Al swims across an 80 m river. The current carried him 30 m downstream. How far did he swim?
To determine the distance Al swam, we need to subtract the distance carried downstream by the current (30m) from the total distance across the river (80m).
Thus, Al swam a distance of 80m - 30m = <<80-30=50>>50m. Answer: \boxed{50}.
To find out how far Al swam, we need to subtract the distance carried downstream by the current from the total distance across the river.
Distance carried downstream by the current: 30 m
Total distance across the river: 80 m
Therefore, the distance Al swam is:
Total distance - Distance carried downstream = 80 m - 30 m = 50 m
So, Al swam a distance of 50 meters.