survival swim
Age Group
18 months - 3 years
Swimmers will learn to hold their breath, kick themselves to the wall or the step and get themselves out of the pool. Survival swim can also apply to any age child who has never had any water experience.
days 1-3
Parent To-Do List
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On the first day of Survival Swim lessons, please arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled time.
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Make sure your child is dressed in their swimsuit and ready to swim.
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Bring a towel and something to change into after lessons.
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Be engaged with the lessons—make eye contact, do not wear sunglasses, avoid being on your phone, clap and cheer for little successes. Being quietly engaged with the lesson is the only reassurance you will need to do.
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​Note: Pool toys and goggles are not used. The pool will be heated to 90 degrees.
What to Expect
Day 1
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Your child will likely cry. Crying is completely normal. Do not engage the crying with reassurance. Respond with a smile and confidence as your feelings will often transfer to your child.
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Lessons on the first day are very short. I assess ability and start to build trust.
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All swimmers will go under the water and learn to "hold the wall".
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Cheer them on when they are finished and be ready with a towel.
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Always let them get out of the water on their own.
Day 2
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The second day is usually harder than the first day. Your swimmer now knows what will happen during lessons. Sometimes they will be excited and want to jump right in. Many times the crying is worse than day one. Do not engage the crying at all. Give no verbal reassurances. Just put on the bathing suit and put them in the water.
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We will continue to work on holding the breath and holding the wall.
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I continue trust building.
Day 3
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Crying might not last as long. It can also stay the same. Age is often the biggest determining factor for how long a swimmer will cry. Most children under two years will cry more days than children two and older.
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As trust gets established, swimmers feel more confident and comfortable in the water. Day three is when I usually start letting them go a little more on their own. We are primarily still working on holding the wall while we swim to and from the wall.
days 4-7
What to Expect
Days 4-7
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Depending on age, there will likely still be some crying but this is the time when the crying usually begins to stop.
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As most swimmers are now comfortable with me and with the water, we can now start working on kicking. For this age group, kicking is the most important element for safety. We will "kick to the wall" and "kick to the step" and "kick to Coach B".
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As swimmers progress with kicking, they will hold their breath longer as they increase their swimming distance.
days 8-9
What to Expect
Days 8-9
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The last two days of lessons are for reinforcing skills and transferring power and trust back to the parent. Plan on getting in the pool with your child on one of these two days.
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It is absolutely necessary for you to 'feel' the way your child swims. You've been watching your swimmer's progress every day, but being in the pool with them helps you 'feel' their ability.
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It is at this point where I will transfer the trust they have built with me in the water, to you. I will show you how to keep working on the skills we have started so that your swimmer can continue to progress and build confidence.