Don’t swim! Especially on East coast. Strange waves.
So creepy how none of them involve people going out for a swim but just being on the shore and getting pulled in…
A lot of Taiwanese people can’t swim so when the “big waves” knock thrm down and push them a few meters from shore they just struggle to swim and quickly drown.
When the water is “too deep” and the waves “too big” it’s dangerous for Taiwanese people to swim. Deep water means danger for Taiwan.
I’m a dickhead and swim all over the island all while simultaneously embarrassing my wife and her family because all the locals keep yelling that the water is “over his head” and “too deep” for someone to possibly “swim” in.
A lot of my Taiwanese friends say they can “swim” but that doesn’t mean treading water, it means doing the doggy paddle in 4foot pools in the city.
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It sounds terrible for the families. But I think I could hand the situation talked of here. Not 100% sure, though, because I’m not sure what exactly happened. Do big waves occur suddenly on the East Coast, pulling you in when you’re not even in the water? I have heard they do.
Or (more likely), are people putting their feet in, then ankles, then up to their knees before a bigger wave comes to knock them down? People that never go to the beach are probably not aware that the waves get bigger and smaller in cycles.
this
Once they get knocked down they don’t know how to swim and drown. A lot of the beaches in the east drop off quickly into deep water. And you if don’t know how to tread water that’s a big no no.
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basically this happens but near the ocean instead.
Taiwan needs to educate people on swimming and water safety. Now it’s just “the ocean/water is dangerous, stay away” which is like preaching abstinence from sex.
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When you master the art of swimming it doesn’t matter how deep the water is, 1 meter or 5000 meter. The only thing you should not do is ‘free’ diving in waterholes that are 20 m or deeper, at a certain level the water will be 4C. That’s really cold and can cramp you up, and drown.
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IMO you don’t know how to swim if you can swim in water over your head.
Can you translate that into English please?
you don’t know how to swim if you can swim in deep water.
I’m confused to which part you didn’t understand?
I thought we were friends Belgian
I can swim in very deep water and shallow. The fact is I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.
BFF! 
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I wouldn’t classify someone as a swimmer inless they can swim in deep water 
♂ 
I was agreeing with you. I’m not saying you personally don’t know how to swim.
Absolutely terrifying looking shorebreak in Taidong near forest park yesterday, like 10 foot. A couple fisherman and some kids around close-by. Wouldn’t have surprised me if someone got sucked out to sea.
Would of been cool to go watch had I known about it 
That’s the thing in Taiwan, you always get news of an event when it’s over or the same day!
I think it’s an annual event so if you are around you can check it out this year. I don’t think dates are set yet but it says nov-dec. Just search Taiwan Open of Surfing. They have a facebook page as well.
Actually, there was a warning of big waves due to the effect of the typhoon nearby. Those waves could have overpowered an experienced swimmer.
Man, it is a bitch to get to Taitung from Taipei.
5 hours of bitching, it’s worth it mostly.