St. Louis, MO
Floating is a critical skill. It is also a matter of physics – mass and buoyancy.
According to the blog Fatherly “Floating is the absolute first skill a kid should master when learning to swim. Not only does it provide a strong foundation for learning to swim, but it’s considered one of the most important water safety skills a person can possess.”
As to the how’s and why’s:
Floating happens because water exerts a buoyancy force on the body equal to the mass of the water displaced by the body. When an object is completely or partly immersed in a fluid, the fluid exerts an upward force on the body equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object.
The formula for buoyancy was discovered by Archimedes. When he figured it out, he is reported to have cried “Eureka”.
Archimedes was a Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor, and astronomer who lived in the third century BC. He is regarded as one of the leading scientists in classical antiquity and generally considered the greatest mathematician of antiquity and one of the greatest of all time.
How does Archimedes principle relate to British Swim School lessons and learning to float ? At British Swim School, we emphasize keeping the head back, eyes looking up at the instructor standing behind. This keeps the mouth and nose above water. It also keeps more of the back of the head submerged. Having more of the body, in this case the head, submerged displaces more water, thus creating more buoyant force. EUREKA!!!
Floating is helped even more by having the lungs full of air. Inflating the lungs with air is like having two balloons in the chest and helps the chest rise to the surface. Taking deep breaths helps keep the body buoyant.
As to the starfish position that we teach at British Swim School – spreading arms and legs wide apart helps to keep balance and stability. This helps to keep the head from coming forward.
The application of the science of floating is only one of the ways British Swim School uses a very thoughtful approach to teaching swimming based on well-founded principles. (In the case of floating, the principle dates back over two millennia to Archimedes.)
British Swim School St. Louis offers premium water survival and swimming lessons for infants, toddlers, children and adults, starting at just 3 months old. We proudly serve the St. Louis communities of Afton, Ballwin, Brentwood, Chesterfield, Clayton, Concord, Crestwood, Creve Coeur, Dardenne Prairie, Eureka, Fenton, High Ridge, Howell Island, Kirkwood, Ladue, Lake St. Louis, Manchester, Maplewood, Maryland Heights, New Town, Olivette, Overland, Richmond Heights, St. Charles, Orchard Farm, St. Paul, St. Peters, Sunset Hills, Town and Country, Valley Park, Webster Groves, Weldon Springs, and Wildwood. Call 314-312-1878 to enroll or find a class online.
