A toddlers first experience with the water doesn't always go the way you expect it to.
My youngest son is never afraid of anything. He jumps into everything without looking back and sometimes scares us with his lack of fear. We recently took a family vacation to Arizona where we spent quite a bit of time in the pool. My toddler loves the bathtub and playing in the sprinklers so it never occurred to us that he would have a problem with the pool. When we first introduced him to the pool he was excited about it. He sat on the highest step up to his belly button in water and splashed happily. However, when we tried to encourage him to come with us further into the pool he became frightened and refused to get in the pool at all.
Toddlers can surprise you sometimes. After several days enjoying time at the pool he began to warm up to the water. He didn't enjoy the pool as much as my older son but he became comfortable enough that he could play in the pool without being afraid.
To learn more read:
Swimming with a Toddler: Introducing Your Toddler to the Water
