Why can't I jump into a swimming pool?

Question

I can float very well, and I can swim across water. But when I jump into a deep (like 8 feet deep) pool, it's hard for me to get back on the surface of the water. It's like I can't swim up but I can across..? My friend who can't swim is able to jump into deep water somehow.

Is that normal?

Is anyone else out there like that?

Answer 1

do you use your arms and legs? maybe if you start working out you can build up your muscles and it will help you.  

Answer 2

get the biggest breath you can it will help you float, jump then use sculling motion with hands and small kick you will come up:)  hold your breath do not exhale under water

controlling the breath will help with bouyancy.

Answer 3

i find it so scary jumping into deep ends of the pool. Actually any part of the pool period. I'm not sure either maybe it's because we think we're going to injure ourselves. Because i cannot even jump off a wall let alone a pool.

Answer 4

just relax when your doing it ..

Answer 5

Simple answer: Try more of a frog kick to propel you up when you jump in and bring your arms to about stomach level in the water and push those down as well; hopefully this should work.

Complicated answer: Chances are you don't spend that much time in a pool because it's been found that even if you're in a pool for an extended amount of time whenever you go in you develop better hydrodynamics in regards to how you control your own body. In developing this you'll get a feel for the different pressures at different depths of water and you'll get used to things like swimming to the surface from deeper underwater. Do what I recommended in the simple answer and see if that works but otherwise you're going to have to find what works best for you. Everyone's bodies are different so we all have different hydrophysics and therefore you'll have to learn how to adjust to your own.

Answer 6

You can do anything with Jesus Christ helping you. Just ask him to help and I am sure he will.

Answer 7

Theres a way you can jump in without sinking down, its called straddle jump. It takes practice but basically you jump in and push really hard down towards the bottom of the pool with your hands and kick your feet.

Start at edge of the pool with arms out to the sides stretching as far as theyll go so your making a T shape.

Step off the edge of the pool, like a big stride.

As soon as you feel yourself entering the water, PUSH your arms so they finish off at your hips.

All the time keep kicking your legs and do a treading water movement.

When you go down the pressure of the water above you and the feeling you cant reach the bottom, or the fear you cant get back  up maybe scares you a bit. If you really cant do straddle jump i reccommend not using your legs the same as you do when your doing front crawl, but do a breaststroke leg. Arms above your head and push down, so arms finish at hips, and keep doing that because it will make you shoot upwards, and dont panic.

It used to happen to me, i hated jumping in deep water.  

Answer 8

I think your problem has to do with the way you jump into the water.

Have you ever watched competitive swimmers dive in as they start a race?

The position is arms extended in front and head between the arms, body extended flat, hitting the water just at the surface or sightly below. Diving this way will give you no problems with being too deep and it will not impede your forward motion.

Try it a few times and you'll see how well it works.

You will enjoy your swimming so much more.

Good luck.