GOODSWIM
  • Home
  • About
  • Lessons
    • Lessons
    • Winter School Holiday Program
    • Bronze Medallion Training
    • Nipper Training
    • Active Kids Program
    • Gift Vouchers
  • FAQ
  • Contact/BOOK
  • Blog
  • Partners

GoodSwim Blog

And Relax....

18/8/2021

1 Comment

 
Learning how to relax in the water and relax when swimming is a vital component of learning how to swim. If you are one of those people that find aspects of learning how to swim like floating and breathing quite stressful, then here is some advice. 

Which one are you?

Tense...?
Picture
Relaxed...?
Picture
The first rule of relaxing when we swim is to move slowly.  Most will think… 'but if I move slowly I will sink'..?  That is partly true but if you move slowly you get a feel for the water and then begin to relax when moving.  Learning to 'feel' your way through the water and not 'fight' your way through it is important with ocean swimming in particular.

Breathing regularly when we swim helps to keep relaxed and calm. Keeping your face relaxed helps control the tension running through our bodies and constricting our breathing airways. It is very common to either hold your breath, scrunch your face tight or exhale fully in the water to the point of total deflation.  The result being a frantic and panic stricken inhale of breath before submerging the face and repeating the pattern again…. tense, panic breathing.

So you need to relax your face, breath long before you are deflated. Don't wait for your breath to completely run out. Take a new breath at a point that is comfortable and easy to do, top up the exhale you just made.  You wouldn't breathe out to the point of exhaustion when running or walking, so why do it when you swim?
​

...And Relax
1 Comment

I was schooled on shoals…

11/8/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
I see many groups of fish of all kinds in Cabbage Tree Bay and wondered... what is the difference between a School or Shoal?

Groups of aquatic life get classified depending on whether they are a single type or mixture of species, or whether they are fish or mammals.

SHOAL - when fish, shrimp or other aquatic creatures swim together in a loose cluster, this is typically called a  shoal . It can be a mix of different species.

SCHOOL - is a group of the same fish species swimming together in synchrony; turning, twisting and forming sweeping, glinting shapes in the water. Fish probably do this to confuse predators and to save energy (by using the ‘slipstreams’ of other fish).
Picture
Picture
Picture
How do schools of fish swim in perfect unison?
A fish decides where and how to move relative to its position in the school. If the fish behind gets too close (less than two body-lengths), then it speeds up; if the fish in front gets closer than that, then it slows down. Schooling fish watch one another and also feel the waves their neighbours make as they swim, with pressure-sensitive pores along their body called the lateral line. And each fish has its preferred spot in the school. Some are natural leaders and tend to hang at the front and guide the whole school, while others choose to follow.
Picture
Are fish in a shoal all the same age?
In general, yes. Swirling, spiralling shoals are usually made up of fish of the same species and same size, and hence age. This is partly to confuse predators. Being a similar size, shape and colour makes it difficult for a hunter – a seal, dolphin or bigger fish – to make out and target a single prey fish. Other benefits of forming shoals include swimming efficiency and finding food. Roughly half of all fish species form shoals at some point and one in four species, including sardines, herring and anchovies, live permanently in shoals and get agitated when they’re on their own.
Picture
What is a big school of fish called?
Many kinds of fish prefer to swim together in groups called shoals. Some shoals are the biggest gatherings of animals on the planet others may only contain a few individuals.

Do schools of fish have a leader?
And each fish has its preferred spot in the school. Some are natural leaders and tend to hang at the front and guide the whole school, while others choose to follow.
How big is a shoal of fish?
A larger shoal might be 7 kilometres (4 mi) long, 1.5 kilometres (1 mi) wide and 30 meters (100 ft) deep. Huge numbers of sharks, dolphins, tuna, sailfish, Cape fur seals and even killer whales congregate and follow the shoals, creating a feeding frenzy along the coastline.
Picture
0 Comments

    Archives

    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2023
    August 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    March 2022
    October 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019

    Categories

    All
    Breathing Technique
    Cabbage Tree Bay
    Cold Water Swimming
    Cole Classic
    Freestyle Kicking
    Learn To Swim
    Ocean Marine Life
    Ocean Swimming
    Stroke Correction
    Surf Paddling
    Surf Skills
    Surf Swimming
    Swim Goggles
    Swimming Drills
    Swimming Fitness
    Swimming Wetsuits
    Swim Programs
    Swim Wetsuits
    What Clients Say...

    RSS Feed

Home
About
Lessons
FAQ's
Gift Vouchers
Contact
Bronze Medallion Training
Blog
Partner Discounts
​
Disclaimer
Telephone: 0404 245 825
​email: [email protected]
Linda Goodwin - open water swimming instructor ABC radio interview
Picture
Picture

Website: Manly Mac Art 2019
  • Home
  • About
  • Lessons
    • Lessons
    • Winter School Holiday Program
    • Bronze Medallion Training
    • Nipper Training
    • Active Kids Program
    • Gift Vouchers
  • FAQ
  • Contact/BOOK
  • Blog
  • Partners