I also had some neck issues when I swam a lot. I don't like to put my head under water and I don't know the front crawl, though I can do the breaststroke very

I also had some neck issues when I swam a lot. I don't like to put my head under water and I don't know the front crawl, though I can do the breaststroke very quickly, even keep up with a lot of front crawl swimmers. It does take a lot more energy to do that but I did it as exercise so that was the point. I don't care about any kind of competitiveness in sport. The only reason I'd keep up with the crawl swimmers is because they tend to complain about sharing the lane otherwise. But constantly having my neck tilted up to the 'stop' did give me an itchy and stiff neck, often lasting the day after the swim. I hike now for exercise as I moved to a mountainous country, glad I don't have that issue anymore.