Learn to swim class levels
Waterworld has Learn to swim class levels from babies to advanced levels.
Click the headings below to read more about the specific classes and the skills needed to progress to the next level.
Recommended ages: 6 months - 3 years
Recommended ages: 3 - 5 years
Recommended ages: 5 - 10 years
Recommended ages: 10 years and above
Recommended ages: 6 months - 3 years
Our baby and toddler classes lay the groundwork for your child to develop basic water confidence, water safety and swimming skills. In a fun and friendly outdoor environment, you and your child will be encouraged and supported through our two, competency based, baby levels.
A parent/guardian is required in the water (one to one basis) with their child for the duration of each baby class. This provides an opportunity for you to spend some quality bonding time with your child in the water as parents are encouraged to participate and join in with their child’s developments.
Classes are 30 minutes in length. We recommend parents/guardians wear a t-shirt over their bathers so their child has something to hold onto during the class.
Starfish level is suitable for children from 6 months of age. Children and parents are working towards gaining the necessary skills, knowledge and confidence to comfortably submerge under water.
Focus and skills:
- Introduction to submersion and water safety skills
- Parent education on cues, holds and water acclimatisation skills
- Parent and child develop confidence in environment
- Fun activities to encourage movement through water
Children in this level are now comfortable submerging underwater. Children will begin to focus on basic independent swimming skills, back floats and safety skills. This level is suitable for children 18 months or older and are confident submersing under water.
Focus and skills:
- Faster paced class extending existing safety skills, back floats, exits and entries
- Working towards independent swim
- Developing social skills and independence whilst parent and child gain confidence in a fun environment
Focussing on learning the fundamental building blocks of learning to swim, our beginner levels centre on understanding and overcoming natural instincts and reflexes, which create feelings of discomfort and anxiety in water. By overcoming these restricting feelings and turning them into comfort and control, our students are then truly free to learn.
Classes are 30 minutes in length and do not require parents/guardians in the pool.
Jellyfish is suitable for children aged 3 years or older who have not had lessons before, or are not comfortable in submerging completely under water and floating on their back and front independently.
Focus and skills:
- Develop independence from teacher
- Confidence in going under water and blowing bubbles
- Safe entries and exits from pool
- Independent front and back float
- Learning class structure and etiquette (Taking turns, listening to teacher etc.)
Stingray is suitable for children who are capable of floating and submersing in the water independently. In this level children will begin to develop fine motor skills by learning correct streamline kicking on front and back.
Focus and skills:
- Learning the coordination of a propulsive kick over 4 metres
- Understanding of streamline swimming on front and back
- Learning breath control in water
- Can jump into water and recovery back to pool edge
Now that children have learnt correct body position this level will begin to develop an effective arm stroke in freestyle and backstroke. Suitable for children who are confident and capable in swimming independently over 5 metres with a propulsive kick.
Focus and skills:
- Effective torpedo swim with recovery breath
- Introduction to freestyle and backstroke arms
- Becoming comfortable and confident in deep water
- Introduction to treading water
Our Intermediate levels consist of three competency based levels focusing on building efficient water skills that will set your child up for life. Learning in a fun and safe outdoor environment, swimmers will develop coordination, strength and stamina of competitive and survival swimming strokes, while also gaining important social skills and confidence.
Classes are 30 minutes in length and do not require parents/ guardians in the pool.
In this level freestyle side breathing technique becomes one of the main focuses. Children will utilise numerous programmed drills to develop their freestyle and backstroke to ensure they become stronger and more efficient swimmers over longer distances. Turtle is suitable for children that know freestyle and backstroke but struggle to maintain correct body position and breath control over 10 metres.
Focus and skills:
- Developing freestyle and backstroke technique over 8 metres
- Learning to side breathe efficiently
- Treading water with float and rest
- Introduction to kneeling dive
- Building stamina in preparation for Yabby level
Our Yabby level is suitable for children then are strong freestyle and backstroke swimmers over 15 metres and are comfortable and confident in deep water. In this level swimmers will now begin to learn breaststroke kick as well continuing to refine freestyle and backstroke technique over longer distances.
Focus and skills:
- Introduction and development of breaststroke kick
- Continue developing and refining freestyle and backstroke over 15 metres
- Introduction to somersaults and tumble turns
- Tread water for 30 seconds
- Introduction and understanding of survival strokes
This level continues to develop breaststroke by introducing the arm stroke component and focusing on overall timing and form of the stroke. Children in platypus level will also begin to develop butterfly drills and skills while still building on freestyle and backstroke technique. This level is suitable for children with advanced freestyle and backstroke and looking to further strengthen their swimming to be safer and more efficient over longer distances.
Focus and skills:
- Continue developing and refining freestyle and backstroke over 20 metres
- Introduction to breaststroke arms and development of whole stroke
- Introduction to butterfly kick
- Building stamina in preparation for advanced levels
- Development of tumble turns
- Refinement of survival strokes
Conducted in our Olympic size 50 metre pool our advanced levels are focused on refining competitive swimming strokes and techniques. By utilising squad training techniques students are encouraged to take some accountability for their training, preparing them for the next stages of their swimming journey.
These classes will also prepare children for school carnival and other aquatic activities producing fit, healthy and happy swimmers.
Classes are 45 minutes.
Shark students are developing squad training etiquettes while learning advanced stroke drills and racing techniques such as race starts, turns and finishes while also placing an emphasis on developing strength and fitness.
Focus and skills:
- Introduction and development of butterfly stroke
- Refinement of all strokes building towards swimming distance with efficient technique
- Learning competitive starts, turns and finishes (using starting blocks)
- Further development of safety and survival skills
It’s never too late to learn to swim.
We believe everyone, whatever your prior experience, should have the opportunity be safe and confident around water and be able to enjoy water based activities.
Our adult learn to swim classes are focused on teaching you the fundamental base skills of learning to swim comfortable and supportive environment where swimmers can learn at their own pace.
Adult learn to swim classes cater for adults of all abilities over the age of 18. Our 30 minute classes are tailored to each swimmer abilities.