5 Beginner Swim Skills Every Adult Should Learn First

Most adult beginners want to skip straight to swimming laps. I understand the impulse — but it's the fastest way to stay stuck. These 5 skills are the foundation everything else is built on. Master them first and the rest will come naturally.

Skill 1: Face Submersion

This is the one skill that separates swimmers from non-swimmers more than any other. If you can't put your face in the water comfortably, you cannot swim. Period.

The goal isn't just to do it once — it's to do it without flinching, without holding your breath in panic, and without coming up gasping. You should be able to submerge your face for 10–15 seconds while exhaling slowly through your nose.

How to practice: Start by just getting your face wet at the sink. Then practice at the pool steps — dip your chin, then your mouth, then your whole face. Hold for 3 seconds, then 5, then 10. Exhale the whole time. When 15 seconds feels easy, you're ready to move on.

Skill 2: Back Float

The back float is your emergency skill. If you're ever tired, disoriented, or panicking in the water, rolling onto your back and floating is what keeps you safe until help arrives or you recover.

It's also the skill that teaches your body to trust the water. When you can lie on your back and feel the water hold you up, something shifts psychologically. The water stops being a threat and starts being a support.

How to practice: Start at the wall (see the floating article for the full technique). Work on it until you can hold a back float for 30 seconds without touching anything. That's your target.

Skill 3: Exhaling Underwater

This is the skill that makes breathing while swimming possible. Most beginners hold their breath when their face is in the water, then try to inhale and exhale during the brief moment their head is up. This doesn't work — there isn't enough time.

The correct technique: exhale continuously through your nose (or mouth) while your face is in the water, so that when you turn to breathe, all you need to do is inhale. The exhale has already happened.

How to practice: Submerge your face and hum. The humming forces air out through your nose and prevents water from coming in. Do this until exhaling underwater feels automatic.

Skill 4: Kicking from the Hips

Most beginners kick from the knees — big, bicycle-like kicks that create drag and exhaust you quickly. Efficient swimming kick comes from the hips, with straight (but not locked) legs and relaxed ankles.

Think of your legs as a whip, not a bicycle. The movement initiates at your hip, travels down your thigh, and snaps at your ankle. Your feet should be pointed (like a ballet dancer), not flexed.

How to practice: Hold the wall with both hands, face down in the water, and kick. Keep your legs as straight as you can. If your knees are bending more than 30 degrees, you're bending too much. Practice until the hip-driven kick feels natural.

Skill 5: Pushing Off the Wall and Gliding

The wall push-off and glide teaches you two crucial things: streamline body position (which is the most efficient position in the water) and the feeling of moving through water without effort.

A good glide should carry you at least 5 meters without any additional movement. If you're sinking or slowing down immediately, your body position needs work — usually your hips are dropping or your head is too high.

How to practice: Stand at the wall, place both feet on it, arms extended overhead with hands stacked. Push hard, keep your body straight and tight, face down, and glide as far as you can. Count how far you go. Work on extending that distance.

Why These 5 and Not Others?

These skills are foundational because they address the core challenges of adult swimming:

• Face submersion eliminates the #1 barrier (fear of water in the face)
• Back float builds trust and provides a safety skill
• Exhaling underwater makes breathing while swimming mechanically possible
• Hip kick creates propulsion without exhaustion
• Wall push-off teaches streamline position and water feel

Every stroke, every drill, every advanced skill builds on these five. Skip them and you'll be patching holes forever. Master them and the rest of your swimming journey becomes significantly easier.