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The following are the level of lessons for children. For American Red Cross (ARC) levels 2-6, the child should complete the prior course or equivalent, or complete an exit skills test of the prior course.

Skill Levels For Children

Guppy: (18 months to 3 years) A parent is required to be with the child in the water. This course is equivalent to American Red Cross Parent and Child Aquatics Level B. Skills taught include:

• Water entry and adjustment
• Bubble blowing and underwater exploration
• Front and back floats
• Arm and leg action
• Front and back glides
• Rolling back to front and front to back
• Personal safety

Turtle: (Preschoolers) For 4 and 5 year olds. Basic but important swimming and safety skills are taught without the parent, including:

• Front and back floats
• Underwater exploration
• Arm and leg action for front and back stroke
• Water entry and exit
• Water adjustment
• Personal water safety with emphasis on using lifejackets

Alligator: ARC Level 1. Must be at least six years old or be able to pass the skills learned at the Turtle level. Skill taught include:

• Safe entry and exit
• Underwater exploration with objects
• Controlled bubble blowing
• Front and Back floats with recovery
• Changing directions
• Treading hand and arm movements
• Front and back stroke combined arm and leg action
• Personal water safety
• Helping others in distress

Seal: ARC Level 2 Fundamental Aquatic Skills. Skills taught include:

• Jump-in entry
• Underwater retrieval
• Unsupported front and back glide
• Front and back float with recovery
• Treading arm and leg motions
• Combined arm and leg action on front and back
• Finning and sculling
• Swimming on your side
• Personal Water safety

Marlin: ARC Level 3 Stroke Development. Skills taught include:

• Head first entry
• Underwater retrieval
• Rotary breathing
• Front and back glides
• Treading
• Front and back crawl
• Butterfly kick and body motion
• General water safety protocol

Dolphin: ARC Level 4 Stroke Improvement. Skills taught include:

• Stride and compact dives
• Underwater Swimming and Feet first surface dive
• Survival float and back float
• Streamlined open turns
• Treading and Sculling
• Backstroke, Breaststroke, Front Crawl, and Butterfly
• Elementary Backstroke
• Scissor Kick
• Rescue Assists and dealing with choking

Shark: ARC Level 5 Stroke Refinement. Skills taught include:

• Shallow dives and starts
• Treading with different kicks
• Flip turns
• Backstroke, Breaststroke, Front Crawl, and Butterfly
• Elementary Backstroke and Sidestroke
• Survival Swimming
• Rescue Breathing

Advanced Swimming and Lifesaving: ARC Level 6. This is a new course designed to be challenging and fun for our most advanced swimmers. Life guarding skills, physical fitness, and personal water safety skills will be taught. It involves some of the same training our own lifeguard's use. Skills taught include

• Endurance training and aquatic fitness education
• Competitive stoke flip and open turns
• Surface dives and dives
• Cold water survival
• Leg only treading and movement
• Lifeguard rescue techniques
• Rescue breathing and CPR
• Survival swimming and self rescue

Adult Swimming Lessons

All levels of ability are welcome. It's never too late to learn basic safety skills and major strokes.