Swim Lessons/Youth Classes

Class Policies and Procedures:

• For the health and safety of staff and participants, swim lesson participants will be required to complete a questionnaire and temperature screening prior to each lesson. Masks are required for all spectators and employees while in The Palm Beach Gardens Aquatic Complex. To follow social distancing guidelines, only one parent/guardian per participant will be allowed to attend the lesson. Additional spectators will not be permitted. 
• Participants must have previous level certificate or be able to demonstrate required skills on the first class meeting.
• Participant will not be permitted to participate in a class beyond their skill level regardless of registration. Participants will only be transferred to the appropriate class if space is available.
• Please keep in mind the possibility of student progression when signing up for multiple sessions.
• Parents are required to stay within the Aquatic Complex during their swimmer’s lesson.
• To prevent distraction, parents should refrain from interacting with their child during the lesson. 
• Classes may be cancelled, combined and/or changed at management’s discretion.
• Classes may be held in a classroom due to inclement weather. In the event a class is cancelled by management, five minutes will be added on to the remaining lessons for that session. This will only be done for one cancelled lesson.
• Please plan your schedule carefully. There are no make-up lessons or credits for missed classes.

Swim Lesson Levels - Where do I place my swimmer?

The prerequisite for each class level is the successful completion of the preceding class level skills. If you are not sure which level is correct for your swimmer, please call 630-1126 to schedule a skills evaluation.

Levels

Adaptive Aquatics - Ages 4+

• Swimmers with developmental disabilities will be given therapeutic exercises, swim lesson instruction, and will have the chance to participate in aquatic activities that will help them progress socially, physically and mentally at their own level.
• Adaptive swim lessons are currently unavailable. 

Parent and Tot 

• The purpose of the course is to familiarize children with the water and teach swimming readiness skills.  In addition, Red Cross Parent and Child Aquatics provides safety information for parents and teaches parents techniques they can use to help orient their children to the water.

Preschool 1

•  Introduces basic aquatic skills, which children continue to build on as they progress through Preschool Levels 2 and 3 and Learn to Swim.  In addition, children start developing positive attitudes and safe practices around the water.

Preschool 2 

• The beginning of independent aquatic locomotion skills.  Children continue to explore using simultaneous and alternating arm and leg actions on the front and back to gain greater proficiency in preparation for performing strokes.

Preschool 3 

• Children improve their coordination and control of combines simultaneous arm and leg actions and alternation arm and leg actions.  New water safety topics are introduced and previously acquired water safety knowledge and skills are reinforced.

Level 1

• Introduces basic aquatic skills, which participants continue to build on as they progress through Learn to Swim.  In addition, participants start developing positive attitudes, effective swimming habits and safe practices in and around the water.

Level 2

• Participants learn to glide and float without support and recover to a vertical position.  Participants further develop simultaneous and alternating arm and leg actions on the front and back, laying the foundation for future strokes.

Level 3

•  Participants learn and practice survival floating and learn to swim front crawl and elementary backstroke at rudimentary proficiency levels. Scissors and dolphin kicks are introduced.  Participants also learn rules for headfirst entries and begin to learn to enter the water safely.  Participants who successfully complete Level 3 have achieved basic water competency in a pool environment.

Level 4 

• Participants add arm actions to the previously learned scissors kick and breastroke kick to perform the rudimentary sidestroke and the learn the breastroke.  Participants also begin to learn the back crawl and butterfly, as well as, the basics of performing a simple open turn at a wall.

Interested in acquiring advanced skills? Click here for more information on how to join the Makos Swim Team.