ADULTS ARE LEARNING THAT IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO GET IN THE SWIM.

Byline: Jenifer Hanrahan

The deciding moment for Reyna Calderon came as she watched the crowds frolic in the waves crashing onto a Maui beach. Calderon wanted to dive into the water, but she didn't dare. That's because she can't swim.

``I just had to be like a baby by the edge of the water,'' said the 24-year-old Van Nuys resident. ``I was embarrassed to be there.''

Calderon took the plunge as soon as she got back to Los Angeles. She signed up for private swimming lessons. After two months of twice-weekly classes, Calderon has gotten over her fear of being underwater and has learned to float. Although she still makes the swim instructor hold her hand when she jumps into the deep end, she has begun to grasp the basics of a front crawl stroke.

``The first day was hard,'' said Calderon, who plans to treat herself to another vacation as soon as she feels confident in her swimming abilities. ``I didn't know anything. I never thought I was going to be able to do it. I was afraid to push off. I was afraid to be inside the water. Now that I actually am learning, I love it.''

Are you tired of being afraid of the water? Wishing you could swim a few laps to get some exercise? It's never too late to learn to swim, say instructors and adults who are taking swim lessons for the first time.

``The first hurdle is pulling on a bathing suit and being seen in public,'' said John Vowels, aquatics director for the 16 San Fernando Valley pools operated by the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. ``The next hurdle is putting your face in the water. The next hurdle is being able to breath alternately with your head in and out.''

Swimming lessons are a rite of summer for many children, but their parents might not have had the same luxury. They trudge to swim classes with their kids, but some are not competent swimmers themselves, Vowels said.

``Most people are at great risk in or around the water,'' he said. ``The unfortunate thing is that most people don't perceive the risk. They go to a watery environment with their children. They think they could actually assist them. That is a (misconception).''

Now for the good news. Not only is it possible for adults to learn to swim, adults are among the fastest learners, instructors say.

``It's been my experience that adults are very easy to teach to swim because when they do come to class, they have a vision or a goal and, as a result, they want to learn,'' Vowels said.

When working with adults, instructors must keep in mind that many students have an intense fear of the water, which they might have inherited from their nonswimming parents. Others have had a near-drowning experience - or at least what they remember as a near-drowning experience - in childhood.

Calderon can attest to that. Before she signed up for lessons, the thought of jumping into the deep end of the pool conjured up images of futile flailing and gasping for air.

David Contreras, aquatics manager at the city pool in Westwood, said he uses relaxation techniques to help adults overcome their fear. Contreras said he might start a lesson by having the student put only their mouth in the water and blowing air out. As they feel more comfortable with the water - and with him as a teacher - he will progress to the back float. By keeping his hand firmly under their backs, Contreras coaxes students to ``let their bodies go'' and let the water support them.

``With adults, it takes longer to break through their fear of the water,'' Contreras said. ``They are more cautious with their bodies. The most important thing is to get over their rigidity and teach them to relax.''

Contreras suggested that students wear goggles if they don't like chlorinated water in their eyes. With elderly students, Contreras has to work to help them improve their flexibility through water exercises.

Most area pools offer reasonably priced, adults-only private and group lessons that cater to all levels of swimmers.

``With private lessons you get all the attention and the teacher can tell you what your mistakes are so you keep trying to improve,'' said 18-year-old beginning swimmer Maria Salacar. ``I'm going to feel like a fish in the water.''

Salacar was embarrassed to take a swimming lessons at her age. She always thought of swimming classes as something little kids did. But Salacar, who needs to learn to swim because she has joined the Navy, said her apprehension wasn't enough to keep her from her goal.

``I'm not ashamed not knowing something,'' she said. ``I would be ashamed if I never try. It's better knowing later than never.''

MEMO: Staff writer Jenifer Hanrahan's water-sports column appears monthly in the Daily News.

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Photo

Photo: Reyna Calderon gets help floating from swim instruct or Chad Prado at the Van Nuys YMCA. Some adults think lessons are only for kids.

John McCoy / Daily News