1. ABOUT OUR CLASSES ~ Do you use flotation?
2. ABOUT OUR CLASSES ~ Who do you teach?
3. ABOUT OUR CLASSES ~ What age should I start my child in lessons?
4. ABOUT OUR CLASSES ~ Do infants or young toddlers really learn anything in swim lessons, or is it just playtime?
5. ABOUT OUR CLASSES ~ How do I decide what skill level to take?
6. ABOUT OUR CLASSES ~ Do I have to get in the water with my child?
7. COST ~ Why do different sessions cost different amounts?
8. COST ~ Why is there a travel fee?
9. GENERAL INFO ~ What should I bring to lessons?
10. GENERAL INFO ~ How do I decide whether to take group or private lessons?
11. GENERAL INFO ~ What can I do to encourage my child's swimming ability?
12. GENERAL INFO ~ How long will it take to learn how to swim?
13. GENERAL INFO ~ Where should the parents be during the lesson?
14. GENERAL INFO ~ Is the website secure?
15. LOCATIONS ~ I have a neighborhood pool, but it's not listed on the website. How can I get my location added?
16. SCHEDULING ~ Can one of my friends and I have a lesson together?
17. SCHEDULING ~ I want to take lessons, but I can't find a class to fit my schedule. What should I do?
18. SCHEDULING ~ How do I get a private class created for me?
19. SCHEDULING ~ Why do classes meet for twice a week during the summer and once a week during the rest of the year?
20. SCHEDULING ~ What if I have a vacation during the middle of one of the sessions?
21. SCHEDULING ~ Why does my class get cancelled when not enough people register?

We charge a $15 fee per transaction in order to help cover the cost of fuel and travel. Our instructors drive many miles each day to reach the pools where they teach, so we collect a travel fee to help them pay for gas and other vehicle expenses. You can save money by registering for all classes at one time because you will only pay this fee once.

Other than a swimsuit and towel, you generally don't need to bring any special items. Our instructors provide the equipment they use to teach, but if there is something your instructor would like you to bring, they'll let you know.

Take your child to the pool and encourage him or her to practice as well as play in the water. Play is a child's way of learning about the world. Playing in the water allows the body to assimilate what was learned in formal instruction. It would also be a good idea to observe your child's lessons so that you'll know what your child is learning and what vocabulary the instructor uses. Also, ask the instructor for tips on helping your child learn.

Every student is different, so it is impossible to answer this question without first evaluating the student in the water. Learning time will depend on several factors including:

1. The goals of the student. Simply being able to swim to safety if you fall into the water will take a different amount of skill and learning time than becoming a competitive swimmer.
2. The beginning comfort level of the student. Students who are already comfortable in the water will learn a little faster than students who are afraid. Even if it takes a little longer, working through fears is important and achievable.
3. Ability to practice well. The more a student can practice techniques correctly, the more quickly new skills will become a part of the body's muscle memory.
4. Learning style. Some students seem to progress very slowly and then one day have a breakthrough moment when everything seems to click. Other students may make steady, gradual progress each day.

The answer to this will vary depending on the facility, the child's personality, and the instructor's preference.

• Please be aware of the pool's rules regarding an accompanying adult. Many of the neighborhood pools we serve require a resident or sometimes a parent to be on pool deck at all times.
• Some children will learn better while having the parent close by and some will learn better by having more independence. You may know in advance what your child needs with regard to this issue. If so, you can let your instructor know. At other times it may be a matter of experimenting to see what works best.
• Please be respectful of your instructor's preferences, which he or she will communicate to you. Some of our instructors prefer to have the parents close by, especially in the beginning, while others prefer to start with the children having a little more independence.

It is possible for more than one student to participate in a private class. Be sure to:

• make a schedule request
• inform us of how many students you would like to participate
• follow the guidelines for the maximum number of students allowed listed under the class descriptions for group lessons
• register all the students with the same user account. If you do not use the same account, you will not receive the second student discount.

Make a schedule request. We create our schedule based on these requests.

The way to arrange private lessons is to make a schedule request and select "private only" for class type.

There are a couple of factors in our decision about the frequency of classes.

• The first consideration was what is best for the student?

We have followed a variety of different schedules and found that some students respond really well to having instruction only once a week, while other respond better to an intensive everyday instruction. So, in short we have found that either type of frequency can be successful.

• The second consideration was how to conveniently serve families who are very busy and often don't have a lot of time to commit to another activity.

With this in mind we decided to offer classes once a week during the non-summer months, knowing that those families who would like to have lessons more frequently can request or sign up for 2 or even 3 once-weekly classes. We have also found that on average, families are able to commit more time to swimming during the summer months, so we decided upon a twice-weekly schedule. The majority of students respond extremely well to this type of schedule. It provides consistent instruction over time while allowing students time in between lessons to practice and assimilate what they have learned.