Learning to swim at any age and building water confidence

Plenty of teens and adults never learned to swim, or only feel safe in the shallow end. It is never too late, and learning is one of the most useful safety skills you can give yourself.

Why it matters

• WHO recommends teaching school-age children basic swimming, water safety and safe rescue skills as a drowning prevention measure.
• WHO's 2021 guideline issues strong recommendations for basic swimming and water safety training for children aged 6 and older.
• WHO stresses that lessons must be safe: a tested curriculum, a safe training area and safe student-to-instructor ratios.
• RLSS UK recommends that everyone in a family can swim and knows basic water safety before a holiday.

You are not alone

• A 2025 survey commissioned by easyJet Holidays, reported by the Yorkshire Post, found around 9 million British adults say they cannot swim.
• In the same survey, 42% said they stay only in the shallow end and 33% did not feel confident in the water at all.
• Swim England data suggests as many as half of adults find learning to swim as an adult intimidating.
• Swim England's Head of Learn to Swim, Katie Towner: no one should feel it is too late for them to learn.

Getting started

• Look for adult or teen beginner lessons at a local pool, sports club or university sports centre, and ask whether they run small groups for nervous swimmers.
• An adult learner featured in the article pointed out that you do not have to wear a swimming costume; a t-shirt or shorts can work. Ask the pool about its clothing rules, including modest swimwear options.
• Ask whether the pool runs women-only or quieter sessions if that would help you feel comfortable.
• Choose a qualified instructor rather than learning from friends in deep water.

Building confidence safely

• RLSS UK and Olympic swimmer Tom Dean suggest pausing before getting in, swimming with a buddy and staying where your feet can touch the bottom while you learn.
• Their rule of thumb: 'if in doubt, float it out'. Learn to float on your back early; it is your best emergency skill.
• Practise putting your face in the water, blowing bubbles and controlled breathing before worrying about strokes.
• Set small goals: float for 30 seconds, then a width, then a length. Progress is progress.

Beyond the basics

• Once you can swim, practise in your clothes in a supervised pool, so you know how heavy wet clothes feel.
• Learn the Water Safety Code and the Float to Live position covered earlier in this module.
• Consider a lifesaving or first aid course; RLSS UK runs a free online family toolkit called Lifesaver Lifechanger.
• Remember that pool swimming is not the same as open water. Build up gradually and always swim where there is a lifeguard.