Swim Lesson Program Descriptions
*Items listed in RED will be modified due to the shallow depth of our pool.
Parent-Tot class (children ages infant-3 years old)
The emphasis of this program is to help young children relate to the water with comfort, to build self-confidence and to have fun. Children and parents will sing songs and play games that introduce basic skills such as blowing bubbles, floating, and kicking. We require that one parent/guardian enter the water with each child. Children who wear diapers outside of the water must wear water diapers while in the pool.
Level 1: Introduction to Water Skills –
The objective of Level 1 is to help students feel comfortable in the water and enjoy the water safely. The student learns elementary swimming skills including water adjustment, buoyancy, breath control, water entry and exit, and personal safety. The goal of this class is to complete the following skills:
___Enter and exit water safely
___Fully submerge face-3 seconds
___Hold breathe and fully submerge head with or without support
___Front float with support
___Back float with support
___Blowing bubbles
___Kicking on front with support
___Kicking on back with support
___Walk in chest deep water alternating arms
___Bounce up and down in chest deep water -5x
Safety Skills
___Safety Awareness Skills
___How to get help
___Put on a lifejacket on deck and enter shallow water
Level 2: Fundamental Aquatic Skills –
The objective of Level 2 is to give students success with fundamental skills. Students learn to float and glide on the front and back without support and are introduced to the arm action and kicking of the crawl stroke. The goal is to complete the following skills:
___Hold breathe and fully submerge head for at least 5 seconds
___Bob 5 times with head fully submerged
___Retrieve objects at arm’s length away
___Flutter kick on front
___Flutter kick on back
___Front float unsupported – 5 seconds
___Back float unsupported -5 seconds
___Front glide in streamline with or without assistance -2 body lengths
___Back glide with hands at side with or without assistance -2 body lengths
___Flutter kicking and winging on back and/or elementary backstroke arms
___Stroking and Kicking on front (4 arm strokes with kicking and face in water)
___Roll over from front to back
___Orientation to deep water
___Sitting Dive
Safety Skills
___Safety Awareness Skills
___How to recognize a swimmer in distress
___How to get help
___Wearing a life jacket in deeper water
Level 3: Stroke Development –
The objective of level 3 is to build on the skills in Level 2 by providing additional guided practice. Students will learn to coordinate the crawl stroke with side breathing, backstroke, introduction to elementary backstroke, treading water, diving and safety rules. The goal is to complete the following skills:
___Retrieve object, eyes open, no support
___Bob 10 times with head fully submerged in chest deep water
___Front glide with push off in streamline
___Back glide with push off, hands at side
___Streamline kicking on front (3-5 body lengths)
___Streamline kicking on back with support (3-5 body lengths)
___Coordinate arm strokes and kicking with breathing to the side (10 yards)
___Coordinate Backstroke (10 yards)
___Intro to Elementary Backstroke (arms/legs)
___Jump into deep water from side of pool, change directions and recover to safety
___Kneeling dive from side of pool
___Treading water (30 seconds)
Safety Skills
___Safety Awareness Skills including diving
___HELP in deep water with lifejacket
___Reaching assist to a distressed victim
Level 4: Stroke Improvement –
The objective of level 4 is to develop confidence in strokes learned thus far and improve other aquatic skills. Students will increase their endurance by swimming familiar strokes (elementary back, freestyle, back stroke) for greater distances than in level 3. Students will also have an introduction to Breaststroke and dolphin kick. The goal is to complete the following skills:
___Deep water bobbing
___Stride dive from a standing position
___Streamline kicking on front with pop up
___Streamline kick on back
___Freestyle with side breathing across width of pool (12.5 yards)
___Backstroke across width of pool (12.5 yards)
___Elementary Backstroke (coordinate arms and legs)
___Intro to Breaststroke (arms/legs).
___Intro to dolphin kick
___Swim underwater and retrieve object in deep end
___Jump from side of pool into deep water, recover and swim for 10 yards
___Tread water (45 sec.)
Safety Skills
___Safety Awareness Skills
___HELP position with a lifejacket
___Throwing assists for drowning and distressed victims
Level 5: Stroke Refinement –
The objective in Level 5 is coordination and refinement of key swim strokes. Students will perform the breaststroke and increase distances in the freestyle, backstroke, and elementary backstroke. Students will be introduced to alternate side breathing and flip turns. The goal is to complete the following skills:
___Shallow racing dive
___Swim underwater in deep end (3-5 body lengths)
___Freestyle with alternate side breathing
___Freestyle (25 yards)
___Backstroke (25 yards)
___Elementary Backstroke across width of pool (12.5 yards)
___Breaststroke (10 yards, coordinated stroke)
___Intro to Butterfly (arms/legs)
___Tread water (90 seconds)
___Intro to flip turns (forward somersault while swimming)
Safety Skills
___Safety Awareness Skills
___Put on a life jacket tossed as a lifesaving measure in deep water
___Huddle position with a lifejacket
___Survival float (30 sec.)
___Throwing assists for drowning or distressed victims
Level 6: Swimming & Skill Proficiency –
The objective of Level 6 is to polish strokes, allowing students to swim with more ease, efficiency, power and smoothness over greater distances. Students work to develop endurance by the end of this course. The goal is to complete the following skills:
___Retrieve a 10-pound block at the bottom of the pool 7-10 ft deep.
___Swim 8 minutes non-stop with any combination of strokes.
___50 yards of freestyle, breathing every 3rd stroke
___50 yards of backstroke
___25 yards of breaststroke
___25 yards elementary backstroke
___12.5 yards of coordinated butterfly
___Freestyle Flip turn
___Kicking on side (right and left)
___Simple freestyle drills (1 arm and catch-up)
___Simple Backstroke drills (no arm, 6 kick and switch)
Safety Skills
___Back float 2 minutes
___Survival Float 1 minute
___Lifeguard Stride jump
___Throwing assist for drowning or distressed swimmers.
*Items listed in RED will be modified due to the shallow depth of our pool.