Water Sports - An Introduction

SCIENTISTS trace man’s long line of ascent from creatures which lived in the water and came up to dry land some 300 million years ago. The last few decades have witnessed an unparalleled return of man to water, but this time for sport and recreation. More leisure time, more money to spend on recreation, and the adoption of beach and pool wear which allows untrammeled use of the limbs and freer exposure to the sun to say nothing of spectators-have all aided the burgeoning popularity of water sports.

Swimming has become a part of the life of almost every American. Its recognition as perhaps the most suitable form of exercise for persons of all ages and its importance as a safety factor for participation in any form of water sport have made us a nation of swimmers. Many schools today include swimming in the curriculum and some insist on a certain degree of aquatic proficiency as a requirement for graduation.

The flourishing home swimming pool industry is a testimonial to an increased interest in the water as is the continued demand, and steadily increasing value, of waterfront property in vacation and residential areas. Technological development has also spurred the growth in aquatic activity. The outboard motorboat has brought many millions closer to the water, and the use of diving and underwater breathing equipment has opened new vistas for thousands of water sportsmen and women.

While the old swimming hole holds a cherished place in the literature of American boyhood, swimming and diving as competitive sports are fairly recent developments dating from the nineteenth century. Rock carvings indicate that the Assyrians crossed small rivers using inflated skins to support them, and the inflated water wings in popular use in the 1920’s and 30’s served the same purpose for learners and nonswimmers.

Swimming was first recognized as a necessary military skill, and perhaps the first book on the subject De Arte Natandi by Everard Digby, published in England in 1587, stressed the value of the skill in approaching an enemy or escaping through the water. Likewise, the ancient samurai of Japan developed a repertoire of swimming techniques for military use.

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