Afraid of the Water? How Adults Can Overcome Fear and Learn to Swim

Fear of water is common, and you can work through it. What helps is a patient instructor, water shallow enough to stand in, and small steps taken at your own pace. If your fear is intense or tied to a painful experience, a health care provider can help as well.

You don't have to love the water to learn to swim. You just have to be willing to take the first small step.

Fear of water is common and understandable

If you're nervous about water, you have plenty of company. U.S. Masters Swimming, which certifies adult learn-to-swim instructors, speaks directly to adults who never had the opportunity to learn, or who had a negative or frightening experience in the water (opens in a new tab) when they were younger. It says about one-third of U.S. adults can't safely swim the length of a pool. In CDC's 2023 survey, about 40 million U.S. adults (opens in a new tab) said they didn't know how to swim.

Fear can come from many places:

• You never learned, so deep water feels unknown.
• You had a scary moment as a child: slipping under, being pushed in, or getting caught by a wave.
• Someone close to you was hurt or died in the water.
• You grew up hearing that water was dangerous and best avoided.

Each of these makes sense. None of them means you can't learn.

Tell your instructor

Before your first class, tell the instructor what you're feeling. You don't need to share more than you want to. You might say:

"I'm really nervous in the water. I'd like to start slowly and stay where I can stand. Please tell me before you do anything new."

Things to ask a program:

• Have your instructors taught adults who are afraid of the water?
• Can I start in shallow water where I can stand?
• Is a private or small-group lesson available?
• Can I meet the instructor or watch a class first?

U.S. Masters Swimming's instructor search (opens in a new tab) lists certified Adult Learn-to-Swim instructors by ZIP code. The Red Cross adult program (opens in a new tab) lets swimmers progress at their own pace, mastering one set of skills before moving to the next. For more on finding a class, see learning to swim as an adult.

Small steps: a sample path

Your instructor will adapt this to you. The early steps all happen in shallow water with your instructor beside you. Stay on a step as long as you need to.

1. Sit on the edge and put your feet in. Notice the temperature and your breathing.
2. Walk in shallow water, holding the wall if you like.
3. Breathe out slowly with your mouth just touching the water, then make bubbles with your face in the water. NYC Parks lists breath control (opens in a new tab) as one of the first skills it teaches adults.
4. Float with support. Your instructor can hold you or give you something to hold while you float on your front and back.
5. Get your feet back down. Ask your instructor to show you early how to go from a float back to standing. Knowing you can stand up makes floating less scary.
6. Glide and kick a short distance toward the wall or your instructor.
7. Add arm strokes, then move toward the five water competency skills, including deeper water when you and your instructor agree you're ready.

Some days you'll move forward. Some days you'll repeat yesterday's step. Both count as progress.

When fear comes from a past experience or a loss

Sometimes fear of water is tied to a real event: a near-drowning, a rescue, or the death of someone you love. The Amin Foundation was started by a family who lost Basir Amin and Afrid Haider to drowning in August 2022, and Nasrin Amin the following month. We know how heavy this can be.

If your fear comes from a loss:

• There's no deadline. You can wait until you feel ready.
• Some people find that learning to swim, or helping a child learn, becomes a way to honor the person they lost. Others need time first. Both are okay.
• Grief and fear can be tangled together. Read grief after a drowning for support.

If you or a family member had a frightening experience in the water recently, see after a scary water incident.

When to get extra support

If your fear is intense, causes panic, or keeps you from things you want to do, it's worth talking to a professional. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) defines a phobia as "an intense fear of—or aversion to—a specific object or situation" (opens in a new tab). It says psychotherapy is the primary treatment approach for phobias, and it advises: "If you have concerns about your mental health, talk to a primary care provider." That provider can refer you to a qualified mental health professional.

Stay safe while you learn

Feeling safe helps fear fade. Follow the Red Cross water smarts (opens in a new tab) every time:

• Never swim alone. Practice where a lifeguard or water watcher is present.
• Know your limits, and stay in water where you can stand until you're ready.
• Swim sober.
• Skip breath-holding games. CDC warns that hyperventilating or holding your breath underwater for long periods can make you pass out and drown (opens in a new tab).

Celebrating progress

Write down each small win: the first time you put your face in, the first float, the first length of the pool. Our progress tracker can help:

Tell someone you trust about each step. And if you have children, let them see you learning. It shows them that it's never too late, and that being nervous is not a reason to stop.

What you can do today

1. Write one sentence about what scares you most about the water. It will help you explain it to an instructor.
2. Find one adult beginner class or instructor near you with our swim lesson finder.
3. Call and ask whether the instructor has taught nervous adults, and whether you can start in shallow water.
4. Print the Adult Swim Lesson Guide and bring it to your first class.
5. If your fear feels overwhelming, make an appointment with your primary care provider.