Я не умею плавать, поэтому не иду в бассейн.

Because уметь means to know how to do something / to have a learned skill, while мочь means to be able / can in a broader sense.

• Я не умею плавать = I don't know how to swim / I can't swim because I haven't learned
• Я не могу плавать = I can't swim because of some situation, condition, or limitation

So in this sentence, не умею is the natural choice because the reason for not going to the pool is lack of swimming ability, not a temporary obstacle.

After уметь, Russian normally uses the infinitive:

• уметь читать = to know how to read
• уметь готовить = to know how to cook
• уметь плавать = to know how to swim

So Я не умею плавать literally follows the pattern I do not know-how to swim.

Russian has two common verbs related to swimming:

• плавать = to swim in general, to be able to swim, to swim around, repeated or non-directional swimming
• плыть = to be swimming in one direction, at a particular moment

When talking about a general skill, Russian uses плавать, not плыть.

So:

• Я умею плавать = I know how to swim
• Я плыву = I am swimming / I am floating along right now

This is a very common Russian motion-verb question.

• идти = to go on one occasion, in one direction, right now or as a current trip
• ходить = to go habitually, repeatedly, or in general

So:

• не иду в бассейн = I am not going to the pool / I'm not going to the pool (this time)
• не хожу в бассейн = I don't go to the pool / I don't attend the pool in general

The sentence with не иду sounds like a specific decision or current situation. If you want a general habit, не хожу would often be more natural.

Yes, absolutely. It just changes the meaning slightly.

• ...поэтому не иду в бассейн = so I'm not going to the pool (now / this time)
• ...поэтому не хожу в бассейн = so I don't go to the pool (in general)

Both are grammatically correct. The choice depends on whether you mean a specific occasion or a general habit.

Russian often omits the subject when it is already clear from the verb form or context.

In this sentence:

• Я не умею...
• ...поэтому не иду...

The verb иду already shows first person singular, so repeating я is optional.

You could say:

• Я не умею плавать, поэтому не иду в бассейн.
• Я не умею плавать, поэтому я не иду в бассейн.

Both are correct, but the version without the second я sounds smoother and more natural in many contexts.

Поэтому means therefore, so, that's why, for that reason.

It connects the first idea with the result:

• I don't know how to swim, therefore I'm not going to the pool.

In Russian, a comma is used here because you have two clauses:

• Я не умею плавать
• поэтому не иду в бассейн

So the comma helps separate the cause from the result.

Because Russian changes the case depending on whether you mean movement toward a place or location in a place.

• в бассейн = to the pool → motion toward a destination, so accusative
• в бассейне = in the pool → location, so prepositional

Compare:

• Я иду в бассейн. = I am going to the pool.
• Я плаваю в бассейне. = I swim in the pool.

In everyday Russian, бассейн usually means swimming pool, especially in sentences like this one.

Depending on context, it can also mean basin in more technical or geographic language, but for learners, the main meaning to remember is pool / swimming pool.

So идти в бассейн is a very normal way to say to go to the pool.

Yes, it is grammatical and natural. But the exact nuance depends on context.

• If you mean I’m not going to the pool today / now / this time, then не иду is good.
• If you mean I don’t go to the pool because I can’t swim, then many speakers would more likely say не хожу.

So the sentence is fine, but Russian makes a useful distinction here between one-time motion and habitual motion.

Yes. In English, both can fit depending on context.

Russian не умею плавать focuses on lack of skill, so:

• I don't know how to swim is very close
• I can't swim is also common and natural in English

The important thing is that this is not about permission or temporary physical inability. It means the speaker has not learned the skill of swimming.