current, it’s better to stay calm. The rip current will eventually wash you out, but the best way to avoid it is to turn sideways. Then, wade or swim until you’re out of the rip current.
