Creating Confident Swimmers
Knowing how to swim is a life-saving skill for every individual, especially in Tampa Bay. Learning water safety skills makes pools, rivers and beaches more fun than frightening. The Tampa Y offers swim lessons for all ages and everyone from babies to seniors have learned how to be safe and confident around bodies of water.
Swim lesson students will build foundational skills, achieve curriculum benchmarks, and encounter new challenges to encourage their improvement as they progress through the YMCA swim lessons program.
Find the Best Swim Lessons Class by Age Group
Take the Swim Skills Quiz!
Swim lessons are available at all Tampa Y family centers, and by vary season and location. Please check out other YMCAs if registration is not available at your first choice.
Question 1
How old is your child?
Question 2
Question 3
Question 4
Question 5
Question 6
Select a YMCA to sign up, or Register Now to view all available locations for the recommended class.
6 - 17 months
Water Discovery & Exploration (Parent & Child)
Accompanied by a parent, infants and toddlers learn to be comfortable in the water and develop swim readingess skills through fun and confidence-building experiences, while parents learn about water safety, drowning prevention and the importance of supervision. Parents will work with their children to explore body positions, floating, blowing bubbles and fundamental safety and aquatic skills.
Cost per Session: $60/members; $100/non-members
Skills:
- Breath control: blow bubbles
- Swim on front: front tow, front float
- Swim on Back: back float, back tow
- Water Safety: roll, wall grab, monkey crawl
- Benchmark: water exit, water entry
18-36 months
Water Discovery & Exploration (Parent & Child)
If your child falls into this age group, but has already mastered these skills, we recommend private swim lessons to continue advancing their swim skills until they are old enough for our school-age lessons.
What to Expect
On the first day, the parent and child will meet the on-deck supervisor on the pool deck to check-in. All class participants will meet their swim instructor before the class begins. Each Water Discovery & Exploration class is 30 minutes. Class ratio is 1:12 (pairs).
Register TODAY Click "Register" for your preferred location. If your preference isn't available, please choose another location.
Sign up for Water Discovery & Exploration (Parent & Child)
| Location | Water Discovery & Exploration |
|---|---|
| Bob Sierra | (Sign up for Bob Sierra YMCA Youth & Family Center) |
| Bob Sierra Youth & Family Center |
Register |
| Central City | Register |
| Campo | Register |
| East Pasco | Register |
| New Tampa | Register |
| North Brandon | Register |
| Northwest Hillsborough | Register |
| Plant City | Register |
| South Tampa | Register |
| Spurlino | Register |
| YMCA Camp Cristina* | Register* |
Preschool Swim (ages 3 - 5)
Children enrolled in Preschool Swim lessons will build confidence in the water as they become more comfortable being in the pool without a parent.
Beginner swimmers focus on: developing comfort going underwater, self-rescue skills, body position/control, changing directions and forward movement.
Intermediate school-age swimmers focus: on performing the skills listed above at longer distances, learning side breathing and integrated arm/leg action.
Advanced swimmers will learn and practice stroke techniques for front crawl, back crawl, elementary backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly at progressively longer distances. Swimmers will also build their endurance and treading water.
Cost per Session: $70/members; $120/non-members
What to Expect
On the first day of lessons, participants will meet on the pool deck, check in with the on-deck supervisor and meet their swim instructor. Lessons vary from 30 to 45 minutes based on session length (number of weeks). Parents will receive an end-of-session report card on the last day of lessons. Class Ratio: 1:5.
Register TODAY Click "Register" for your preferred location. If your preference isn't available, please choose another location.
| Location | Beginner Lessons |
Intermediate Lessons | Advanced Lessons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Sierra | Register | Register | - |
| Bob Sierra Youth & Family Center |
Register | Register | - |
| Central City | Register | Register | - |
| Campo | Register | Register | - |
| East Pasco | Register | Register | - |
| New Tampa | Register | Register | Register |
| North Brandon | Register | Register | - |
| Northwest Hillsborough | Register | Register | - |
| Plant City | Register | - | - |
| South Tampa | Register | Register | - |
| Spurlino | Register | Register | Register |
| YMCA Camp Cristina* | Register | Register* | - |
School Age (ages 6 - 12)
The School Age swim lesson program is for children ages six to 12 years and designed for children to learn beginner skills, and build on established skills with new challenges.
Beginner swimmers focus on developing comfort going underwater, self-rescue skills, body position/control, changing directions and forward movement.
Intermediate school-age swimmers focus on performing the skills listed above at longer distances, learn side breathing and integrated arm/leg action.
More advanced swimmers will learn and practice stroke techniques for front crawl, back crawl, elementary backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly at progressively longer distances. Swimmers will also build their endurance and treading water.
Cost per Session: $70/members; $120/non-members
What to Expect
For all swim lesson sessions, swimmers will be placed into classes based on like abilities. On the first day of lessons, participants will meet on the pool deck, check in with the on-deck supervisor and meet their swim instructor. Parents will receive an end-of-session report card on the last day of lessons. Class ratio is 1:7.
Register TODAY Click "Register" for your preferred location. If your preference isn't available, please choose another location.
School Age (ages 6 -12) Swim Lessons
| Location | Beginner Lessons |
Intermediate |
Advanced Lessons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Sierra | Register | Register | Register |
| Bob Sierra Youth & Family Center |
Register | Register | Register |
| Central City | Register | Register | Register |
| Campo | Register | Register | Register |
| East Pasco | Register | Register | Register |
| New Tampa | Register | Register | Register |
| North Brandon | Register | Register | Register |
| Northwest Hillsborough | Register | Register | - |
| Plant City | Register | Register | - |
| South Tampa | Register | Register | Register |
| Spurlino | Register | Register | Register |
| YMCA Camp Cristina* | Register* | Register* | - |
Teen/Adult (ages 13+)
Swim lessons for teens and adults begin at age 13, and the lessons will be tailored based on the individual’s ability at the time of the first lesson. Participants may have little to no swimming skills, a fear of water or may be looking to improve their stroke technique. Swim lessons are progressive and build on skills learned throughout the session.
Cost per Session: $70/members; $120/non-members
What to Expect
For all swim lesson sessions, swimmers will be placed into classes based on like abilities. On the first day of lessons, participants will meet on the pool deck, check in with the on-deck supervisor and meet their swim instructor. Participants will receive an end-of-session report card on the last day of lessons. Class ratio is 1:8.
Register TODAY Click "Register" for your preferred location. If your preference isn't available, please choose another location.
Sign up for Teen/Adult Swim Lessons (ages 13+)
| Location | Teen & Adult Swim Lessons |
|---|---|
| Bob Sierra | Register |
| Bob Sierra Youth & Family Center |
Register |
| Central City | Register |
| Campo | - |
| East Pasco | Register |
| New Tampa | Register |
| North Brandon | Register |
| Northwest Hillsborough | Register |
| Plant City | - |
| South Tampa | - |
| Spurlino | Register |
| YMCA Camp Cristina* | - |
Private & Semi Private Swim Lessons
Private lessons are available for swimmers ages 18-months and up who want one-on-one learning with a certified swim lesson instructor. Lessons will be tailored to each participant's abilities and goals. Packages vary by location and are typically offered as 1 lesson, 3 lessons or more.
Semi-Private lessons are available for participants ages three and above and take place in groups of two to three people who want to take private lessons together. These small group lessons are perfect for families, siblings and/or friends. Each participant is required to purchase a package of lessons.
Register for Private Swim Lessons
Click the YMCA name below to register for private swim lessons.
- Bob Sierra (Carrollwood)
- Campo (Valrico)
- Central City (Tampa Heights)
- East Pasco (Zephyrhills)
- New Tampa
- North Brandon (Seffner)
- Northwest (Town 'N' Country)
- Plant City
- South Tampa
- Spurlino (Gibsonton/Riverview)
- *YMCA Camp Cristina (Riverview)
After registering for private or semi-private swim lessons online, the Aquatics Director or a staff member will be in touch to discuss availability, schedule preferences and connect the participant(s) with an instructor.
*YMCA Camp Cristina Aquatics will be closed November 25, 2023 through February 12, 2024. Swim lessons and other aquatics programs are set to reconvene in mid-February.
Learn to Swim at the Y
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