Swim Lessons Levels

Flashes Aquatics offers four comprehensive course levels that teach a student how to swim skillfully and safely. The prerequisite for each level is the successful completion and/or demonstration of the skills from the preceding level, except for Level 1, which has no prerequisite.

Level 1: Introduction to Water Skills ages 3 & up

Purpose: Helps students develop positive attitudes, good swimming habits and safe practices around the water. Level 1 participants learn to:

• Enter and exit the water safely
• Blow bubbles through mouth and nose
• Bobbing
• Front and back glides and float with assistance
• Recover to a vertical position with assistance
• Roll from front to back and back to front with assistance
• Tread water using arm and hand actions
• Alternating and simultaneous arm and leg actions on front and back with assistance
• Combined arm and leg actions on front and back with assistance
• Learn how to stay safe, including recognizing an emergency and knowing how to call for help

Level 1 Exit Skills Assessment:

1. Enter unassisted, move 5 yards, bob 3 times then safely exit water; with assistance.
2. Glide on front 2 body lengths, roll to a back float for 3 seconds and recover to a vertical position with assistance.  

Level 2: Fundamental Aquatic Skills

Purpose: Give students success with fundamental skills. Learn to float and recover to a vertical position.   Level 2 participants learn to:

• Enter and exit the water by stepping or jumping from the side
• Fully submerge and hold breath
• Open eyes underwater and retrieve submerged objects
• Front, jellyfish and tuck floats
• Front Float – face down, starfish, horizontal to the instructor without assistance
• Jellyfish Float – face down, lazy starfish, blow out bubbles without assistance
• Tuck Float – face down-legs slightly tucked without assistance
• Front and back glides without assistance; using leg and arm action, both alternating and simultaneous
• Roll from front to back and back to front without assistance
• Change direction of travel while swimming on front or back without assistance
• Combined arm and leg actions on front and back without assistance
• Safety skills – recognizing an emergency, knowing how to call for help, using a life jacket, pool rules

Level 2 Exit Skills Assessment:  

1. Step from side into chest-deep water, move into a front float for 5 seconds, rollover to a back float for 5 seconds then return to a vertical position.   
2. Move into a back float for 5 seconds, roll to a front then recover to a vertical position.

Level 3: Stroke Development

Purpose: Builds on skills from Level 2 & develops strokes through additional guided practice in deeper water. Level 3 participants learn to:

• Jump into deep water from the side
• Dive from sitting and kneeling positions, in water at least 9 feet deep
• Bobbing
• Rotary breathing 
• Change from vertical to horizontal position on front and back
• Tread water
• Flutter, scissor, dolphin and breaststroke kicks on front
• Front crawl and elementary backstroke
• Learn to look carefully before entering the water
• Learn to perform simple non-swimming assists

Level 3 Exit Skills Assessment: 

1. Demonstrate competency in all required skills and activities, including in-water skills
2. Jump into chest-deep water from the side, swim front crawl for 15 yards w/ face in the water and rhythmic breathing pattern (to front or side), and maintain position by treading or floating for 30 seconds, back crawl for 15 yards.