How to learn how to swim?

How to learn how to swim for the summer?

• I hate to admit it but I've never properly learnt how to swim. When I was little I did go to swimming lessons but my parents got really mad at the swim instructor as they had watched me drown and neglected me (It's one of my clearest memories and unfortunately in the future I have almost drowned numerous times due to neglect) and then I was switched to private lessons. I guess I was a bit traumatized and despite switching swim schools-I've never learnt how to swim and now in high school there's school camp coming up, duathalon and swimming sports and unfortunately they are all compulsory and involving some kind of swimming. I don't want to get out of them like in the past several years due to my fear---I think I'm ready to get over my fear and I've asked my dad to teach me how to swim (I'm the only one in my family who can't swim properly) and the farthest I've gone (freestyle/crawl) without some kind of aid is--------the width of a swimming lane -_- How to go farther and possibly improve my technique? I know I can't learn all the things I need to learn online but I just want to pick up some extra knowledge Please be nice :)

• Answer:

  it depends on what state you live in but there are probably different community centers that you live close to but i'd say a YMCA is your best bet. They have swim lessons from the stage that you are in to competitive swim teams. Not every swim instructor is the same and the person who was your teacher before may not of had been the best for you. obviously. but you can learn how to swim until you let go of your fear. If you have the mentality that you are drowning, your going to drown. With the proper teacher, you might be able to learn the basics. In my experience, i learned how to swim at the YMCA when i was 6, then joined the swim team there.