Testing the Water

[ Index ] [ Where to swim? ] [ Joining a Club ] [ Competitive Swimming ]

Swimming is a fun sport that you can enjoy and one that keeps you fit and healthy at the same time. Learning to swim also lets you enjoy other sports such as surfing, windsurfing, water-skiing, water polo, or perhaps octopush. Some of these activities are covered in this 'Window On…' site.

Where to swim?

The best place to swim is in a proper pool, not a leisure pool, so that you can practise your strokes. Many leisure pools have a practice pool attached. At most swimming pools there are swimming classes for all ages and abilities with fully qualified teachers and instructors. Even if you are a reasonable swimmer, an instructor can help you get better. Teachers who are registered with the ASA can enter you for the ASA swimming awards as you standard improves.

Joining a Club

Throughout the UK there are around 1700 official clubs with qualified coaching staff that offer lessons, training and practise sessions for their members. The clubs are affiliated to the Amateur Swimming Association. The ASA is the National Governing Body for Swimming, Diving, Water Polo and Synchronised Swimming and it establishes the Laws of each of these sports. [See Information: Associations].

Cost
Clubs usually charge a fixed amount for any swimming sessions they run and an annual membership fee. Fees and charges vary, but on average they are around Ł20 per year for membership and 75p for each training or swimming session.

Benefits
As well as teaching you the correct way to swim, a club's instructors can assess your weaknesses and strengths to help you improve your swimming techniques in all strokes. Clubs that are affiliated to the ASA (and the majority of clubs are) can enter you for ASA awards as your swimming improves. This award scheme has various awards for swimmers of different abilities starting with certificates for beginners and moving onto distance or life saving certificates for more the more able. For more able swimmers, there is also the opportunity to take part in inter-club or higher level competitions.

Away from the swimming pool, most clubs arrange a variety of social activities for their members to enjoy.

Competitive Swimming

Competitions
There are swimming competitions at all levels but in order to take part in County, District or National competitions you must be registered with the ASA through your club for at least 60 days. As a rule, clubs automatically register their members with the ASA when they join. You must also reach the standard qualifying time for the event. The Governing Committee for each competition sets these standards. National teams who compete at international level are run by the ASA.

Most clubs have their own club galas. This gives all members an opportunity to take part in competitive swimming. Many clubs also hold inter-club events, when the club's team swims against a team from another club. This may be in a friendly or a league competition.

Events
In competitive swimming there are events for individuals and relay races for teams of four. Boys and girls swim in separate races unless a club specifically arranges a joint event. The events cover the four basic strokes - breaststroke, backstroke, frontcrawl and butterfly over various distances. In a medley race, a competitor or a relay team must swim equal lengths of all four strokes in a set order during the race. At international level, the length of a race ranges from 100m to 1500m but at club level, races start from 25m.

There is a fixed set of rules for competitive swimming. In the UK, these are defined and monitored by the ASA.


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Last modified on: Monday, November 10, 1997.