Swim Safety

[zoomzx11]

I have always been amazed at the lack of most Dominicans to learn how to swim. After all we are on an Island surrounded by water.

Swimming is taught in pools. Most Dominicans do not have access to a pool.
It is much more difficult to teach swimming at a river or beach. You need an environment without distractions so the students listen and know the depths so they can progress from the shallow to deeper end. Teaching breathing technique is much easier if you have an edge to hold on. Having a shallow end and the edge close by inspires confidence.
I also wondered about so many people not swimming.

 

[jd426]

Swimming in freshwater is completely different from Salt water ..
If you cant even swim in Calm Salt water , you should not be anywhere near freshwater which is even over your head without Flotation of some kind + people watching carefully over you..
Those of us who do swim take it for granted sometimes how people who do not swim can panic very easily , especially in fresh water .
Drowning is very quiet .. there are no calls for help, no screams , no splashing .. it happens very quickly ..
So sorry to hear that these people lost their lives .
May they RIP..

 

[Uzin]

This is a total misconception that if you can swim you are safe in the sea and rivers. I know personally of a few people who drowned in sea and river being excellent swimmers, mainly due to currents, waves add to that panic plus fatigue or cramp.

In the river (actually near a dam) two close friends of family drowned, both had taken part in swimming competitions when younger, everyone baffled (not drunk or on drugs, middle-aged men), the verdict was a combination of undercurrent, mud and underwater weeds/plant dragging them under...

My uncle was a lifeguard on a beach that had rough waters on some days, he lost count of people who lost their lives being good swimmers, but tourists, just going in without knowledge of the sea and currents, panic and get tired, lifeguards couldn't even find them for hours or days. You might say these lifeguards weren't any good then, but the problem was people wouldn't listen to warnings and go in at non-designated area, away from lifeguards, and in rough sea - there was no Jet-ski in old days...!

Don't think just because you can swim a few meters you are safe, always check with locals, ask where is okay and see where other people swim....

 

[dv8]

Swimming is taught in pools. Most Dominicans do not have access to a pool.

where i come the access to pools is very limited and the weather only permits swimming for few months a year yet most of my friends could swim. nearly all of them learnt to swim in open bodies of water, mainly lakes or rivers and when very young.

 

[AlterEgo]

Mr AE grew up in SD, learned to swim right in the waters off the malecon, taught himself, near Guibia. His first job was lifeguard at the Hispaniola Hotel, before he got into the casino business. So it can be done, his opinion is that many Dominicans just don’t want to be bothered learning.

 

[wrecksum]

I have offered to teach swimming to several local friends and their kids in our safe pool.Not one has even wanted to try..I do find that strange.

 

[dv8]

i worked once with this dominican girl whose brother drowned as a toddler. she was a teen back then. family outing to a river, no one paid attention, that kind of story. she did not know how to swim. and she did not want her son to learn either. i asked and apparently he loved water and never missed a chance to get into the river/ocean. her logic was that not knowing how to swim he was staying in a shallow water but if he knew he would get in deeper and she was worried that he would then drown.

 

[jd426]

i worked once with this dominican girl whose brother drowned as a toddler. she was a teen back then. family outing to a river, no one paid attention, that kind of story. she did not know how to swim. and she did not want her son to learn either. i asked and apparently he loved water and never missed a chance to get into the river/ocean. her logic was that not knowing how to swim he was staying in a shallow water but if he knew he would get in deeper and she was worried that he would then drown.

This right here .... is 100% true ....
Some parents seem to use this strategy to keep the kids in Shallow water .... sad but true..

 

[NanSanPedro]

i worked once with this dominican girl whose brother drowned as a toddler. she was a teen back then. family outing to a river, no one paid attention, that kind of story. she did not know how to swim. and she did not want her son to learn either. i asked and apparently he loved water and never missed a chance to get into the river/ocean. her logic was that not knowing how to swim he was staying in a shallow water but if he knew he would get in deeper and she was worried that he would then drown.

I'm not sure I would use the word "logic" with that description.

 

[zoomzx11]

I have offered to teach swimming to several local friends and their kids in our safe pool.Not one has even wanted to try..I do find that strange.

Sadly the idea of being proactive against a future threat is not a "Dominican thing". Wear a helmet, wear a seat belt, avoid talking on your cell phone while driving????
Strange in a land where the common expression for goodbye is joined with "be careful".

 

[wuarhat]

This is a total misconception that if you can swim you are safe in the sea and rivers. I know personally of a few people who drowned in sea and river being excellent swimmers, mainly due to currents, waves add to that panic plus fatigue or cramp.

In the river (actually near a dam) two close friends of family drowned, both had taken part in swimming competitions when younger, everyone baffled (not drunk or on drugs, middle-aged men), the verdict was a combination of undercurrent, mud and underwater weeds/plant dragging them under...

My uncle was a lifeguard on a beach that had rough waters on some days, he lost count of people who lost their lives being good swimmers, but tourists, just going in without knowledge of the sea and currents, panic and get tired, lifeguards couldn't even find them for hours or days. You might say these lifeguards weren't any good then, but the problem was people wouldn't listen to warnings and go in at non-designated area, away from lifeguards, and in rough sea - there was no Jet-ski in old days...!

Don't think just because you can swim a few meters you are safe, always check with locals, ask where is okay and see where other people swim....

Low head dams, where the water flows over the top and drops straight down, are killers, very dangerous. There is a circular current at these dams. The water at the top has a strong current back toward the dam, and then, at the dam, goes down a few feet, turns out away from the dam for a good distance, then comes up to the surface and heads back towards the dam. This current is sometimes called a roller. There are only two ways out of a roller and you must be a strong swimmer for either. If there is a considerable distance between the water fall and where the back flow starts you can try to swim out the side of the current or at the waterfall you can try to swim down under the roller, the water at the bottom will take you past the roller to whatever dangers there are beyond. The latter is very difficult to do with a PFD (personal flotation device). Some of these currents are so strong that even powerful boats have trouble escaping. Neither of these methods are well known by strong swimmers and neither is something that you would want to practice.

 

[zoomzx11]

It is not just swimming that gets people in trouble in the water.
Over exertion puts one out of breath and gasping for air.
All that is needed to survive in most cases is breath control. As long as your lungs are full most people float head out of the water. A very few are so lean that they will sink, air in the lungs or no.
People struggle to get back to shore, struggle in hi waves or struggle against the current. Next comes panic quickly followed by gasping from the over exertion.
If you just relax, take deep slow breaths and float most will be fine.
Unless your are going over a water fall. Then its time to panic.

 

[wuarhat]

Learning what they call rest strokes (side, back, and breast) with lots of glide is very useful. I find the backstroke the most restful, but you have to turn around and do one of the other two to see where you are going every now and then.

 

[zoomzx11]

I think the term is oxygen debt.
It's when you exert yourself to the point of rapid breathing.
Scuba divers get into trouble the same way.
It's eze does it in the water.

 

[jd426]

It is not just swimming that gets people in trouble in the water.
Over exertion puts one out of breath and gasping for air.
All that is needed to survive in most cases is breath control. As long as your lungs are full most people float head out of the water. A very few are so lean that they will sink, air in the lungs or no.
People struggle to get back to shore, struggle in hi waves or struggle against the current. Next comes panic quickly followed by gasping from the over exertion.
If you just relax, take deep slow breaths and float most will be fine.
Unless your are going over a water fall. Then its time to panic.

This applies to Salt Water mostly...
Fresh water you dont float.. Unless you keep moving you will sink.. No such thing as taking a NAP floating on Fresh water like in the Ocean, in Calm water .
Also Rivers are sometimes very turbulent, completely different from like a Rip Tide in the Ocean which is relatively easy to get out of if you stay calm & follow basic rules .
.. Have seen plenty of good swimmers get into trouble in Fresh water . Saw one guy almost Drown while wearing a Flotation Vest ..
Freshwater Rivers are possibly one of the most Dangerous places to swim .
When I was a young Lad, we lived near a River which claimed a lot of lives .. Lots of people drowned .
Never underestimate the Power of fast Moving water .
just my .02

 

[Fulano2]

Learning what they call rest strokes (side, back, and breast) with lots of glide is very useful. I find the backstroke the most restful, but you have to turn around and do one of the other two to see where you are going every now and then.

Or put a mirror in your mouth.

 

[Big]

As posted earlier, alcohol has drowned many a good men here. In Cab every now and then you hear of a tourist drowning in the rough surf on the west and east sides of Cab bay where the water is more unpredictable. As far as swimming in the rivers, you're more apt to contract a waterborne diseases.

 

[Cortez]

I have always been amazed at the lack of most Dominicans to learn how to swim. After all we are on an Island surrounded by water.

...from what I have seen most of the Dominicans that can swim...are the ones who work with the tourists...........