Vulcans... to swim or not to swim?

[Asso]

Linda wrote, among other things, as a comment on the beautiful Honeybee's story "Barefoot": But I find it hard to believe on a desert planet that all Vulcan children are taught to swim, when on earth which is two-thirds water, not all human children are taught to swim.
This aroused my curiosity. I tend to agree with Linda, but what do you think?

[bluetiger]

You know, if some Vulcan high mucky muck decided that swimming was a good survival skill, I wouldn't be surprised if they built a lap pool at the Vulcan Science Academy and required all children to learn. The Vulcans are after all a very regimented society.

[Asso]

That's true. But, frankly, I have some feel that they are... contemptuous, too. To tell the true, this one is among the reasons, for me, because of which T'Pol has been so much struggling within with regard to her feelings for Trip. Vulcans don't need to swim. They fly in their technological spaceships, they have all they need. They are superior. Why the hell do they have to learn to swim?

[bluetiger]

I see what you are saying Asso. I was assuming that Vulcans were teaching their children to swim long before they discovered Earth. Being so superior, they would want to excel at anything another culture could do. Since water is not unique to Earth, it would seem a vital part of any off-planet travels.

[Asso]

Touché!
But I'm still thinking Vulcan is a strange world. Where is water? Can it exist an evolved, advanced race so much tied to its biological needs? But, this apart, water is the first thing a race needs to live. Desert... mh... first of all there were Tigris and Euphrates.

[honeybee]

I can tell you why I decided that all Vulcans learned to swim.

It wouldn't be logical to enter a rushing creek without knowing how to swim, even a shallow one. So, I figure T'Pol would have to know how to swim or she wouldn't go into the creek.

Why, I thought? Because swimming is one of the best exercises there is. Also, it is an important survival skill, even if you live in a desert. Deserts sometimes have flash floods, and there are bodies of water on Vulcan.

But mostly I was thinking it is a really efficient form of exercise and Vulcans are more than capable of building pools and reservoirs.

[bluetiger]

You know, I've never actually heard about Vulcan rivers and seas. As you say they must have water to survive. Do they have any large bodies of water or must they pull it up from underground? I just went to memory-alpha and there is no canon for the surface water on Vulcan so I guess we each get to make it up like we desire it to be.

[Asso]

It must be clear that we are simply agreeably chatting. We have really few informations about Vulcan. It's desert and hot. But everywhere? Vulcans had many contacts with other races before they met Humans. What did they learn? I'm inclined to think they tend to be "isolated" in their behaviour, but this is only my perception.

[honeybee]

In order for intelligent humanoid life to evolve, there must be water and bodies of water on Vulcan - just not as many as on Earth. I think there are fewer bodies of water. But there also must be artificial bodies of water.

The state of Texas, where I grew up has only one natural lake. But there are lakes everywhere that serve as the reservoirs for major cities. Town Lake in Austin and Lake Houston in Houston, for example.

[Asso]

You touched one among the oddest issues I found about the way writers displayed Vulcan (and not only it).
The reason because of which life (and, above all, intelligent life) got evolving on Earth, is the great diversity in the scenarios which Earth has.
I am persuaded Andoria and Vulcan, if it's true the way they are described) wouldn't have many chances for having some intelligent species.

[bluetiger]

And that is the wonderful thing about fan fiction. If there is no canon we can make things anyway we wish them to be, or in some cases go AU and run amok.

[Kotik]

I think the idea of all Vulcans learning to swim is a bit optimistic. One can assume though that those who serve for the Ministry of Security (like T'Pol did) are taught this vital skill as they need to be able to survive on alien planets.

[Alelou]

The planet Vulcan as shown in the Forge clearly has some blue splotches that suggest large lakes.

[Asso]

I think the idea of all Vulcans learning to swim is a bit optimistic. One can assume though that those who serve for the Ministry of Security (like T'Pol did) are taught this vital skill as they need to be able to survive on alien planets.

Good point. (Well! Obviously regardless of the fact that T'Pol seems to me really "out role" in regard to her service for the Ministry of Security. )

[Kotik]

Good point. (Well! Obviously regardless of the fact that T'Pol seems to me really "out role" in regard to her service for the Ministry of Security. )

Well, I think it is firmly established that T'Pol's not your garden variety Vulcan