Should you visit most swimming locations you will notice that they have the pool, diving area, lap lane and the wading/kiddies pool.
The swimming area is where the adults are playing. This is like the public range. They can actually get themselves into trouble if they go too deep. They splash around a bit, dive under the water, take a few strokes, and tickle their girl-friend. Like the 7 yard line they are doing some actual shooting, but not much, very controlled, very safe. Not very fast, not very well, and with no real skill evident.
The deep-end with the diving boards is like a private bay on a range. For you unfamiliar- some ranges will rent you a bay for so-many dollars for a few hours and you and your buddies can go shoot a bit more freestyle. It’s for a bit of the show-offs. They don’t swim far. They don’t dive well. Just like the shooters on the private bay don’t have any real talent either. But they get to ratta-tat-tat, do a reload if they like, shoot a bit on the move if they think to do so.
The lap lane is for the actual swimmers; the water athletes. Ranges have their lap lanes. They are the practice sessions for the club members, the small group of (or individual shooters) who make use of the private bays for real practice. They stretch their limits, set up multiple targets, paper and steel, walls, and more to really test out their guns, gear and limits. This group has it's long-range riflemen and it's bulls-eye shooters, it's PPC, IDPA, USPSA/IPSC, it's Steel Challenge. They are the 1500m and 200m freestyle. They are the medley swingers and breast-strokers.
Before the pool opens there might be some lessons being taught. Persons smart enough to know that the water is dangerous enroll themselves or their children in the classes. They learn to get their face wet, do the superman glide. Practice arm motions on the side of the pool until they “get it” and then practice some actual swimming. Some just learn to hold the gun, fire a shot that groups 6” at 7 yards, they can unload and reload. They might remember how to conduct some form of immediate action to correct a malfunction. Interested parties might take additional classes, learn different swimming strokes, the flip turn and the rules of the swimming competition.
Once in a while the pool get’s closed to the public for the swimming meets. Just like shooting matches when the real gunners show up in mass. The rules are in place. The times are kept, and violations are met with disqualifications. Skill and practice and conditioning is self-evident. Nobody is crying about fast suit or shaved legs. Everyone is seeking to actually win. If you finish last, no one wants to hear you snivel about, "that ain't how it's done in water ballet." This ain't water ballet. You showed up to a swim meet. Shut up and swim. If you can't swim or remember the order of the individual medley, that's too bad, guess you really aint' a swimmer.
Some with gravitate towards diving sports, maybe water ballet. While the diver knows how to get through the water, he’s no swimmer. He looks great twisting and turning in the air and doing everything leading up to being in the water. This is the tactical ninja. Nice physique can swim a bit, but his skill lays elsewhere. He can tell you everything about the approach, the leap, and the bounce. He can tell you how the point your toes, how to do the twist or the flip. But, he is out of his element when he hits the water. He can swim a short distance and make it look good for that short distance because he does it enough; don’t ask him to do a 400 IM, though. The water ballet is interesting. Takes strength, the ability to swim but it’s all about coordination with others. These are a lot like the SWAT guys. They line up on the edge of the pool, enter in concert with each other, swim around sneak under water and come up at the same time and make flashy motions with their arms wile treading water. It’s like swimming, but ain’t. Everyone looks good in the same swimsuit and doing the same movements… just don’t ask them to spring a 100m butterfly… they can probably get it done. They just can't do it as well as the guy who actually puts in the laps.
Cross train swimmer with a diver and a water ballet and you have a hell of athlete. But, one skill will probably suffer at expense to another.
The diver has skill, and if you can’t do it, you can’t do it. Just try to do the water-ballet, most of ya will cramp in a couple minutes. It takes dedication and training to be a good diver or be select for the water ballet team. While the skills are associated with swimming- it’s not swimming.
The whole time- the kiddie pool has been sitting over there. The mother’s are over there supervising the kids who can’t swim; they are hooting and hollering, jumping off the 6” lip into the 4” water and splashing water up in the air. This is the internet. Where the kids play and moderators moderate. Sometimes a swimmer visits the kids in the wading pool. The kids in the wading pool can see the real swimmers over there and think that they are doing the same thing when they lay in the few inches of water and pull themselves along the bottom. Maybe an adult takes them to the shallowest end of the pool and lets them walk down the steps until the water is at their chin or jump off the edge to mommy’s waiting arms. But, they are more comfortable in the kiddie pool where they don’t actually have to swim.
Should you ever fall out of the boat in rough water, if the canoe every sinks. Having played in the wading pool won't save your ass. Having a few lessons won't carry you very far. Your diving is irrelevant and so is your water ballet. Having jumped off the 3m board on Saturdays is little consolation as you sink to the bottom. It's the lap swimming that is going to get you to the bank. Having shot some matches is inoculation against panic as the cold water seeps in. When you realize it's do or die time, the lap swimmer kicks off his shoes, puts his face in the water and starts stroking for shore- he already knows what to do and how to do. And, more importantly, that he can.
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