Swim Lessons for All
At the Y, we teach youth, teens, and adults to swim, so they can stay safe around water and learn the skills they need to make swimming a lifelong pursuit for staying healthy. Y swim instructors are nationally certified and are trained in CPR, AED, First Aid, and Oxygen Administration. Formal swim lessons provide life skills that could save a life and will benefit students for a lifetime.
The Tampa and Zephyrhills communities can sign up for swim lessons at any family center. Swim lesson participants benefit from each session and learn important life lessons and good sportsmanship. Participants will learn to strive for self-improvement, goal orientation, positive mentality, and high self-esteem.
Accompanied by a parent/guardian, infants and toddlers learn to be comfortable in the water. Participants will develop swim readiness skills through fun and confidence-building experiences. Parents learn about water safety, drowning prevention, and the importance of supervision around bodies of water.
Stage A: Water Discovery
Parent/Guardian accompanies child in Stage A swim lessons. This beginning stage introduces infants and toddlers to the aquatic environment through exploration and encourages them to enjoy themselves while learning about the water.
Qualications: None
Ages: 6 months - 3 years
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Stage B: Water Exploration
In Stage B swim lessons, parents work with their child to explore body positions, floating, and blowing bubbles, and fundamental safety and aquatic skills.
Qualifications: None
Ages: 6 months - 3 years
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Accompanied by a parent/guardian, infants and toddlers learn to be comfortable in the water. Participants will develop swim readiness skills through fun and confidence-building experiences. Parents learn about water safety, drowning prevention, and the importance of supervision around bodies of water.
Stage 1: Water Acclimation
In this beginning class, children become comfortable underwater and learn how to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water.
Qualifications: None
Ages: 3 - 12yrs (offered for preschool & school age children)
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Stage 2: Water Movement
In the Water Movement class, children are taught skills that focus on buoyancy and movement in the water. They will also learn how to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water.
Qualifications
Student must be able to:
- Go under water & comfortably open eyes without goggles
- Float on front & back with minimal assistance
- Jump in the pool, submerge & return to the wall with assistance
Ages: 3 - 12yrs (offered for preschool & school age children)
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Stage 3: Water Stamina
In this class, children focus on swimming longer distances. In the event of falling into a body of water, children learn how to swim to safety.
Qualifications
Student must be able to:
- Float on front & back unassisted
- Push off the wall on stomach with face submerged for 10 feet unassisted
- Swim-Float-Swim 15 feet unassisted
- Jump into deep water and return to the wall unassisted
Ages: 3 - 12yrs (offered for preschool & school age children)
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After students have mastered fundamental water safety skills covered in Swim Starters and Swim Basics, students will learn advanced water safety skills and learn swim stroke techniques. Swimming independently can prevent chronic disease, increase social, emotional and cognitive well-being, and foster a lifetime of physical activity.
Stage 4: Stroke Introduction
Students in Stage 4 will learn stroke techniques like front crawl, back crawl. breaststroke kick, and butterfly kick. Students will learn more water safety skills including treading water and elementary backstroke.
Qualifications: None
Ages: 3 - 12 years (offered for preschool & school age children)
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Stage 5: Stroke Development
Students in Stage 5 work to improve stroke techniques and learn all major competitive strokes. Water safety skills remain important, students are tested on treading water and also learn the sidestroke.
Qualifications
Student must be able to:
- Go under water & comfortably open eyes without goggles
- Float on front & back with minimal assistance
- Jump in the pool, submerge & return to the wall with assistance
Ages: Preschool (Stage 4 only), School-age, Teen/Adult
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Stage 6: Stroke Mechanics
In Stage 6, students refine stroke techniques on all major competitive strokes, learn about competitive swimming and how to incorporate swimming into a healthy lifestyle.
Qualifications
Student must be able to:
- Float on front & back unassisted
- Push off the wall on stomach with face submerged for 10 feet unassisted
- Swim-Float-Swim 15 feet unassisted
- Jump into deep water and return to the wall unassisted
Ages: Preschool (Stage 4 only), School-age, Teen/Adult
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It’s never too late to learn how to swim! Our Teen & Adult swim lessons provide a place for adults and teens 13 years and older to learn how to swim in a friendly small-group setting. Teen/Adult swim lessons are for those individuals who wish to learn to swim or those who want to improve their technique and feel safe and secure in any body of water, whether it’s a pool, lake or the ocean.
Stage 1: Water Acclimation
In the beginner's class, students develop comfort with being underwater and learn how to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water.
Qualifications: None
Ages: 13+
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Stage 2: Water Movement
In the Water Movement class, students will learn skills focusing on buoyancy and movement in the water. They will also learn how to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water.
Qualifications
Student must be able to:
- Go under water & comfortably open eyes without goggles
- Float on front & back with minimal assistance
- Jump in the pool, submerge & return to the wall with assistance
Stage 3: Water Stamina
In this class, students focus on swimming and practicing water safety skills for long periods of time.
Qualifications
Student must be able to:
- Float on front & back unassisted
- Push off the wall on stomach with face submerged for 10 feet unassisted
- Swim-Float-Swim 15 feet unassisted
- Jump into deep water and return to the wall unassisted
Ages: 13+
Sign Up
Stage 4: Stroke Introduction
Students in Stage 4 will learn stroke techniques like front crawl, back crawl, breaststroke kick, and butterfly kick. Students will learn more water safety skills including treading water and elementary backstroke.
Qualifications: none
Ages: 13+
Sign Up
Stage 5: Stroke Development
Students in Stage 5 work to improve stroke techniques and learn all major competitive strokes. Water safety skills are reinforced and students are tested on treading water and also learn the sidestroke.
Qualifications
Student must be able to:
- Go under water & comfortably open eyes without goggles
- Float on front & back with minimal assistance
- Jump in the pool, submerge & return to the wall with assistance
Sign Up
Stage 6: Stroke Mechanics
In Stage 6, students refine stroke techniques on all major competitive strokes, learn about competitive swimming and how to incorporate swimming into a healthy lifestyle.
Qualifications
Student must be able to:
- Float on front & back unassisted
- Push off the wall on stomach with face submerged for 10 feet unassisted
- Swim-Float-Swim 15 feet unassisted
- Jump into deep water and return to the wall unassisted
Private and Semi-Private Swim Lessons are the perfect answer for participants who cannot make scheduled group lessons, or those wanting a little extra attention on specific skills. Private and Semi-Private swim lesson are scheduled for your convenience, and you can focus your lesson on what you want to learn.
For more information or to register for private or semi-private lessons, please contact the Aquatics Director at your preferred Tampa Y location. Within two business days, the Aquatics Director will contact you to discuss your availability and help find the best instructor for your needs.
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FAQ
Private swim lessons are scheduled for your convenience. We do not schedule private lessons during group swim lessons.
Private and semi-private swim lessons are available for participants ages 3 years and up.
Private lessons are one participant to one instructor.
Semi-Private lessons are small groups of two or three participants to one instructor. Semi-private lesson participants need to be close in swimming ability. The YMCA will not pair participants together for semi-private swim lessons.
All private and semi-private lessons are 30 minutes.
We require participants to notify us 24 hours in advance of the scheduled lesson. If the Aquatics office receives notification less than 24-hours prior to your lesson, the lesson will be subtracted from your package. If we receive notification within 24-hours or more, the Aquatics Director will reschedule the missed lesson(s) with you for a time that best works for your schedule. Participants can e-mail and/or call the Aquatics Department at the Y location where lessons were originally scheduled.
All lessons are scheduled in 30 minute increments. If a participant is running late for their private or semi-private lesson, the instructor will provide the lesson as scheduled for the remaining amount of time allotted. Depending on instructor availability and their private lesson schedule, instructors may not be available to extend a lesson.