Questions & Answers

Q: How long will it take my son/daugter to become an accomplished swimmer?

A: Please do not expect your child or yourself to make equal and constant progress with every lesson. Learning to swim is not the easiest of accomplishments for all people. The breathing technique, in particular, can be especially difficult and may take several lessons before the pupil can master it. It is common for pupils, especially children, to appear to make no progress at all at some stage. In fact, they may even regress for several lessons. Please be patient, it will not be for want of trying by the teachers and they understand it is part of the learning process. Parents should try not to convey anxiety over this to their child. We teach them all to swim! Some make rapid progress, some take longer! Your enthusiasm and support for their effort is vital.


Q: Now my son/daughter can swim. Can I assume they are safe around the pool on holiday/at the beach in the summer?

A: 'The ability to swim will not, in itself, prevent tragic accidents from occurring in and around water. Young children need to be introduced to all aspects of water safety from an early age to enable them to enjoy the pleasures which water can bring, but with sufficient knowledge to ensure their safety.
Please, never leave your child unattended around water.


Q: I wear glasses/contacts. Can I wear them in the swimming pool?

A: When possible, glasses need to be removed when entering the pool to avoid damage to the glasses. Contacts may be worn with goggles.

Q: Is chlorinated water damaging to hair?

A: It is advisable to shampoo and condition hair after leaving the pool. Hair becomes dry and brittle from prolonged exposure to pool water. Also, hair that has been artificially lightened may have a tendency to take on a slight greenish highlight when exposed to pool water for many hours over many weeks. In such cases, you may want to use a bathing cap. Ask your salon about a conditioner that is mild enough to keep in your hair for several hours at a time, covered with a bathing cap. This will help prevent your hair from absorbing chemically treated pool water.

Q: When I open my eyes underwater everything is blurry and the chlorine burns my eyes. Is there any way that I can solve this problem?

A: Based on the normal standard of 20/20, vision underwater is 20/400 without the aid of goggles or a mask. Most states consider persons with 20/200 vision to be legally blind. The use of goggles will restore normal vision while underwater. They also protect the eyes from the irritating effects of chlorinated water. You will be loaned a pair of custom fit goggles at the beginning of your first program.

Q: I've heard about a condition called "swimmer's ear." Can you tell me more about it?

A: Swimmer's ear is a very painful inflammation of the outer ear canal. If water remains in the ear canal for many hours, conditions become conducive for the growth of bacteria. It is not a common occurrence, however. Students should be sure that the ear canal is free of water after leaving the pool. Commercially prepared solutions like SWIM SEAL is available at most pharmacies as a non-prescription remedy and may be needed for those who find that their ears do not readily drain. If you cannot remove all of the water from your ear this can often be a symptom of wax buildup in the outer ear canal.

Q: Is it OK to eat before going swimming?

A: One should eat lightly before any physical activity simply for comfort. There is no such thing as a stomach cramp in the pool after eating.

Q: How come some people can float so much better than I can?

A: With few exceptions, everyone floats, however most people think they are the exception and 99% are not. The degree of buoyancy is dependent upon several factors: the ratio of fatty to muscle tissue, the amount of bone mass and lung capacity. Generally speaking, the elderly, women, and persons who are not physically fit have a tendency to float better because they have a higher fat to muscle tissue ratio even if they are very slim. Also, fully inflated lungs will enhance buoyancy tremendously.

Q: When are you allowed into the water?

A: Pupils should enter the pool only when instructed to do so by the teacher.

Q: How must you enter the water?

A: Safely and slowly down the steps or sit and swivel into the pool.

Q: Are you allowed to run around the poolside?

A: No.

Q: Are you allowed to throw the swimming aids?

A: No.

Q: Are you allowed to bit or chew the swimming aids?

A: No.

Q: Are you allowed to relieve yourself in the pool?

A: No.

Q: Are you allowed to push people into the pool?

A: No.

Q: Are you allowed to eat sweets when you are in the water?

A: No.

Q: Why should you walk and not run on the poolside?

A: Running is dangerous on the poolside as it may be slippery and is likely to result in a person slipping and falling which may cause injury.

Q: When would you go to the toilet?

A: Pupils should go to the toilet prior to the lesson and ask to leave the pool to go to the toilet if necessary.

Q: If you have long hair what should you do with it before going into the pool?

A: Long hair should be covered by a swimming cap or tied back.

Q: What are you not allowed to do at the swimming pool?

A: Pupils should not:
  • Eat chewing gum or sweets in the water.
  • Run on the poolside.
  • Enter the water until instructed.
  • Leave a class without telling anyone.
  • Dive, unless under instruction or unless this is allowed at the pool in a designated area.
  • Engage in dangerous pursuits such as ‘bombing’, pushing others into the pool, ducking others under the water.
  • Any other activity which is dangerous or frightening to others.

Q: What rules are there for using the swimming pool?

A: Rules for using a swimming pool include:
  • Storing outer clothing in a safe, dry place.
  • Blow the nose; go to the toilet prior to entering the water.
  • Obey any printed notices.
  • Obey any instructions from a teacher or lifeguard.
  • Enter and leave the pool when instructed.
  • Do not engage in any dangerous practices.

Q: What is submersion?

A: Quite simply, submersion is going under water. We believe it is a "base skill," meaning that other skills are dependent on it. We begin submersion at 6 months.

Q: Why don't you use floaties or float belts?

A: In an emergency, children need to know how to handle themselves. Because we are concerned about their safety, we do not use flotation devices until children are at a stage where the device acts as an aid to a specific skill. We have seen tremendous dependency develop in beginners who wear flotation devices. Their source of confidence is the device, not their own abilities.

Q: Do you teach competitive swim strokes?

A: Absolutely! Most of our instructors have been competitive swimmers at some level.

Q: Do you teach adults?

A: Yes we do! Learning to swim as an adult takes patience, determination and courage, but is well worth the effort. We love working with adults, although it does usually take a bit longer for them to learn to swim than young children.

Q: Why do you teach children to roll-over?

A: We teach children to "roll-over" from tummy to back as early as mom-n-me. The reason why is that it is the safest position to learn to be in - you can breath on your back! An infant, toddler, or young child trained to roll over has a higher chance of survival should they accidentally fall in water or be unable to reach an exit. *Note: nothing is more important than adult supervision in and around water until the child can swim on their own. No child is "drown proof."

Q: Can a 2 or 3 year really learn to swim?

A: A young child can learn to propel themselves through the water. A 2 or 3 year old can learn to get a breath, roll on their back and use their arms under water. Until a child is close to four they will usually not look like freestylers or backstrokers unless receiving regular training. (Many children at 3 1/2 could swim freestyle, backstroke and elementary back because they continued in instruction combined with lots of fun time at the pool with family.

Q: How long are the lessons and sessions?

A: Our lessons are 30 minutes long for all but the adults. The sessions are running with the school year. See Events for more detail.