Harry can float, that's why he's never promoted -- the extra pips will weigh him down just enough to push him under, like a sponge on Mr. Burns' head in a bathtub.
Funny how completely effective the showrunners were at making Harry look so totally hapless, just by passing him over for promotion.
In canon, Harry is highly intelligent, very athletic, and a model officer. Even that reprimand on his record could easily be wiped if he challenged it (he was in a mentally altered state). I don't think he was swimming team material because he has kind of a sturdy build (and the best swimmers are slender). But I expect he swims just fine.
In canon, Harry is highly intelligent, very athletic, and a model officer. Even that reprimand on his record could easily be wiped if he challenged it (he was in a mentally altered state). I don't think he was swimming team material because he has kind of a sturdy build (and the best swimmers are slender). But I expect he swims just fine.
I am here. I just reduced my general activity here.
That was one of the weirdest parts of early Voyager. I can accept the Ocampa homeworld having little to no surface water due to sci-fi reasons but they made it seem like water was rare in the entire region of space. Neelix thought a tub full of water was a luxury? How? He owns a warp capable ship and knows many species and M-class planets yet he goes nuts because he can submerge his body in water?
The Jupiter moon Europa which is smaller than our moon has more water than earth and that's just one tiny rock in our own solar system, there's so much water out there that would be available to us without even firing up a warp drive that it simply doesn't make sense it would be worth anything. Even the Kazon on the Ocampa homeworld should be able to hop into their ships after breakfast, take a 10 minute flight to some moon full of liquid water or grab an icy asteroid and have it melted to fill up the reservoir in time for lunch.
Oddish, I tend to avoid comment sections nowadays, for a few reasons.
1. Nitpicking (oftentimes, of the inane/petty variety).
2. Vulgarity/low-brow discourse.
3. Tenuous political references (which, like the nitpicking, tends to be inane/petty) typically of the dehumanizing variety.
4. General discourtesy.
Rarely do I encounter an individual worth the hassle of plunging into those waters.
1. Nitpicking (oftentimes, of the inane/petty variety).
2. Vulgarity/low-brow discourse.
3. Tenuous political references (which, like the nitpicking, tends to be inane/petty) typically of the dehumanizing variety.
4. General discourtesy.
Rarely do I encounter an individual worth the hassle of plunging into those waters.
One of the novels has Kes asking Neelix to teach her to swim. That feels right, since she grew up underground in a desert planet. Sure, Ocampan cities had water, but that doesn't mean swimming was common there.
In terms of who can do a passable front-crawl and satisfy a swimming instructor, I don't know. But in terms of who can move and stay afloat in water, I'd say:
In terms of who can do a passable front-crawl and satisfy a swimming instructor, I don't know. But in terms of who can move and stay afloat in water, I'd say:
- Naomi Wildman. She mentions that she can't go swimming (presumably on the holodeck) without her mom. ("Infinite Regress")
- Chakotay. Mentions swimming in the Gulf of Mexico ("the 37s")
- Every character who attended Starfleet Academy. Surely a survival skill like swimming is a required skill for a Starfleet officer.
Most learn just enough to save their own lives, should they wind up in the water unexpectedly - also how to use a lifejacket, etc.
Starfleet would teach its people to survive in a variety of environments, and this would include mainly aquatic planets or moons. And I also think that Tuvok's training regimen for non-Academy grads would include basic water survival, including survival-level swimming. And Neelix would eagerly participate because he's Neelix. So bottom line, a few of Voyager's crew might have been nonswimmers, but I'd say maybe 5-10 out of 150. Out of the mains...
Janeway: Yes. Her parents took her camping, this likely included swimming.
Chakotay: Yes, established.
Tom: Fascinated by the sea, do probably yes.
Tuvok: Learned at the academy, does refreshers as required.
Harry: An athlete, probably an adept swimmer.
B'Elanna: Probably. She knows her way around scantily clad towel boys, anyway.
EMH: Can program himself to learn.
Neelix: Learned at Paxau, or during the Maquis's survival training.
Seven: It's not established that she knows. The Borg assimilate people with social skills, but she has none.
Kes: Again, not sure. But she could quickly learn.
Janeway: Yes. Her parents took her camping, this likely included swimming.
Chakotay: Yes, established.
Tom: Fascinated by the sea, do probably yes.
Tuvok: Learned at the academy, does refreshers as required.
Harry: An athlete, probably an adept swimmer.
B'Elanna: Probably. She knows her way around scantily clad towel boys, anyway.
EMH: Can program himself to learn.
Neelix: Learned at Paxau, or during the Maquis's survival training.
Seven: It's not established that she knows. The Borg assimilate people with social skills, but she has none.
Kes: Again, not sure. But she could quickly learn.
But might try to learn the way corporeal lifeforms do, for the heck of it.
Maybe. More than a few guys on the football team were outclassed by my non-athlete swimming skills back in High School PE. .
It was funny watching them flounder in the water.
We hardly ever see any depictions of the crew in water. Was this shot in Flesh and Blood the first time in all of Trek that we saw Starfleet officers in water? They weren't even real officers technically and weren't even swimming.
But Harry is the understated one, doesn't have the jock mentality. He's just quietly capable.Maybe. More than a few guys on the football team were outclassed by my non-athlete swimming skills back in High School PE. .
In a 100-meter swimming race, with the EMH judging the event...
Winner: Harry Kim. And it's not even close, because Harry is the only bona fide athlete in the group.
2nd Place: B'Elanna, due to sheer physical strength and extra endurance (3 lungs and all).
3rd Place: Chakotay, due to being an experienced swimmer.
4th Place: Tom, who's ultra competitive.
5th Place: Janeway, puts in a respectable time.
6th Place: Tuvok, who has no interest in competing, covers the distance at an efficient, methodical pace.
Participation Award: Neelix, who's an amateur but plugs away mightily, but runs out of steam on the last lap.
Disqualified: Seven, who considers competition to be irrelevant.
Epilogue: B'Elanna, smarting at being beaten by a human, challenges Harry to a rematch in two weeks. She generates a holographic swim coach who teaches her more advanced technique, and defeats him. Harry is a good sport about it.
Part II: Tuvok later suggests that the next competition be a 5-kilometer open-ocean endurance race.
Spectators: Seven isn't interested and Neelix wisely opts out.
Participation: Tom doesn't make a klick.
3rd Place (tie): Janeway and Chakotay both reach the 2-km marker, but can't get further.
2nd Place (indeterminate): B'Elanna and Harry both reach four, one running on endurance and the other on general athleticism.
1st Place: Before either of them cross the 4-km marker, Tuvok's tireless and efficient stroke has propelled him to the finish line, like the tortoise in the fable. And he's not even breathing hard at the end.
Determined not to quit and at least beat Harry, B'Elanna thrashes herself to exhaustion and starts to sink, compelling the EMH to terminate the program.
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