What this swimming skill is
This uses the same small hand sweeps as sculling to stay up, but angled so the swimmer slides slowly along. It is often done floating on the back, with the hands down by the hips.
It builds on sculling to stay up and on floating comfortably on the back. It is not about speed. It is a gentle way to move while resting, and a quiet foundation for the arm movements in every stroke.
Why it matters
Moving while resting.
Your child can float and still move slowly toward the edge.
A feel for the water.
Feeling the water press on the hands helps every stroke later.
Calm and gentle.
It is a relaxed skill that many children enjoy as a sliding game.
Keen swimmers use it too.
Swimmers who train seriously still practise it to sharpen their feel for the water.
Who it is for
This suits children, teens, adults and seniors who can float on the back and have started sculling to stay up. Children enjoy it as a gentle sliding game. Teens who swim on a team often use it to fine tune their arm strokes. If you are learning as an adult, it is a calm way to move while resting on your back.
On the front or back
The goal
Your child floats and moves a short way using only small hand sweeps. On the back they slide along head first, and on the front the hands work out ahead.
