Caribe Nation, I want to know your goals for 2026. Share below. Ready... GO!!!

I wanted to write about my progress here. I've been thinking about it for a while and wondered if it would help anyone else or if anyone has had a similar experience. I've gone all my life without going anywhere near a swimming pool and never learnt as my parent's can't swim. I started lessons in January and was very nervous and apprehensive of water from the start. I could never imagine letting go of a kickboard and even hated my legs being behind me on a front float, as it felt so unnatural. I couldn't front float, the moment anyone let go of my hands, I would stand up instantly. It took me months to be able to just front float. There were even times when I was nervous using a kickboard. On my third lesson our instructor made us do a log roll with a float and I had a complete panic and tried to stand up. The worst thing at the start for me was the toll it took on me mentally. I would cry before going to a lesson as I was so scared and cry after, I just couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I was frustrated plus terrified. I thought this feeling would never go away. I was also upset as my husband was progressing so much quicker than me and I felt like I was lagging behind and too nervous. Its been 9 months now of having one 30 minute lesson a week and I feel so much more confident. Am I still nervous and apprehensive of water? The answer would be yes, but its nowhere near the level at the start. Now I can front float, back float, blow bubbles and log roll, I'm nowhere near being able to swim yet but it's definitely progress and I'm happy to have got to this stage, considering where I started. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

I have been working on my front float at my local swim school. The instructors (I swear they’re all 12, I’ve reached the age where everyone under 30 is a kid to me, apparently) have been pretty accepting of the fact that I’m doing my own process and they’re just there to observe. Which is good. The problem is that my amygdala remains firmly convinced that we’re gonna die if we let our hands off the wall. I did get my hands up a few times, enough that the coach slid the laminated sheet with the students’ names and what skills we’re working on under my hands while I had my face in the water. Is it okay that I still can’t fully let go of the wall if I’m making tiny progress every session? I feel like it’s going to take me a month to front float at this pace, but I’m not getting re-traumatized.

I have real trouble staying still while floating, I have a constant urge to move my hands or kick, its like a distraction for me, is there anyway I can learn to not move and just float calmly?

Is there any technique or best way to go from using floation devices, noodles, kickboard etc to not using them? I can kick myself across a pool with a kickboard but apprehensive to not use one.