How often to have swimming lessons?

A question about : How often to have swimming lessons?

I have just learned to swim. Only half a length, but hey that's more than I've been able to do for 60+ years. I am currently having lessons once a week. Would it be crazy/damaging to take a second set of lessons? All the teachers at the pool seem to teach the same way, so I doubt there would be a conflict of advice. It's not just technique I need to learn, it's building up stamina and confidence, and I am still reluctant to go to the pool on my own since I don't want to go out of my depth - yet.

Best answers:

• I can't see how it could be anything but helpful the more you practice the better you'll get.. can you not just add another lesson a week to what you are already doing?
  Otherwise maybe go along with a friend who is more confidant as building stamina is really in your own hands.
• If you can swim half a length, you can swim.
  Are more lessons really needed? Just get in there and add a few metres each time you go, If you go twice a week you'll be swimming lengths within a couple of weeks.
  I retired, started just like you, and now do 80 lengths (2k) most days.
  You've got the basics all you need is the confidence and the only way you are going to get that is by pushing off and swimming!
• I have been able to swim from the age of 6 but just the front breast, just could not do the crawl. I decided in my 40s to tackle this. At first, I couldn't do one length and just couldn't imagine being able to do 10 let alone 50. I had one lesson and my instructor said it was all about practicing, ideally 3 times a week, so I did, and after three more sessions could do 2, then the next session did 4, then two more sessions later did 10, and then that was it, the next one I had done 40 (1K). I found that once I had found my rythm, doing 10 or 50 didn't make that much difference.
  Whether you feel safer doing more lessons or whether you can try to go alone and just add a bit of distance is up to you, but keep going, you'll get there.
• Once you can swim, no matter how far, you can swim.
  Just build up the time that you spend swimming. You really don't need to fork money out.
• With some trepidation, I'll take the advice and just go. I'm not confident enough to get out of my depth (I'm still prone to panic) but part of the pool is roped off for 'general' rather than lane swimming so I suppose I can practice there without upsetting too many good swimmers.
  I'll be happy to swim a length - because once I've done that I can do 2, and then 3 ...
• Most public pools are half length, that is, twenty five meters, which is half the Olympic distance. So sixty four lengths is a mile. I like thinking in those terms because you can work your way up to greater and greater distances.
  I recall once many years ago meeting a man in his sixties who looked incredibly healthy. I asked him how he did it and he said, 'Simple, I swim one mile every single day, seven days a week!'
• Don't forget get you need some think time, to work out how you are going to get to your goal. Could it be an extra stroke a week, or a half length a month. How are you going to turn - water will get in your eyes. Are you going to keep your eye open underwater?
• Is there a baby pool you could use to give you a confidence boost or never being 'out of our depth'? I agree with others that once you can swim, you can swim, so it's just more practice you need rather than more lessons.
• The baby pool would be perfect for practice - 20 metres so jolly near a length, and I'd feel safe, plus it's a lot warmer. Unfortunately it is in constant use for children's swimming lessons and aqua aerobics classes. There is just one spot described as a family splash session so I'll go along and hope it isn't too crowded.
  I am so looking forward to being able to swim a mile!
• The other option is to find a pool (or session time) without the lane dividers and swim widths at the shallow end rather than swimming lengths...
• I don't think you need more lessons, just practise. Go as often as you can and bit by bit it gets easier.
  I use to go the gym & pool 4/5 days a week and got up about 60 lengths, but they closed our pool which was only a couple of hundreds yards away and the new one is about 3mls so i've not been since.
• Update: taking on board the advice here, I faced my terrors and went to the pool, without the safety net of a swimming teacher who could jump in and rescue me when I started to drown. And you know what? It was fine. Three times a week from now on, and swimming that mile definitely feels a lot closer.
• Well done , thanks for coming back to update.. its nice to know the posts really helped..
• It's great to hear that your swimming is going so well. As a child, I used to spend a lot of time just floating, or treading water. If you are nervous, that might help you to relax, and give you more confidence that even if you aren't swimming forward, you will be fine even if you are out of your depth.
• bouicca
  Great!!! Well done. Just build up slowly, don't overdo it, set a goal of 5 lengths, then 10, then 20 by New Year!!! Even if it is 10 in one go by New Year that is real progress.
  Keep a record of your lengths. Set a weekly target, gradually extend it and there is literally no ceiling on what you can do.
  I managed 70 lengths today (Saturday) when Maw, Paw and the weans are traditionally in the Pool. Christmas shopping claimed them today and I had a stress free swim. Thank you god!
  Not looking forward to an overcrowded January but confidently looking forward to February when the New Year resolutions crew have disappeared.
• Hi, swimming schedules really will depend on you. Although the more you do, the greater the chances that you will improve faster.