I almost drowned while taking swimming lessons... twice. When I was in college, I worked at a Girl Scout camp in Massachusetts for two summers. I was the only adult taking swimming lessons with "the Brownies". I did not pass and never earned the Beginner's cap so I could move on to Intermediate. Also when I was in college, I lived in a dorm for a couple of years, right next to the jock dorm. I couldn't swim but I liked to just sit in the pool. I was cool in the water as long as it was no higher than chest level and I don't like putting my head under water at all. Anyhow, some jocks thought it would be hilarious to come drag me down to the deep end. I screamed bloody murder and begged them to please not do that. They ignored me because they thought what they were doing was pretty funny. They drug me to the deep end and let go. I thought I was going to die. Somebody realized I was NOT playing around and came and drug me out. I love looking at water. I don't mind being on the water like in a boat or a ship, and I actually love being near the water (a hotel on the beach, overlooking a lake, etc)... but I'm not comfortable with my body IN the water. I never have been my whole life. I think about how much water I'm in and I freak out. PLUS... I can't see a darned thing without my glasses and I can't really wear glasses while swimming, I can barely see the person next to me in the water so how in the heck can swimming or going to the beach be fun? It ain't.
Side note: I wanted to get Everett enrolled in a swimming class this summer but his mom waited too long to look into it. Summer classes were all filled up in early March and the best you can do now is a wait list.