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Freestyle swimming beginner courses?
I'm an okay-ish breaststroke swimmer. Could an experienced swimmer tell me if I
should first improve by breaststroke technique
or first learn freestyle swimming?
And,… Hi guys, and happy new year!
I'm an okay-ish breaststroke swimmer. Could an experienced swimmer tell me if I
should first improve by breaststroke technique
or first learn freestyle swimming?
And, even more importantly, can you recommend any employee-friendly (not during working hours) group courses for grown-ups, not too far outside of the city? I wasn't able to find much, unfortunately...
To help you answer my question: my goals are
to become a more efficient swimmer for safety reasons when swimming on a lake/outside where there is no shore nearby, since I am already exhausted after 150-200m
to be able to make use of indoor swimming pools recreationally/as a workout and, again, not be frustrated and exhausted after 150m.
Thank you so much!!!
If you're comfortable enough in the water to not panic, I'd say go straight to freestyle. Breaststroke technique can be refined later, but the efficiency you get from even basic freestyle will save your energy way more on a lake. Your arms and breathing pattern do most of the work, and once you get the rhythm down, 200m feels like nothing.
For group courses, check out the Schwimmvereine (swim clubs) in Berlin, not just the public baths. Stadtbad Mitte and Schwimmhalle Schöneberg both have adult beginner groups in the evenings, usually around 20-22 EUR per session if you buy a 10er-Karte. The courses at SSE (Sport- und Schwimm-Erlebnis) in Pankow are good too, and they run later slots for people with 9-to-5 jobs.
Another option is to grab a 5-pack of private lessons at a place like Schwimmschule Berlin in Kreuzberg. It's pricier, around 45-50 EUR per hour, but two or three focused sessions on freestyle breathing and body position will fix your exhaustion problem faster than a group course.
yeah definitely go straight to freestyle, breaststroke is way more exhausting if your form is off. for courses, check out the vhs (volkshochschule) in your district, they run adult swim courses in the evenings for like 60-80€ for 8 sessions, super employee-friendly. the one in friedrichshain has a good reputation for beginners. also worth looking at sportverein tu berlin, they have a late course on thursdays at their pool near charlottenburg, think it's around 50€ for members.
honestly just learn freestyle first. breaststroke is way harder on your energy if your technique isn't perfect. for courses, check out berliner bäderbetriebe website, they list adult courses at different pools across the city. the one at stadtbad neukölln has evening slots for like 15€ a session i think. also there's a group called schwimmclub berlin that does adult training on sunday mornings, pretty chill vibe
i'd say skip the big names and look at studiowest in prenzlauer berg, they do amazing japanese style but the waitlist is like 6 months. if u want something quicker, the artists at bitterlich tattoo in mitte are super underrated, especially for fine line. and honestly, walk past the instagram hype, go to a shop in person and ask to see their portfolio book, that's where the real stuff is.
The Berlin tattoo scene is pretty spread out, so it depends on what style you're after. For fine line and minimalist work, I'd look at A Fine Line in Kreuzberg, they're booked out weeks in advance for a reason. If you want bold traditional, check out Die Wilde Ecke in Neukölln, they've been around forever and the artists there are solid. Honestly, your best bet is to scroll through Instagram and find someone whose healed work you like, not just the fresh photos, because that's where the real skill shows.
One thing nobody's mentioned yet is the tattoo convention at Arena Berlin, usually in early summer. It's a good way to see a bunch of styles in one afternoon and talk to artists face to face without committing to a shop. I found my guy there three years ago, he works out of a tiny studio near Boxhagener Platz and does amazing neo-traditional, but he rarely posts on Instagram so you'd never discover him otherwise. Bring cash if you go, a lot of the booths only take that on the day.