The essential in floating is plenty of self-confidence. If a man be possessed of this, it will not take him very long to master the art. It is the nervous and impatient who experience so much difficulty. Non-success even after continued practice should not be allowed to act as a deterrent, but all the precept in Christendom is often unavailable with the swimmer 'who could float if his legs would not sink.' In salt water very little practice is required, a few attempts at one dip being often sufficient for the swimmer, who in fresh water has perhaps tried off and on for months.
When beginning the attempt to learn, the mouth should be kept closed, as, when the body comes to a horizontal position on the surface, the water will in all probability ripple over the face before the arms are placed accurately beyond the head, and, if the mouth be open, the swimmer forgets all about the Deed for balancing himself, gasps at the inrush of the water, lets his legs sink, and then has to begin again. One of the best methods is to stand on the bottom of the bath, stretch the arms out perpendicularly over the head, and gradually incline the body backward until the shoulders are under water, all this time keeping the legs rigid and the body and arms as far as possible in the same straight line with the legs. The lungs should then be well filled, and a slight push off from the bottom taken. Every movement must be made slowly and carefully ; there must be no jerking, or failure will inevitably result. As the legs rise to the surface they should be extended, and, with the arms, kept perfectly rigid. The palms of the hands should face upward ; the arms themselves should be widened apart if necessary, so as to cover a greater surface of the water, the head should be kept well back. If the body sink for a moment, the limbs should still be kept rigid, and the breath held. The mouth and nose, toes and chest, will then rise above the surface, and the swimmer will realise that he is floating. The body will sink slightly at each expiration, but will rise at each inspiration.
The supreme difficulty in floating is to overcome the per verse tendency of the legs to sink. The turning back of the palms or the widening of the arms may be sufficient to stop this ; but if after frequent trials it is found still to be a source of failure, then some other system must be attempted. One of these is to place the feet behind the rail of the bath, which is usually fixed a few inches above the surface, or else on the steps which lead into the water, and then lie flat on the back. This will keep the feet on the surface, so that further experiments in balancing may be made. The chest should be fully inflated, and the head and arms so placed as to throw more weight beyond the breast, in order to act as a resisting force to the downward pressure of the legs. The
spine should be bent slightly backwards, the legs and arms stiffened, and the head thrown well back, as this will elevate the mouth and chin. As soon as the body appears to be floating, the feet should be raised from the steps or worked out from behind the rail, but not in such a manner as to cause them to drop on to the water ; for if this be done, a certain slight downward action will be imparted to them which it will be hard to counteract until the true balance be found.
In the absence of any suitable rail or steps, the assistance of a friend should be secured, and at the outset he should be asked to place his hand under the small of the back. If the body floats, and the feet only sink, then the heels only should be supported lightly near the surface, while the learner endeavours to find the exact position in which he can balance. his body in the water.
It is useless to try and become an expert without careful attention to detail. A few short trials are valueless ; the practices should be extended over a long period, and the art acquired gently and gradually. The system adopted by most beginners is to swim on the back, and then, without thought or method, attempt at once to come into position. They have seen some other person floating, and imagine that they are compelled to place their limb in relatively the same position, while they overlook, or do not fully understand, the mechanical principles which govern floating. No greater fallacy was ever promulgated than the theory that if a person merely lie out flat on the surface of the water with legs and arms extended and rigid he is bound to float, but floating is possible for almost every sensible person if it be carefully practised. The ability is important in attempts to save life, but, nevertheless, very little instruction in it seems to be given by swimming clubs. Speed, not grace, is the aim of most swimmers ; the portions of their art which commend it to the outside public are forgotten in the hunt for prizes, and then neglected in after life. It is easy for boys to learn to float, and as the acquirement so vastly increases the confidence of a swimmer when in the water, it is marvellous that it is so much neglected. Swimming is not always a pastime ; there are occasions when, beset with danger and difficulty, it is the actual means of saving life, and it is then that the value of self-confidence in the water is fully appreciated. Every person who can swim should cer tainly learn to float.