Survival backstroke can get you out of trouble without using too much energy. Done on your back, with breaststroke kick, and either sculling hands or a gentler version of breaststroke arms.

It has the advantage of easy breathing, as the mouth and nose are almost always over water. The disadvantage is you can't see where you're heading, unless you turn your head often. This swimming style is similar to an upside down breaststroke.

First, practice the leg kick while sitting on the edge of the pool. The leg kick is like inverted breaststroke. Use this three part sequence:
1. Kick out, legs apart.
2. Bring the legs together.
3. Pull the legs back in.

   When you're doing it right you create a current of water with your leg action. Once you can do it on the pool side, lower yourself into the water and hold on to the edge. Then do it again and see how it differs.

Using a float to support the arms, try this:
1. Swim breaststroke leg kick on your back, keeping your knees under the water. Turn out your feet to get a strong propulsive kick.

2. Do the leg kick on their back with your arms sculling by their sides.

3. Do the leg kick with your arms crossed over your chest.

4. Move efficiently over an increasing distance using the leg kick.

5. Use the leg kick while towing another person

Lifesaving backstroke is the same, except you would be rescuing someone, so one arm would be supporting the casualty and the other hand sculling.

Lifesavers use the breaststroke kick differently. The legs are somewhat lower, the knees are not pulled in as much because this would mean kicking the casualty. Instead, the lower legs do most of the kicking, in a rotation below the knee.

Your arms don't do much except the one supporting the casualty. The free arm below might do a bit of sculling.

Recreationally and unofficially developed, the oar stroke consists of the opposite motions of the butterfly stroke, hence, the alternate moniker: moth stroke.

Unlike the butterfly stroke the swimmer is moving in a backwards direction. The arms are moved in a circular motion akin to the butterfly stroke. The legs are however, kicked out in the breaststroke position.

The Moth Stroke is not to be confused with the "slow butterfly stroke" which also can be alternately labelled as the "moth stroke."

Practice Tip

If you have difficulty keeping your legs up while at the same time your arms reach forward above the water, lie on a float to begin with, until you can do it right.

Once you've mastered this swimming stroke, you can increase the training level. Spread your arms sideways. Swim life-saving backstroke while holding your hands out of the water or strechted out to your sides. This gives you a similar workout to towing casualty, slows you down as much as a casualty would.

Add more and more clothes as you get stronger. Wear a lifejacket and see what difference it makes.