How to swim

by James H. Sterrett

Diving is a necessary part of a swimmer’s knowledge, and once the learner has mastered the simple strokes, there is but one way to enter the water—head first. What is known as the low or shallow dive is not only the best for the beginner, but is useful when one advances to the racing stage in their experience, while being the easiest to learn. To make a good dive, stand perfectly erect, with the hands first placed at the sides of the body, the position being the same as you would assume when making a broad jump. Then bend the legs slightly, draw the arms back of the body and spring forward, getting the arms in front of the head, palms downward, the thumbs touching, entering the water with a shallow dive, keeping the feet and legs close together, without bending at the knees while entering the water. As soon as you make the plunge point the hands upward and the body will come to the surface at once, inclining always as the hands are pointed; for, if you should point the hands downward, then the body would descend. To learn to dive, a little confidence is needed more than anything else, and after you have made your first effort, which, on account of timidity, is usually a little awkward, it will be a matter of a short time only when you will catch on to the idea, after which you will never think of jumping in the water, the pleasure and sensation attending a dive always being fascinating. Of course, there are other forms of diving, such as the high dive, running header, etc.; but these can be mastered later on, when the pupil has advanced to a higher point in the art, when they will be found to be easy of accomplishment, and you will be ambitious to excel in all the various ornamental and difficult water feats of the expert swimmer.

Running Header

Probably the most interesting kind of a dive is known as the running header. This kind of a plunge admits of considerable artistic execution and finish, and to see a good diver run and spring upward and forward into the air and then poise and control the body, turning it in such a manner as to enter the water gracefully, keeping all the limbs rigid and cutting the water sharply like a knife, without making any splash, is a great treat. The running header is usually made from a spring-board, extending over the water or from the end of the bath. The swimmer takes a short run, similar to that taken by a high or broad jumper, in order to give sufficient impetus or force to the springing or forward movement. Then soaring upward and outward he shoots through the air, keeping the body straight until the declining turn toward the water is made, when a sudden twist of the body is given and the diver enters the water in a slanting position, keeping the upper and lower limbs straight and close together, the arms extended beyond the head, with the palms of the hands or fingers touching in a wedge-like manner.

Back Dive

The back dive is always an interesting swimming feat. It brings into play considerable gymnastic ability, but, on account of the confidence the performer has as to the certainty that the water will not hurt him much, barring a slight sting to the flesh, should he come down flat on his back, it does not require so much courage, in attempting the first trial, as tumbling on land, in which the back dive may be in a measure likened. While it is possible to make a good back dive from a rigid base, it can be more artistically made from the springing board. The diver stands erect, with his back towards the water. The hands are first held down to and close by the side. The person stands on the edge of the pool on the diving board, resting on the toes alone, the rest of the feet extended over the water. At the movement of making the spring, the diver lowers the body by bending the knees, while at the same time he extends his arms back of the body and then by a quick and sudden movement brings them forward, simultaneously with throwing the head back and entering the water very much the same as the forward dive. When properly done, the back dive is a beautiful method of entering the water.

Diving Feet Foremost

To enter the water, diving feet foremost, is a difficult thing to do, but when such a plunge is nicely made it usually comes in for a good share of merited approval. Most of the ornamental and difficult swimming movements are usually performed in tanks or at swimming gatherings, where there is an audience, and the spectators, who know very little about scientific strokes, are interested, amused and entertained by these other performances, among which none ranks higher than plunging feet foremost. As in other forms of diving and plunging, the swimmer stands on the edge of the pool or starting station, and, taking the usual breath, leaps outward, feet foremost, much like jumping in the water, throwing the arms behind and over the head and entering the water feet first, instead of head first. The body must be well thrown back, and the legs straightened and kept perfectly rigid while entering the water. One must jump well out and be sure to judge the distance safely in order that there be no danger of striking the upper part of the body on the ledge of the bath, pier or wharf, as the case may be.

The number of ornamental feats in swimming is almost unlimited, according to the ability and ingenuity of the performer; but, in addition to the above-described movements, such figures as porpoise swimming, where the expert describes, by going under and over the water, the swimming of a porpoise; imitation of a torpedo, the head and body being submerged and the feet above the water, the swimmer propelling himself with the hands, the feet alone showing above the water; the back and front somersaults, which are really swimming gymnastics; sculling on the back, using feet and hands only; imitation of a bicycle rider, etc., etc., all of which can be mastered by a clever swimmer with practice.

The Propeller

To perform the propelling trick it is necessary that the swimmer be able to float well, for by that means the body is supported in the water, while the hands, extended beyond the head, the back of the hands pointing downwards, propel the swimmer, feet foremost, through the water. Place the body on or near the surface of the water as possible, lying on the back, the feet and legs fully extended and close together, the hands beyond the head, also in a straight line. Then, by a vigorous sculling movement of the hands against the water, the body is sent gradually but steadily forward, the quick action of the hands against the water having the same effect in driving the body forward as the propeller of a boat. Some pretty turning movements like the directing of the course of a boat with a rudder can be made by propelling with one hand only or each alternately, as the case may be, as, by sculling with the right hand, the body will glide or take an opposite course, while the left hand movement will direct to the right.