I don't think that living next to the sea would make you magically learn how to swim, but rather that everybody should be taught to swim to a competent level.

I don't think that living next to the sea would make you magically learn how to swim, but rather that everybody should be taught to swim to a competent level. If you live next to the sea, you're going to be spending time around and on the water. It follows that you should learn how to survive in the water if something goes wrong. What if you get caught in a rip, or if someone else gets in trouble in the water and you have to help them? What if you're in a dingy and it capsizes?