🌊 Why Sea Swim 🌊🌊🏊‍♂️🏊‍♂️🌊🌊

Buddy Sports
Oct 7
3 min read

Updated: Oct 21

As a full-time swimming coach, I’ve always believed that swimming isn’t just about mastering strokes in a pool, it’s about building real confidence in the water.

The sea, unlike a pool, is unpredictable. The current changes, the waves rise and fall, and you can’t always see the bottom. But that’s also what makes it so rewarding. When you can swim confidently in the sea, you know your skills are real — not just practiced in comfort, but tested in nature.

When I served in the army, I was part of an amphibious unit. One of our duties was to conduct beach reconnaissance, which meant swimming or diving from a distance offshore to approach a beach undetected. Sometimes, we did this at night... swimming through darkness with only faint glows from the shoreline as reference points.

It was scary at first — the unknown beneath, the endless black water, the sound of waves echoing in the dark. But what gave us confidence was our safety drills and teamwork. We trained over and over until every move became second nature. And after each training, there was that powerful sense of accomplishment and calm... knowing you faced fear, stayed composed, and came out stronger.

That same spirit is what I want to pass on through my Sea Swim Programme. I want my students to experience the real thing, to swim beyond the boundaries of the pool, to feel the open water (and maybe even try a night swim one day), to understand how to manage fear, stay calm, and make good decisions in a natural environment.

Of course, safety is always our top concern. Every session is carefully planned with safety measures in place, from assessing weather and tides, to using floats and buddy systems, and keeping close supervision throughout. Confidence grows best when it’s built on safety and trust.

Now don’t worry... I’m not training little commandos here 😄 .In fact, most of the time, Coach Ling is armed with a sense of humour instead of a rifle. My lessons are filled with laughter, funny moments, and the occasional seaweed “monster” encounter. The goal is to let every student feel safe, brave, and curious... while having a ton of fun.

Because at the end of the day, the sea doesn’t just test your swimming skills, it builds your character, confidence, and courage. And if we can laugh while learning all that, even better. 🌊😄

Coach Ling Yao Hui, Founder, Buddy Sports