I’d say the butterfly is the most energy intensive way to swim, and dead man’s float is the least energy intense.

Swimming is the best exercise you’ll ever do, and you should be able to do it for most of your life. You can do it to get ripped, you can do it to rehab.

The 2 most important things when swimming are: don’t get overconfident, and don’t mess around with safety. The ocean absolutely doesn’t care about you, and it’s amazing how little it’ll take to become disoriented. Never swim halfway past where you can’t see the shore, and never swim more than halfway past the longest you’ve swam before.

Saltwater is generally fine if there are no nasty organisms in your neighborhood, but fresh water swimming can kill you if the water is stagnant or polluted.

If you’re looking to swim for exercise or fitness my biggest recommendation (after goggles) is get yourself a speedo/teva suit (if you don’t want a banana hammock get the thigh length shorts), you’ll be amazed how much further you move per stroke and how much less energy it takes to go from a to b.

As I’ve said in another reply, the most efficient stroke with easy breathing is probably the backwards frog, it’s very easy to learn, just pulse like a jelly fish while keeping a bit of your face out of the water.

I’m glad you had a great experience and you’re looking to continue practicing! Knowing even the basics can be life changing.

If you ever find yourself under water and can’t tell which way is up (this can happen surprisingly easy), follow your bubbles, bubbles always go up

Im just going to throw out that its good to know the sidestroke as its useful to technically rescue someone although. Grated actually rescuing someone is very dangerous but its nice to know if you find you need to do that.

Sidestroke is the best way to deal with waves IMHO. Pretty much so long as you keep calm and your lungs nearly full of air you’ll be alright breast stroking. I just hate being surprised by waves. Same reason I don’t backstroke even on big lakes.

Side stroke is an efficient stroke and keeps your head above water at all times.

Learn to tread water for ~20 minutes without many breaks. That can help you figure out a lot about your body and how to work with the water

Try drowning. By that, I mean once you’re in safe waters like a pool put yourself in a stressful position like diving under water without a proper breath in etc. The goal is be ready for discomfort same way skate boarders learn falling so when you actually get into trouble you have some experience on how to react.

“swam”, I think.

I never quite learned to swim. Well, I can stay afloat and intentionally move in a direction, but it’s more like tactical flailing. Back in school the teacher gave up on me learning to swim with proper swimming strokes. I stick to what works for me.

I’ve “swam” a lot in the ocean, and I’ve found that unless you know how to bodysurf (which I sometimes manage to pull off) a vertical style is better as it makes it easier to keep your head high and above the waves.

Swimming on your back is the thing to know. So face up, body as straight as you can get it, and when you have lungs full of air (possibly also without lungs full, depends on your physique) you will effortlessly float. Then just propel yourself by treading with the legs, waving with the hands, or both. Zero stress swimming. You can flip around and go fast in the usual modes of swimming and then gather strength by flipping back.

An alternative the front crawl is the doggy paddle. Kinda the same, but saves you from taking your hands out of the water. Even as someone who’s swam my whole life and can swim pretty much any stroke I still doggy paddle a lot especially in salty water

Congratulations on learning to swim.

The best place to learn and perfect your swimming skills is in calm water, with lots of people/lifeguards around. Like a swimming pool or lake.

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This swimming stroke advice may only work in calmer seas.

For best efficiency, I find my own modified survival-sidestroke feels the easiest.

Frog kick with your legs, then each arm alternates pulling water from ahead.

The arm that is ‘closer to the water surface’ pulls with a half-stroke from near your chin, back to waist level.

The arm that is ‘far from the water’s surface’ pulls from a long stretch out front, back to waist level.

Alternating these, and doing a mini-glide on each stroke. I think my glide is after the long stroke from out in front to the waist.

Every 10 or so strokes, roll over to switch the arm that is doing the long stroke.

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OT but we’re so close! Are you Italian or are you here just for a vacation?