fandomhigh | Underwater Basket Weaving and Other Aquatic Arts!; Monday, Third Period [05/22].

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!"

So hopefully, they'd all gotten the ~~oh so handwavey~~ note about making sure to be in proper swim gear this week! Honestly, you were all lucky Sidon even remembered to mention it, because, well, he didn't exactly need special swim gear!

"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, "as usually, there's 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!

Belle

Graham Cracker

Liberty Hazlett

And warm-up and stretch! 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 at some point 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!"

Edited 2023-05-22 11:22 (UTC)

Oooooh, Graham had been waiting for this class! Because he actually did know how to do this now!

He still wasn't great at it, but that was all the more reason to appreciate Sidon's lessons on the matter! Now he could take what he learned from Charlie and what he was learning today and join them together to create more knowledge!

And his doggy paddle was getting pretty strong, now, too!

Belle was hardly an expert swimmer but she'd taken a few opportunities in recent months to practice her skills. While her swimming wasn't precisely elegant it was certainly serviceable and she did enjoy the water.

She enjoyed the water more when it was warmer though.

Even though Libby had made pretty good strides (or should she say strokes?) in her swimming, especially after the trip to Indonesia, she was paying very close attention to Mr. Sidon's lessons, too, shivering a little all the while, but, hey! At least the cold water helped keep her awake and aware!

She was definitely looking forward to warming up at that bonfire when they were finished, though!

"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 racevictory!

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

[[ and, since everyone loves a good RNG, the order of people across the finish line, should they choose to race is: Beta, Graham, Belle, and Libby! ]]

Because it's still May and the water is still a bit brisk, once everyone's done with swimming and racing, there's hot cocoa and a big bonfire on the beach to warm up with before heading off to your next exciting thing!

He'll be more than happy to swim people out into the water, too, if they wanted to!

Would you just look at the new drip on my boy??

Underwater Basket Weaving and Other Aquatic Arts!; Monday, Third Period [05/22].

Sign In - Underwater Basket Weaving, 05/22.

Re: Sign In - Underwater Basket Weaving, 05/22.

Re: Sign In - Underwater Basket Weaving, 05/22.

Re: Sign In - Underwater Basket Weaving, 05/22.

Listen to the Lecture - Underwater Basket Weaving, 05/22.

Class Activity: Learn How To Swim! - Underwater Basket Weaving, 05/22.

Re: Class Activity: Learn How To Swim! - Underwater Basket Weaving, 05/22.

Re: Class Activity: Learn How To Swim! - Underwater Basket Weaving, 05/22.

Re: Class Activity: Learn How To Swim! - Underwater Basket Weaving, 05/22.

Class Activity: Race! - Underwater Basket Weaving, 05/22.

Class Activity: The Other Kind of Warm-Up - Underwater Basket Weaving, 05/22.

Talk to the Teacher - Underwater Basket Weaving, 05/22.

OOC - Underwater Basket Weaving, 05/22.