Swimming Lessons Aren’t Just for Kids: Adult Swim Lessons are Invaluable for Year-Round Water Safety
By Crystal Petrovich – British Swim Schools, U.S. Swim School Association
Accidental drownings change the lives of thousands of people across the U.S. each year. While most people think drowning is the most prevalent issue with babies and kids, three to four times as many adults as children drown each year.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, roughly 80% of drowning victims in the U.S. are 15 or older. Despite the higher incidence of adult drownings, these tragedies tend to receive far less attention than childhood cases.
While children are more likely to drown in bathtubs or swimming pools, adults often drown in natural bodies of water such as rivers, lakes and oceans, which can pose hidden dangers like currents and steep drop-offs, even when they appear calm on the surface.
Overcoming a fear of water and gaining water safety skills are crucial for enjoying aquatic activities and feeling more comfortable around water at any age. Participating in formal swim lessons as an adult can help reduce the chances of drowning and provide a level of confidence in and around water.
Often, we underestimate the power of water and it’s easy to think that nothing bad will happen when you are on the lake or at the beach. But more than 4,500 people in the U.S. lost their lives in drowning accidents in 2022, which is the most recent year that data is available.
Alcohol consumption is an increased risk factor for adult drowning. Adult drowning incidents frequently involve alcohol, which can significantly impair judgment, hinder large motor skills, delay reaction time and compromise coordination. If you’re intoxicated and you fall into the water, your ability to coordinate breathing and muscular movements will not be as strong as when you’re sober, increasing the risk of drowning.
Courtesy: U.S. Swim School Association
In addition, many adults overestimate their swimming abilities and have never taken formal swimming lessons. Men are especially apt to rate themselves as capable swimmers, but a recent CDC report found that fewer than half of all U.S. male adults have ever taken a formal swimming lesson.
Misperceiving swimming abilities can prevent adults from accurately determining their risk level around water and increase the cases of “double drowning.” Double drowning occurs when people, often parents, without any formal rescue training or equipment, jump into the water to rescue someone who is struggling and end up becoming victims themselves.
Most adults lack basic swimming skills, making them vulnerable to water-related emergencies. Swim lessons teach vital water safety skills like floating, treading water and basic rescue techniques, which can be lifesaving. While more than 80% of adults will claim they can, over 50% of all Americans cannot swim.
By taking formal swim lessons, adults are not only positively impacting themselves, but they are also affecting every generation to come. The importance of swim lessons becomes ingrained in your family culture. Research shows if your parents don’t know how to swim, you are only 19% likely to learn how to swim yourself. If we can encourage adults to become trained swimmers, they are more likely to register their kids and grandkids in formal swim lessons.
Oftentimes, a water crisis can be avoided with the simple use of a Coast Guard-approved life vest. Doing this isn’t a sign of weakness. Wearing helmets while on a motorcycle or bike has become normalized, as has wearing a seatbelt in a motor vehicle. Wearing a life vest consistently can and will save lives. You never know when and if an accident is going to happen.
Swimming is an essential life skill. As an adult, being confident in water above your head, open water and moving water are skills that cannot be understated. Whether you’re learning to swim to save yourself in an emergency, to protect your kids in water or as a form of aerobic exercise, adult swim lessons are a valuable investment. You are never too old or too busy to learn how to swim properly.
For more information about where to find a reputable swim school and adult swim lessons in your area, visit the U.S. Swim School Association website at www.usswimschools.org.
Crystal Petrovich is an Aquatics Program Specialist at British Swim Schools focusing on adolescents and adult swim instruction. In her 20+ years in the industry, she has been a swim team coach and aquatics director, taught thousands of swim lessons across every age and skill level, and created original aquatics programming. https://britishswimschool.com/
