| Swimming, which is defined as self propelled | | | | swimming lessons to their students, calling for the |
| movement through water has over the years grown | | | | employment of more and more swimming instructors. |
| to be one of the major human activities. | | | | Apart from the instructors and ‘lifesavers’ |
| People swim for a variety of reasons. | | | | another category of people getting their livelihood from |
| There are for instance those who undertake | | | | swimming are the various professional athletes, whose |
| swimming for recreation, and going by the number of | | | | lives revolve around competitive swimming. |
| mentions swimming warrants in people’s hobby | | | | While acknowledging that not everyone is inclined to |
| lists, it is clearly a popular hobby all over the world. In | | | | undertake swimming as hobby or an occupational |
| the past, the occurrence of swimming as a hobby | | | | activity, it is considered prudent for everyone to make |
| tended to be limited to people living near large water | | | | an effort to know at least the basics of how to swim |
| bodies, for instance lakes and oceans. And while this is | | | | - as it is an essential life skill. Going around without any |
| still a major trend, we are seeing more and more | | | | knowledge of swimming (and especially when going |
| people living far from lakes, oceans and other large | | | | around involves traveling in water vessels) means that |
| water bodies mentioning swimming as their major | | | | the person doing so would be in a very bad |
| hobby, thanks mainly to the emergence of inland | | | | predicament should, for instance, the vessel capsize. |
| swimming pools, which are nowadays considered | | | | Before engaging in swimming, it is important for one to |
| almost a standard and essential fixture in high-end | | | | be aware of some of its hazards, most of which arise |
| homes and recreation clubs. | | | | out of the fact that man is not an amphibian being by |
| Then there are those who swim for occupational | | | | nature. These hazards include the risk of drowning, the |
| purposes, that is, people to whom swimming is a | | | | risk of infection by micro-organisms resident in the |
| source of livelihood. This category includes those who | | | | water one is to be swimming in and the risk of hitting |
| are employed as swimming instructors in various | | | | unseen objects in the water. Therefore, it is essential |
| swimming clubs as well as those employed as | | | | to wear a proper swimming costume, swim caps and |
| ‘life-savers’ in the same clubs. The number of | | | | needful protection accessories, before you jump into |
| people in this category is also huge and growing, | | | | the water. Yet these should not be a put-off to |
| considering that in many jurisdictions, every swimming | | | | anyone keen on learning swimming, as they can all be |
| club must have a lifesaver every time it is put to use. | | | | avoided with proper precautions. |
| And in the same vein, many schools are offering | | | | |