Swimming Levels Overview
Our swimming program is tailored for children aged 3 to 6 years old, focusing on building confidence, essential swim skills, and critical water safety knowledge. Each level introduces new challenges while ensuring children develop at their own pace in a fun and safe environment.
Beaver
Age Group: 3 to 6 years old
Focus: Introduction to water comfort, basic swim movements, and rhythmic breathing.
Children learn to adjust to the water environment through fun and engaging activities. This level emphasizes the foundation of swimming, such as gliding and bubble-blowing, and builds water confidence.
Test requirements:
- Open eyes underwater (attempted)
- Rhythmic breathing 3 times
- Front float and recovery 3 sec
- Back float and recovery 3 sec
- Front glide 3 sec
- Back glide 3 sec (assisted)
- Front swim 1m (assisted)
- Facility orientation and active supervision
- Stop! Look! Ask! (Find the adult)
- Safe entries and exits
- PFD/lifejacket and me (assisted)
Distance swim 1m
Seal
Age Group: 3 to 6 years old
Focus: Developing swim independence and body positioning in the water.
This level builds upon foundational skills with a focus on increasing swim distance and improving posture during front and back glides.
Test requirements:
- Open eyes underwater (attempted)
- Rhythmic breathing 5 times
- Front float and recovery 3 sec
- Back float and recovery 3 sec
- Front glide with kick 2m
- Back glide with kick 2m
- Roll-over glide with kick 2m
- Front swim (Introduction to front swim), 2 m
- Kick on front with buoyant object 2m
- Facility orientation and active supervision
- Stop! Look! Ask! (Find the adult)
- Weight transfer in shallow water
- Jump into chest-deep water
- PFD/lifejacket and me (assisted) and HELP
- Treading water 5 sec (assisted)
- Distance swim 2m
Goldfish
Age Group: 3 to 6 years old
Focus: Enhancing swim endurance, underwater exploration, and emergency awareness.
This level encourages children to gain confidence swimming longer distances, practicing glides, and learning to open their eyes underwater. It also introduces jumping into water and responding to emergencies.
Test requirements:
- Rhythmic breathing 5 times (2 ways Nose/Mouth)
- Front glide with kick 5m
- Back glide with kick 5m
- Roll-over glide with kick 5m
- Side glide with kick 2m (assisted)
- Front swim 5m,(Kick and using big arm no breathing)
- Kicking with buoyant object 5m
- Facility orientation and active supervision
- Stop! Look! Ask!
- Weight transfer in chest-deep water
- PFD/lifejacket and me and swim 5m
- Change direction in shallow water
- Surface support in chest-deep water 5 sec
- Jump into chest-deep water, surface support 5 sec
- Front float and recover in deep water 5 sec
- Back float and recovery in deep water 5 sec
- Distance swim 5m
Gator
Age Group: 3 to 6 years old
Focus: Strengthening swim strokes, improving endurance, and advanced safety techniques.
This level focuses on swimming longer distances, introducing side glides, and retrieving objects from the pool bottom. Safety skills like floating, treading water, and jumping into deep water are emphasized.
Test requirements:
- Rhythmic breathing 10 times (2 ways)
- Front glide with kick 7m
- Back glide with kick 7m
- Side glide with kick 5m (assisted)
- Front swim — 7 m, big arm with breathing: Alternating breathing arm cycles
- (one arm stroke with a breath, next arm stroke without a breath)
- Back swim — 5 m, kick with sculling hands
- Swim with Rollover: 10 m total
- (5 m front glide/kick, roll over, 5 m on back)
- Facility orientation and active supervision
- Stop! Look! Ask!
- PFD/lifejacket and me in deep water
- Surface support 10 sec
- Jump into deep water, surface support 10 sec
- Stop! Call for help!
- Distance swim 10m
Dolphin
Age Group: 3 to 6 years old
Focus: Mastering advanced swim techniques and deep water safety skills.
This level develops advanced swimming combinations, endurance, and introduces the basics of whip kick. Children learn to be comfortable in deep water and improve emergency skills.
Test requirements:
- Rhythmic breathing + front-to-side glide with kick — 10 times
- Front glide with kick 10m
- Back glide with kick 10m
- Side glide with kick 10m
- Front swim — 10 m, big arm with bilateral breathing (one breath every 3 arm strokes)
- Back swim — 10 m, kick with sculling hands
- Swim with Rollover: 15 m total
- (7.5 m front glide/kick, roll over, 7.5 m on back)
- Facility orientation and active supervision
- When and where to swim
- Who to call in an emergency?
- Sitting dive
- Surface support/Treading water 20 sec
- Stop! Call for help! Throwing assist
- Retrieving objects from the bottom
- Distance swim 15m
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Our swimming levels provide a balanced approach to skill progression and water safety. Through engaging lessons and structured goals, your child will build confidence, improve their swimming abilities, and stay safe in the water.