Similarity between Cycling and Swimming
It just don on me teaching adult class, how to comprehend the final points of approach to learning swimming. If the student knows and remembers how he learnt cycling, then this is a good example.
State of neutrality
The human body's two biggest bone and heaviest is the skull and the pelvic bone. In a shallow pool, we are able to stand like on land, is simply because our skull is above the pelvic bone, i.e. vertical alignment, centre of gravity is thrust downwards. By the same analogy, its like we are placing both feet on the ground, straddling on the bicycle.
Balancing
The bicycle track stand skill is probably the best benchmark of how good a cyclist is on his bike. The epitome of stunt cycling also encompass lots of track stand skills for the rider to compose himself before each high level stunt. Track stand means the rider both legs on the pedals, and bike is stationary balanced without moving, the rider is seen tilting, twisting the handle bar to maintain his centre of gravity. Swimming is the same when a swimmer is floating like a dead man in the water, without moving his limbs, to maintain that dead man float, the swimmer needs to adjust his head and hips in horizontal alignment below the surface of the water. This is the ultimate neutral position of balance in the water without any movement, just like bicycle track stand skill.
Movement
Once track stand is mastered, then pedaling becomes more skillful and power efficient without thought to balancing when riding. This is evident in novice cyclist who topple over whenever they slow down or abrupt stop on a bicycle, their muscle memory have not feel what its like to be off-balance and are unable to counter the off-centre position. Same too is evident in swimmers who can't stay afloat without moving frantically with their limbs, they have ignore the balancing skill with their core (skull and pelvic bone positioning to float), and instead rely on their limbs to do both balancing and movement.
Summary
In essence, if you can't do the dead man float, you have not master the balancing in water skill and jumped straight to movement. It's not too late to learn still, as you are already comfortable in water, just that you will realise once you learnt balanced water skills, your swim movement skills have become abit irrelevant to your new found balancing technique, Then you will need stroke development to achieve the true blue efficient swim effortlessly the way many swimmers enjoy without panting like crazy.
State of neutrality
The human body's two biggest bone and heaviest is the skull and the pelvic bone. In a shallow pool, we are able to stand like on land, is simply because our skull is above the pelvic bone, i.e. vertical alignment, centre of gravity is thrust downwards. By the same analogy, its like we are placing both feet on the ground, straddling on the bicycle.
Balancing
The bicycle track stand skill is probably the best benchmark of how good a cyclist is on his bike. The epitome of stunt cycling also encompass lots of track stand skills for the rider to compose himself before each high level stunt. Track stand means the rider both legs on the pedals, and bike is stationary balanced without moving, the rider is seen tilting, twisting the handle bar to maintain his centre of gravity. Swimming is the same when a swimmer is floating like a dead man in the water, without moving his limbs, to maintain that dead man float, the swimmer needs to adjust his head and hips in horizontal alignment below the surface of the water. This is the ultimate neutral position of balance in the water without any movement, just like bicycle track stand skill.
Movement
Once track stand is mastered, then pedaling becomes more skillful and power efficient without thought to balancing when riding. This is evident in novice cyclist who topple over whenever they slow down or abrupt stop on a bicycle, their muscle memory have not feel what its like to be off-balance and are unable to counter the off-centre position. Same too is evident in swimmers who can't stay afloat without moving frantically with their limbs, they have ignore the balancing skill with their core (skull and pelvic bone positioning to float), and instead rely on their limbs to do both balancing and movement.
Summary
In essence, if you can't do the dead man float, you have not master the balancing in water skill and jumped straight to movement. It's not too late to learn still, as you are already comfortable in water, just that you will realise once you learnt balanced water skills, your swim movement skills have become abit irrelevant to your new found balancing technique, Then you will need stroke development to achieve the true blue efficient swim effortlessly the way many swimmers enjoy without panting like crazy.