There's no need to know the crawl (pictured), butterfly, side or any other stroke to enjoy yourself swimming - the dog paddle will suit you just fine and no other sport affords you the luxury of just rolling over on your back and floating if you get a bit winded.

If you've never swum before, many local community pools offer lessons and some private pools will have separate lesson plans that don't always require membership for participation. The best time to learn is as a youngster, but it's never too late to pick up this simple skill. A couple of lesson locations we found include the Starfish Aquatic Club at Drew University and the Aquaducks in Westfield, who specialize in synchronized swimming.

Safety Tip: Never dive into unknown waters.