This class is for those who have passed our Preschool levels OR for new, inexperience and/or cautious swimmers ages 5 and older. Beginner 1's will have the opportunity to experience basic water exploration and learn a variety of water adjustment skills that lead to assisted swimming. Students must be comfortable in the water without parents and should come prepared to learn to put their faces in the water for retrieving objects. The objective is to give swimmers success with fundamental skills, with only minimal assistance from the instructor. Swimmers will also receive orientation to deep water with support.

Prerequisite: Must be at least 5 years of age on or before the first day of class.  

Swimmers will learn the following:

• Enter and exit water independently
• Jump in from the side into chest-deep water
• Submerge whole head and retrieve objects underwater while holding breath for 5 seconds
• Bob 5 times while blowing bubbles and taking a breath
• Front float, with face in water, for 10 seconds
• Front glide, with face in water, for 2 body lengths and recover to vertical
• Back float, with ears in water, for 10 seconds
• Back glide, with ears in water, for 2 body lengths and recover to vertical
• Roll over from front-to-back and back-to-front
• Flutter kick (on front and back) for 3 body lengths
• Introduction to freestyle and backstroke (combined arms and flutter kicking) for 3 body lengths
• Introduction to elementary backstroke and breaststroke arm and leg actions
• Explore treading hand and arm actions in chest-deep water (no life jacket)
• Orientation to deep water
• Learn how to recognize an emergency and call for help; recognize the lifeguard
• Learn to look carefully before entering the water
• Learn how to put on a life jacket and what it is used for