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Based on some real-world knowledge, no.
For example, there's this class that military helicopter pilots take as part of training for surviving water landings. They have the body of a helicopter which can be dropped into a big swimming pool. The pilots strap in, they're dropped into the pool, and they have to unbuckled and exit the helicopter.
So many people fail this, repeatedly. Scuba divers are in the pool just to extract the people who can't make it out. The issue is that when you panic, you tend to stop thinking rationally; it's why swimmer lifesaving is so dangerous - a panicking swimmer will do anything to save themselves, including grabbing the lifesaver and trying to climb on top of them, which can result in both people drowning. In the pilot case, people panic and can't unbuckle themselves, straining against the restraints to get out, until they have to be rescued. Even if they start well, trying to unbuckle, if they fumble at the restraints, they can panic and then they stop trying to unbuckle. Even though the helicopter is only a cockpit and a bay with big van-style doors, people panic and get lost trying to get out; they just can't find the bay doors, and have to be rescued. For these night tests, you can't see which was is up, and people panic and forget to take time to orient, and swim toward the bottom of the pool, and have to be rescued.
All of the theory in the world can't protect you from panic; the only thing that helps is experience. You do it enough that you get used to it and have confidence that keeps the panic at bay.
Studying isn't enough, because the first thing that goes when you panic is your ability to think rationally, and the only way to prevent panic is confidence, and that's developed through experience. It's why teaching always includes homework: you have to exercise the knowledge for it to become second nature.
Hitting particularly cold water makes it even worse.
I doubt someone who has only ever read about swimming could do it in deep, cold water. But they are talking about taking it to a swimming pool to practice. I think they’ll be fine.
Yeah, but if you're doing it in a swimming pool to practice, then you didn't learn how to swim by reading about it. You learn how to swim by practice, which is how everyone learns how to swim
Well, yeah. But they could also skip the books; the practice will be much more useful.
You can't watch your form in a mirror, in a pool. Well, Elon and Bezos probably can, but most normal people can't. So you can't tell how you're doing, if you're trying to actually swim well. Having an instructor, or even a friend who knows a little about swimming would even be better than any amount of book reading.
I'm all for book learning, but I doubt many people learned to ride a bicycle by reading a how-to first.
If they're going to spend time trying to learn to swim, that time is better spent in a pool, than reading about it.
I think I have had an instructor put a mirror in the pool before lol
Being put in a situation meant to induce panic with restrains, gear, and objectives is very different from surviving if someone falls into a body of water.
Sure, reading a book probably won't do much if you capsize in rough waters or have tread water for minutes to hours. I think that if someone were to have a controlled drop in a deep pool, they would have a much higher chance of success if they've read about basic water survival techniques vs someone who hasn't. Panic is still for sure the biggest factor, but having any amount of knowledge is still better than having none.
Most of the people who get into trouble in the water and need to be rescued already know how to swim. My point wasn't that they should be afraid of swimming, it was book learning isn't going to help, and what they read in a book is going to be the first thing to go if they do panic. Which is likely what will happen if they read a book thinking they're learning to swim and then go try it.
Go to a pool. Get in the shallow end and practice putting your face under water. That'll be far more useful than reading about how to do a breast stroke.
For sure, swimming and practicing swimming is the best way. Reading about it won't likely help you in an emergency situation. In a controlled environment, I think that someone could probably survive if they've only read about how to swim. Not thrive, but knowing what to do would help.
Yeah that egress training is horrible, never done it myself but know a few who have. Starts off relatively easy, until they flip it upside-down and turn off the lights to simulate night. Even the strongest swimmers have trouble.
Also lost a high school friend when they jumped in to save someone struggling in a lake and were pushed under. The person they were trying to rescue survived but they didn't.
This is nothing remotely like the scenario OP is talking about.