Part III Floating, Diving and Scientific Swimming
Treading water is a very useful and necessary adjunct to swimming, especially so to the person who either falls overboard or goes to the rescue of a drowning person, or when trying to remove one’s clothes. In the game of water polo, also, this method of swimming is practised a great deal.
To tread water is like running up-stairs rapidly; the legs have to be brought up and down all the time; the hands should be kept on the surface of the water, the palms continually pressing against the water, and thereby helping the legs to hold the body up.
It is possible to stand perfectly still in deep water, it being merely a question of balance.
Stand perfectly still, with the arms in line with the shoulders and the head kept well back in the water. The head will sink below the surface once or twice until the proper balance is reached. When this is attained try breathing through the mouth. The swimmer can stand still for an indefinite period.