When we first talked about kids & sailing we decided that it was paramount they be strong swimmers. After weeks of swim classes in Portland each year the kids would quickly forget the lessons learned in the pool. This was mainly because we were busy and unable to get the kids to the pool daily. In frustration we hired Maggie Cameron a private swim coach to give the kids one on one lessons. They built confidence in their swimming skills. And yet even after Maggie's excellent lessons when Ben and I arrived in the islands he only swam off the end of the boat tentatively. Ben 's first trips to the coral reefs off ST John were punctuated with quick returns to the dingy. He was concerned about the long spined urchins covering the reef.
I had brought my dive fins down from Portland and after one day swimming Ben asked when he could get a pair. I had thought to have him swim for a couple weeks to build up his muscles. Yet the next day we passed a dive shop in Cruz Bay and we picked up a pair of swim fins. He could not wait to try them out in the water so we went snorkeling when we got back t the boat. Immediately he was all over the bay. He could swim faster, farther and longer than ever before and suddenly the ocean was his.
We repeated the same process with Juli and Stevie. Each child swam for a few days without fins to warm up to the water and then we bought them fins. Any timidity about the water disappeared when they put the fins on. Now when friends come to visit with kids we put fins on the kids straight away. It is really amazing the transformation that takes place and how much more fun swimming is with fins.
This photo taken by his Aunt shows Benjamin surfacing after a deep dive. We had purchased a proper mask and snorkel for him as his old mask leaked. Spending as much time as we do in the water it became critical that the kids have good gear.