You’re not “behind.” You’re not alone. And yes—you absolutely can learn to feel calm, safe, and even joyful in the water.
Make a plan this year to overcome your fear!
Why fear of water is normal (and fixable)
Most adult water anxiety comes from one or more of these:
- Loss of control (“What if I can’t stand up?”)
- Facial Immersion (“What if I get water up my nose?”)
- Breath uncertainty (not knowing when or how you’ll get air)
- A past scare (a bad childhood lesson or unexpected dunk)
- Information gaps (no one ever taught the basics of floating, balance, and recovery)
At Chicago Blue Dolphins, we don’t fight that fear head-on—we lower it by building predictable skills. When your body knows how to float, how to rest, and exactly how to get air, the anxiety dial turns down by itself.
The approach that works (and what we won’t do)
What works
- Comfort first, skills second. We start with feeling the water supporting you before we ask for movement or distance.
- Clear air plan. You’ll always know where your next breath is coming from (back float, roll-to-air, or a supported recovery).
- Small wins that compound. Ten seconds of relaxed floating today becomes thirty tomorrow, then a length next month.
- Deep-water confidence built gradually. Our Adult Deep Water 1 & 2 classes layer skills in a controlled, stepwise way.
What we won’t do
- No forced immersions.
- No “sink-or-swim” moments.
- No pressure to move faster than your nervous system can tolerate.
Share the adventure with a group class.
How we coach this at Chicago Blue Dolphins
We’ll start at our Swim Studio (with Endless Pools, mirrors, and video feedback). Our small, shallow, warm-water pools will make the experience more manageable. Our Level 1 and Level 2 classes will get you comfortable in the water, confident swimming on your front and back, and capable of getting air whenever you need it. Your coach will be in the water with you, so you’ll get immediate feedback while staying close to a helping hand or the wall—perfect for early comfort work.
For deep-water confidence, we move to UIC’s 25-yard pools with 11+ foot deep ends we’ll learn to do everything you know in water where you can’t stand. You’ll practice safe entries and exits, treading, direction changes, and “get-to-safety” scenarios. Ratios stay small (3:1 shallow, 4:1 deep), so you always feel seen and supported.
Your next step
You don’t need to be “brave”—you just need a plan.
Start with Learn to Swim Level 1, get the foundations of floating, gliding, and simple swimming down. Move on to Level 2 and make the roll for air predictable. Then layer deep-water skills when you’re ready. We’ll be right next to you the whole way.
📞 (773) 342-7250
📝 Submit a registration request on our Adult Learn-to-Swim page (click “Sign Me Up!”)
🏊 Start now. Your future self at the beach will thank you.