Swim Level Descriptions
Mom & Tot
In this fun class for children ages 18 months – 5 years and a parent, we use games, songs and simple instruction to help children learn to establish an expectation for adult supervision in and around the water, learn more ways to enter and exit the water in a safe manner, explore submerging in a rhythmic pattern through bobbing and blowing bubbles, and learn how to glide on the front and back with assistance.
Level 3/4
The purpose of this class is to help children ages 3- 5 feel comfortable in the water for the first time without a parent. It orients children to the aquatic environment, helps them gain greater independence in their skills and develop more comfort in and around the water. Children will learn to enter the water on their own, follow the directions of the instructor, and gain basic swimming propulsive skills by learning to fully submerge and hold breath, bob, blow bubbles and float with assistance. Minimum age is 3.
Level 1 – Introduction to Water Skills
In level 1, children ages 4 and older learn to enter and exit the water using ladder, steps or side, to blow bubbles through mouth and nose, to bob, to open eyes under water and retrieve submerged objects. While learning front and back glides and floats, recovery to vertical position and to roll from front to back and back to front, children begin to develop comfort in the water. Other skills include alternative and simultaneous leg actions and arm actions on front and back, treading water using arm and hand actions and combined arm and leg actions on front and back. Minimum age is 4.
Level 2 – Fundamental Aquatic Skills
Success with fundamental aquatic skills begins in level 2 as children learn to enter and exit water by stopping or jumping from the side, fully submerge and hold breath, bob, open eyes under water and retrieve submerged objects. Children learn front, jellyfish and tuck floats, front and back glides and floats, how to recover to vertical position, change direction of travel while swimming on front or back, and how to roll from front to back and back to front.
Level 3 – Stroke Development
Building on the skills introduced in level 2 through additional guided practice in deeper water, children learn to enter water by jumping from side, back float, survival float, rotary breathing, and headfirst entry into the water from the side in sitting and kneeling positions. Flutter, scissor, dolphin and breaststroke kicks on front will be introduced along with front crawl, elementary backstroke and treading water.
Level 4 – Stroke Improvement
This is a big level with many skills to perfect. Most students take Level 4 several times before passing all the necessary skills. In this level, children develop confidence in the skills learned and improve other aquatic skills including swimming under water, feet-first surface dives, survival swimming, and headfirst entry into the water from the side in compact and stride positions. Other skills include front crawl and backstroke open turns, front and back crawl, elementary backstroke, breaststroke, sidestroke and butterfly, plus flutter and dolphin kicks on back. To advance, children also must be able to tread water using 2 different kicks.
Level 5 – Stroke Refinement
Children learn further coordination and refinement of strokes in level 5. We’ll cover shallow-angle dive from the side then glide and begin front stroke, tuck and pike surface dives while submerging completely, front flip turn and backstroke flip turn while swimming, front and back crawl, elementary backstroke, breaststroke, sidestroke and butterly, plus sculling.
Level 6
In this level, students refine the strokes to swim with ease, efficiency, power and smoothness over greater distances. Students learn to swim 500 yards continuously using any 3 strokes of choice, swimming at least 50 yards of each stroke. The DIVING component will provide instruction on the basics of competitve diving including performing a two-part take off with a feet-first entry from a 1-meter board and performing a two-part takeoff with a head-first entry from a 1-meter board.
Level 7
This class builds endurance swimming skills, with additional attention to stroke refinement. You must have passed level 6 to take this class.
Water Safety
This class includes more complex safety skills, jumping into deep water and performing a suvival float for 5 minutes, rolling onto back and performing a back float for 5 minutes, performing a surface dive, retrieving an object from the bottom of the pool at a depth of 7 – 10 feet, returning to the surface and the starting point. You must have passed level 7 to take this class.
