Best Of MetaFilter

Snorkel en Rojas by almirot (cc by)

Scuba and snorkel instructor here. I have had reservations about the full face masks since they came out: danapiper comments in the Drowning in three feet of water thread.

Hands up by vapour trail (cc by-nd)

The hardest (oddest?) part? You learn that a fairly likely outcome of your attempt to rescue a conscious non-swimmer is that you will be attacked, and so you have to learn underwater combat tactics, so that you won't be drowned the first time you try to carry out a rescue.

infinite intimation and other former lifeguards comment in the Spot the Drowning Child thread, while some survivors remember. Plus, Mefi's worst (imaginary) lifeguard, racial swimming disparity / swimming pool discrimination, dreaming underwater, and PS: Please don't throw babies in pools.