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:
- Enter unassisted, move 5 yards, bob 3 times then safely exit water; with assistance.
- 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:
- 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.
- 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:
- Demonstrate competency in all required skills and activities, including in-water skills
- 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.
Level 4: Stroke Improvement
Purpose: Develops confidence and strength to improve skills learned and introduces new aquatic skills. Level 4 participants learn to:
- Diving entry from the side in compact and stride positions, in at least 9 feet of water
- Swim underwater
- Perform feet first surface dive
- Survival swimming
- Tread water using 2 different kicks
- Front crawl and backstroke open turns
- Perform the following: front crawl and elementary backstroke 25 yards, breaststroke & back crawl 15 yards, Butterfly and side sidestroke
- Flutter and dolphin kicks on back
- Use safe diving rules, water safety rules, perform throwing assist
Level 4 Exit Skills Assessment:
- Perform a feet-first entry into chest-deep water, swim front crawl for 25 yards, change direction maintain position on back 1 minute in deep water (float or sculling) and swim elementary backstroke for 15 yards.
- Swim breaststroke for 15 yards, change direction and swim back crawl for 15 yards.