WATER EXPLORATION:
Mommy/Daddy and Me

Ages 18 mos. to 5 yrs.

For children who have little or no previous water experiences. 

The purpose of this course is to help develop swimming readiness by leading parents and their children in water exploration activities with the objective of having fun and becoming comfortable in, on and around the water.  Children ready to learn without a parent or caregiver should enroll in an appropriate Learn-to-Swim Level.

TADPOLE (Level 1):
Introduction to Water Skills

Ages 3 yrs. and up
The purpose of this course is to help students become comfortable in the water. TADPOLE participants learn to:

• Enter and exit water safely
• Submerge mouth, nose and eyes
• Exhale underwater through mouth and nose
• Open eyes underwater, pick up submerged object
• Change direction while walking or paddling
• Roll over from front to back and back to front with support
• Explore floating on front and back with support
• Explore swimming on front and back using arm and leg actions with support

FROG (Level 2): Primary Skills

Ages 3 yrs. and up
The purpose of this course is to give students success with fundamental skills. FROG participants learn to:

• Enter water by stepping or jumping from the side
• Exit water safely using ladder or side
• Submerge entire head
• Blow bubbles submerging head in a rhythmic pattern (bobbing)
• Open eyes underwater, pick up a submerged object in shallow water
• Float on front and back
• Perform front and back glide
• Change direction of travel paddling on front or back
• Roll over from front to back, back to front
• Tread water using arm and leg motions (chest-deep water)

OTTER (Level 3): Stroke Development

The purpose of this course is to build on the skills learned in FROG through additional guided practice. OTTER participants learn to:

• Jump into deep water from the side
• Dive from kneeling or standing position
• Submerge and retrieve an object in chest deep water
• Bob with the head fully submerged
• Rotary breathing in horizontal position
• Perform front and back glide using two different kicks
• Float on front and back in deep water
• Change from horizontal to vertical position on front and back
• Tread water using hand and leg movements
• Perform front and back crawl

ALLIGATOR (Level 4):
Stroke Improvement

The purpose of this course is to develop confidence in the skills learned and improve other aquatic skills.
ALLIGATOR participants learn to:

• Perform a dive from a standing or stride position
• Swim underwater
• Perform feet-first surface dive
• Perform open turns on front and back
• Tread water using sculling arm motions and with different kicks
• Front and back crawl
• Breaststroke
• Elementary backstroke
• Swim on side using scissors-like kick

SEA LION (Level 5): Stroke Refinement

The purpose of this course is to provide further coordination and refinement of strokes.
SEA LION participants learn to perform the following:

• Standing dive
• Shallow dive, glide two body lengths and begin any front stroke
• Tuck and pike surface dive
• Front flip turn and backstroke flip turn
• Front and back crawl
• Butterfly
• Breaststroke
• Elementary backstroke
• Sidestroke
• Survival swimming
• Tread water with two different kicks

DOLPHIN: (Level 6):  Skill Proficiency

DOLPHIN classes are offered in the following specializations:

• Fundamentals of Diving
• Fitness Swimmer
• Lifeguard Readiness
• Personal Water Safety