Risen 2

[dragon]

So anyone else playing. It's not bad not great either. I like the fact that your're a pirate and can't swim.

[Tolya]

Actually, that is not as stupid as it sounds (pirates who can't swim). First of all, in 16th century swimming wasn't such a popular pastime as it is today. Secondly, what good does swimming do on a full blown sea faring vessel? If the weather is good, then falling into the water isn't that easy. If it's bad, then it won't matter because there were no life jackets back then.

Also, I remember reading something about a general opinion prevalent in the 16th century that swimming is unhealthy.

In general, the majority of sailors in that time didn't know how to swim. Because it didn't matter to them.

[xthetenth]

Better to drown than to in all likelihood die a slow lingering death of exhaustion, starvation or something.

[Sea Skimmer]

Learning to swim in marine service was considered bad luck in much of the western world until the First World War. That thinking finally went out the windows when U-9 sank three British cruisers in the live bait squadron and nearly two thirds of the crewmen drown, among them hundreds of young fit naval cadets. IIRC shortly afterwards learning to swim was made mandatory in the Royal Navy and other services followed suit if they had not already. The rise of the radio and fast steamers also had simply made it far more realistic to be rescued within the short period of time a man swimming or clinging to wreckage could expect to survive.