Children are often given formal swimming lessons, which serve to develop swimming technique and confidence. Children generally do not swim independently until 4 years of age.

In Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland, the curriculum for the fifth grade states that all children should learn how to swim as well as how to handle emergencies near water. Most commonly, children are expected to be able to swim 200 metres (220 yards) – of which at least 50 metres (55 yards) on their back – after first falling into deep water and getting their head under water. Even though about 95 percent of Swedish school children know how to swim, drowning remains the third most common cause of death among children.

In both the Netherlands and Belgium swimming lessons under school time (schoolzwemmen, school swimming) are supported by the government. Most schools provide swimming lessons. There is a long tradition of swimming lessons in the Netherlands, the Dutch translation for the breaststroke swimming style is even schoolslag (school style).

In many places, swimming lessons are provided by local swimming pools, both those run by the local authority and by private leisure companies. Many schools also include swimming lessons into their Physical Education curricula, provided either in the schools' own pool, or in the nearest public pool.

(Via Swimming - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: .)

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| Swimmers' Tales | 5 November 2007; 10:12:22 AM |# | | Discuss |

Switzerland: population, 7,554,661 (July 2007 est.) [CIA] London: population, 7,500,000 [WIKIPEDIA]

"The swimming pool icons (indoor swimming pool), (open air swimming pool) and (combined indoor and outdoor swimming pool) on the Swiss map indicate the position of the swimming pools covered by the Swiss Indoor and Open-Air Swimming Pool Guide. "

(Via Map of Swimming Pools - Swiss Indoor and Open-Air Swimming Pool Guide: .)

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| Swimmers' Tales | 18 October 2007; 6:05:17 PM |# | | Discuss |

{pictureRef (, border:1, title:"Roger Deakin at home by his moat", align:right)}

Roger Deakin, author of "Waterlog" has died at the age of 63 - there follows his obituary from the Guardian on September 15th. Waterlog is the lyrical tale of Deakin's attempts to swim all the wildwater of Britain, if you love swimming you will love his book.... In 1968, Roger Deakin bought the ruined remains of an Elizabethan house, and 12 acres of surrounding meadow, on the edge of Mellis Common in Suffolk. Little survived of the original 16th-century dwelling except its spring-fed moat, overhung by hazels, and its vast inglenook fireplace. So Roger put a sleeping-bag down in the fireplace, and lived there while he rebuilt the house around himself. Walnut Tree Farm, the house he eventually completed, and in which he died a month ago, is made largely of wood. It is as close to a living thing as a building can be. When big easterlies blow, its timbers creak and groan "like a ship in a storm", as Deakin put it, "or a whale on the move". He kept the doors and the windows open, in order to let air and animals circulate. Leaves gusted in through one door and out of another. Swallows flew to and from their nest in the main chimney. It was a house which breathed. Spiders slung swags and trusses of silk in every corner. As I sat with Deakin, 10 days before his death, a brown cricket with long spindly antennae clicked along the edge of an old biscuit tin. ...more ---> ...

| Swimmers' Tales | 18 September 2006; 11:34:21 AM |# | | Discuss |

{pictureRef (, border:1, title:"Colin Osbourne prepares for his challenge", align:right)}

Croydon Guardian:

FIRST Little Britain comedian David Walliams swam the English Channel for Sport Relief. Now a charity fundraiser from Redbridge will attempt to cross the channel - underwater.

Colin Osbourne, from Hainault who founded the men's cancer charity Orchid after he nearly lost the battle against testicular cancer in 1996, is attempting to become one of the first people to cross the Channel as part of a underwater relay team.

The 24-hour relay will see the seven divers taking turns to swim for half an hour each at a depth of 10 metres and while the diver will have radio contact with the support boat the dive will essentially be a solo one. ...more ---> ...

| Swimmers' Tales | 4 August 2006; 2:04:20 PM |# | | Discuss |

{pictureRef (, border:1, title:"Sally Goble", align:right)} Congratulations to Tooting Bec Lido swimmer, Sally Goble, who has swum the Channel - read her blog below...

It's now several days since I swam the Channel and it's just sinking in. I've gone from being plain exhausted to being completely manic. What a bloody journey to get here...

The run up The tide I am scheduled to swim on (18 July - 27 July) started on the early hours of Tuesday 18 July, and after an initial conversation with Neil, my pilot, I find that I am not, as I thought, 4th on the tide, but now 1st, due to a whole bizarre but fortunate set of circumstances. This is fantastic news because it means that I have 'first dibs' at the good weather. If it's a slightly dodgy day I can decline to swim and the day will be offered to the next swimmer in the queue. The crew are on standby every day of the tide until the weather forecast is announced at 7.30pm each day - when the pilot makes a decision as to whether you will swim or not. ...more ---> ...

| Swimmers' Tales | 28 July 2006; 5:17:02 PM |# | | Discuss |