Help me learn to love swimming

There are swim caps made of lycra/spandex fabric rather than rubber. They allow your hair to get wet but they're much more comfortable, and should fulfill your pool's rules about needing to wear a swim cap (because they still stop any long hair from floating away.) If your pool doesn't require you to wear a swim cap, maybe just don't wear one?

Ms. Toad, Think you're doing very well toward getting used to swimming... keep with it! Swimming is an exercise that must be done essentially every day if you are trying to build strength. My old coach used to tell me that it takes 2 days to recover from each day you spend out of the water. I echo others' comments about taking a lesson, and I'd suggest a one-on-one lesson with a personal trainer who understands your swimming goals. It can make a huge difference in your confidence and feelings about the water. On goggles, try Malmsten Swedish goggles. They're $3 a pair, so not much of a commitment if they don't work out. These are a big hit with Olympic swimmers but also with a few of my friends who are not "water babies" but still want to swim at the beach! You assemble them yourself so you can adjust strap tension/space between eyes as much as you want. If goggles fit properly they should never leak and never fog. If pool ettiquitte issues are troubling you, you can try: (i) going to a different gym until you find one that has a pool that has a culture you like; (ii) going to your gym at different times of day, when perhaps the pool isn't crowded. A few years ago I joined a wonderful friendly gym that had a Master's team, which I wanted to try out. Trouble was that, at times, the Master's team was full of elite Ironman triathletes (I couldn't keep up even in the slow lane). Turns out that the triathelets were only there for 3 sessions a week, always in the middle of the day, and if I avoided going to Master's practice during those times, the experience was super-chill and quite lovely. Enjoy, and stick with it!

If your schedule is at all flexible, can you find a time when there aren't many other swimmers and you're more likely to get a lane to yourself? Even a half-hour change can make a big difference in how crowded the pool is. It took me a few tries to find a cap and goggles that fit me and worked properly, but once I did it really transformed the experience for me -- especially the non-leaking goggles. You may simply have to buy a few different brands and types until you find something that works best with your head and face shape. But don't lose hope!

Lots of great advice so far. I love swimming and something that I find has made a big difference for me is to have a gym bag set up specifically for swimming, so I can just grab and go (or even stow it in my car so I am ready to go at any time). I have a bag with mesh sides (better to help with drying), and keep shampoo/conditioner/deodorant/powder in there, as well as a hairbrush and a compact hair dryer. My goggles and swim cap (second the suggestion for Lycra) live in there all the time. I hang up my suit and towel to dry after I'm home from swimming, and then they go right back in the bag. I think if I had to run around and find everything and pack a bag from scratch each time I'd be far less likely to get out the door and go... Sounds like it might be helpful for you to make the transition to swimming a little less complicated, too.

In the summer, Husbunny and I walk laps in the pool. We got at a time when when we have it all to ourselves. It's lovely to just walk up and down and ponder things. Ours is a saltwater pool and it shouldn't hurt your hair at all. I just keep my head out of the water, and if I do get wet, I rinse it out.

Besides structured water aerobics classes you can also do http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/triathlons/training/deep-water-running.htm on your own. Most pools I've been to have the belt and dumbbell looking float available.

A couple ideas related to your issues. - First off, get over yourself. Okay, I'm mostly kidding. I swim regularly for exercise and I go back and forth on bouts of loving it and hating it. I mostly love it after I've done or or haven't done it for awhile and mostly hate it when I need to get up in the morning and swim. So, what I do is keep moving toward the pool and telling myself that I don't have to swim if I don't want to but I do need to put my swim bag in my car.... I don't have to swim if I don't want to but I do need to check in at the gym... and so forth. Often up to and during my workout I tell myself that I don't need to swim.... YMMV. :) - Take a lesson! The first thing I did when I decided I wanted to give lap swimming a go was take a lesson. I called the community center and asked about the adult swim lessons and told them, "I know how to swim, I'm not afraid of water, but I want to feel more confident and I'd like someone to help me with my strokes, is this a good class?" They said that the instructor would work with my skill level. And so they did! There were adults in my class who were just learning to swim, who had fear of water. The instructor (easily 15-20 years my junior) had me swim laps alongside the class. He came up with drills for me to do, he pushed me to hold my breath longer, he critiqued my form. I could barely swim the length of the pool, let alone turn around and come back. A lesson gives you the space to build your confidence. Consider a private lesson if the above group lesson idea makes you nervous. - I can't advise you too much on the rings around the eyes. I just got to work after swimming at the pool and I have rings around my eyes. The skin pops back eventually. But, yes, the thing to do is to try a number of different goggles and find a good fit. And then get over yourself. ;) One thing that I did once I'd been swimming awhile is "invested" in a really luxurious (to me) lotion for after swimming and I pay special attention to the rings around my eyes and the marks on my forehead and just enjoy it as a special treat for my skin for working out. For me, it's the Burt's Bees Milk & Honey lotion. - search mefi/google for swimming etiquette. If you can, try to swim with people who are going the same speed as you. When you get to the wall, if you are slow, just move well off to the side and let the faster person go in front. If you are waiting at the wall and someone is coming in, do not rush to swim off in front of them. Especially if you are slower. If someone comes up on you in the lane because they are faster, just swim to the wall and get well off to the side then carry on after them.

I can't tell you all how helpful you've been. Thank you!

The only way to figure out if goggles will work is to try them on. If they form a bit of suction they will keep water out; otherwise, not so much. Mine get a little bit of water in them but it's not so much that I can't see. My gym's pool is also saltwater and I don't bother with a cap, but then I have a no-product/no-tools wash and wear hairstyle, ymmv.