fandomhigh | Underwater Basket Weaving and Other Aquatic Arts!; Tuesday, Fourth Period [05/17].

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underwater basketweaving

Underwater Basket Weaving and Other Aquatic Arts!; Tuesday, Fourth Period [05/17].

Since the weather appeared to be cooperating, the class would be meeting once again at the beach, and when they did, they would find their instructor as eager and excited as ever, warming up with some squats and arm stretches and encouraging exclamations beside the bonfire for a different kind of warm-up later. And once everyone was there and ready to go, he did one final stretch up high over his head, rolled his neck a little, and laughed before opening his arms to the class in greeting.

"Hello!" he said. "And welcome back! Are you all ready for another thrilling day of learning aquatic arts? I know I am! And since this particular aquatic art will require a lot of physical activity, let's all take a moment to stretch and warm up so that our bodies are limber and ready to go! Because today, we are tackling that most important Aquatic Art, the one for which mostly all other Aquatic Arts stem from, and that, of course, is swimming!

"Now," he continued, after waving a hand to encourage them all to keep stretching while he talked, something that he, himself, was also going to do, "last week, it sounded as though most of you are already familiar with swimming, but there's still a good chance that we all possess a very diverse range of swimming skills! Some of you, such as myself, may have been swimming since you were practically a tadpole, freshly hatched into a world of water and wonder! Some of you may have learned a little later, but due to your exposure to watery depths, may have a wide range of experience and skills. Some of you may not know how to swim barely at all! And that is fine, because we're going to go over many different techniques, we shall help each other, those who already know the basics will receive an excellent refresher, and by the end of the class, hopefully we'll all be confident enough in our swimming abilities to pursue a...bit of a challenge!"

His grin was particularly excited and shiny over that.

And he gave them a little more time to stretch and get warmed up before calling out, "Alright, my intrepid aquatic artistes! Everybody in the water! Let's get swimming!"

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Splish-splash!

Kurt Wagner

Liberty Hazlett

Josephine Jones

Liz Sherman

Tahani al-Jamil

Hannibal Lecter

Listen to Sidon and/or chat with your fellow Aquatic Artistes as you make sure your bodies are good and ready to go! No cramping today, my friends! And hopefully no one had a particularly big lunch before coming to class today, for that matter, as well!

Now that everyone's warmed up and hopefully ready to go with any issues or concerns squared away, it's time to begin the lesson in earnest! Starting with the most basic of basics, from proper breathing to <ahref="https://www.swimoutlet.com/blogs/guides/how-to-float-for-swimming">floating (Sidon does recognize that some of these things are a bit different for a Zora due to his anatomy, so he encourages any of the more experienced Artistes with much more human-related bodies to share their own tips and tricks and advice!), improving your kicking and, of course, the four different swimming strokes.

"If you find yourself already quite familiar with these techniques," Sidon added, "fantastic! I knew you had it in you! Now's the time to hone your skills, because we can always make ourselves better! And for those of you who might be struggling, don't give up! I believe in you! These things take practice! I believe I mentioned last week that, while I may have practically been swimming since the moment I was hatched, I was not always good at it! But with dedication, determination, and drive, I have become the excellent swimming you see before you! Also, remember, practice makes perfect! There is no lack of water around us, as we are on an island, and if I recall, there is actually a pool," although he did need to make a face of displeasure about it, "in the dormitory basement, which should do in a pinch. Just remember, though, especially if you are not confident in your abilities yet, always swim with a buddy and keep safety measures in mind at all times!

"That said, let us practice! Please let me know if you need help with anything, help each other, and we'll take most of the class to hone our skills and become truly splendid swimmers, before we embark on our final challenge for the day! Or, at the very least, for this class, because hopefully, every day is filled with exciting new challenges for everyone!"

While swimming wasn't exactly something he got to do much back at the Academy, Kurt did know how to swim and was pretty good at it too! (thanks mom and dad) So, he was quite excited as he listened to the instructions and worked through some warm up stretches. It had been a while since he had been in the water of anything more than a pool but it all came back to him almost instantly as he jumped in and started swimming.

Swimming was definitely one of those skills that had gone by the wayside a little bit for Libby, who knew enough to not sink like a stone, but that was about it. That made her a little tentative about this class in general, but she listened closely to the detailed instructions and kind of wished she had some better swimming clothes.

Jeans, it turned out, were not a good solution to everything.

But she still felt she'd be more comfortable in sodden jeans than she'd ever be in most swimsuits.

Jo had said she was going to try swimming and not be afraid but now that the moment had come to actually start swimming properly she stood at the edge of the water and hesitated, not quite bringing herself to go in just yet.

Oh, did you need some encouragement, Jo? Because, believe you me, Sidon had encouragement. By the boatload!

"No need to worry, there, Jo!" he called out enthusiastically before moving a little closer in case she needed the help. "Come on in! The water is fine!"

Actually, it was a bit chilly. Very chilly, actually, but you got used to it once you were in!

Jo stared at the water, tentatively dipping a toe in to see what the water would be like and let out a shriek at how cold it was.

This was bringing back memories of standing on the edge of the pool at Malory Towers and she found she kept glancing backwards to make sure no one was going to sneak up behind her and push her in.

No one was sneaking up behind her, so she took several deep breaths and pushed herself to go into the water, grimacing at how cold it was but at least this time was without the shrieking.

And that tentative inch forward may not have looked like much, but Sidon knew, as a nervous swimmer himself back when he was a small, uncertain little hatchling, it was a big step! And he was certainly going to do for Jo what Mipha had done for him so long ago and flash her a big, proud, toothy grin.

"That's the way to do it, Jo!" he called out encouragingly, with a proud pump of his fist. "Way to go! The first steps are always the hardest, and don't worry! I'll be right here if you need me. You can do it! I believe in you!"

It had been a long time since Liz had done any kind of proper swimming, she probably hadn't done any since her field training so it felt a bit weird to be doing this but she found she remembered a lot of the basics, even if she wasn't very fast at swimming.

During the week, Vi had managed to find a swimsuit that looked kind of normal (at least as far as Piltie style swimwear went), so she had something other than her underwear to wear in the water.

While she was comfortable in the water, her style certainly wasn't recognisable as any kind of formal stroke.

Hannibal swam well, but he would never turn down practice and a bit of exercise. It was good that it was getting warm enough to do this now.

"And now," Sidon announced, blowing a whistle (although, interestingly enough, not the whistle he wore at his chest among all of his fancy royal accoutrements) to get everyone's attention and waving them over as if he would be hard to spot without doing so, "it's time to put the skills you've been learning, practicing, and sharpening to the test! As you can see, I've set up a few buoys out in the water; they mark the course of our race! If you still feel a little uncertain in your swimming and would like to sit out the race, you are more than welcome to do so! All I ask is that you take note of the techniques being employed by our races as you watch and, even more importantly, encourage them and cheer them on! Those of you who are more confident in your abilities, get ready to race! Swim up to the first buoy, marked One!, and then to the next marked Two!, and so on and so forth until you end up back here and claim your victory!

"Any questions before we begin? Racers! Get ready, on your mark..."

[[ and, because who doesn't love a good RNG, the results of the races, pending participation are: Tahani, Kurt, Jo, Liz, Vi, Libby, and Hannibal! ]]

Edited 2022-05-17 09:13 (UTC)

Since it's still May, the water is still definitely a bit brisk and Sidon known that not all people (in fact, most people) don't actually find this to be the most ideal swimming temperature, there is a big beach bonfire and plenty of hot cocoa, coffee, and tea delivered in a timely fashion from the Perk for everyone warm up with before class finishes.

If there's anything Sidon loves almost as much as swimming, it might just be talking!

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Underwater Basket Weaving and Other Aquatic Arts!; Tuesday, Fourth Period [05/17].

Sign In - Underwater Basket Weaving, 05/17.

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Re: Sign In - Underwater Basket Weaving, 05/17.

Re: Sign In - Underwater Basket Weaving, 05/17.

Re: Sign In - Underwater Basket Weaving, 05/17.

Warm up and Stretching! - Underwater Basket Weaving!, 05/17.

Class Activity: Swimming! - Underwater Basketweaving, 05/17.

Re: Class Activity: Swimming! - Underwater Basketweaving, 05/17.

Re: Class Activity: Swimming! - Underwater Basketweaving, 05/17.

Re: Class Activity: Swimming! - Underwater Basketweaving, 05/17.

Re: Class Activity: Swimming! - Underwater Basketweaving, 05/17.

Re: Class Activity: Swimming! - Underwater Basketweaving, 05/17.

Re: Class Activity: Swimming! - Underwater Basketweaving, 05/17.

Re: Class Activity: Swimming! - Underwater Basketweaving, 05/17.

Re: Class Activity: Swimming! - Underwater Basketweaving, 05/17.

Re: Class Activity: Swimming! - Underwater Basketweaving, 05/17.

Class Activity: Race! - Underwater Basketweaving, 05/17.

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Talk to the Teacher - Underwater Basket Weaving, 05/17.

OOC - Underwater Basketweaving, 05/17.