Skill Levels

Beginner (A): love the water, but don’t know how to swim.

Beginner (B): uncomfortable in water, afraid of the water, or have a fear of drowning.

  • Hold breath and fully submerge face for 10 seconds
  • Clear nose of water
  • Walk 5 yards in chest-deep water, maintaining balance
  • Front float, while supported for 10 seconds
  • Unassisted front float for 10 seconds
  • Kick, while supported, on front & back
  • Unsupported front kick
  • Practice basic alternating arm action
  • Assisted back float for 10 seconds.
  • Float on back, unsupported, for 10 seconds
  • Submerge to retrieve object in chest-deep water
  • Perform flutter kick on front & back
  • Float on back while fining with hands
  • Practice elementary back arm action
  • Perform combined (kick & arms) stroke front, 5 yards
  • Perform deep-water front float and bob.

Advanced Beginner skills:

  • Retrieve an object from the bottom in chest-deep water
  • Perform front glide with push-off, 2 body lengths
  • Perform back glide with push-off, 2 body lengths
  • Turn over from front to back float
  • Do either front crawl or breast stroke, 10 yards
  • Do elementary backstroke, 10 yards
  • Jump into deep water from side of pool
  • Dive from the side of pool from kneeling and compact positions
  • Tread water for 30 seconds
  • Reverse direction while swimming on back
  • Coordinate arm stroke for front crawl while getting a breath to the front or side, 10 yards

You are able to front float, back float, swim front crawl, swim elementary backstroke, and tread water. You have yet to master rhythmic breathing on your front crawl.

Intermediate skills: Develop confidence and competency in strokes beyond preceding levels; introduce breaststroke and back-crawl.

  • Learn and practice rhythmic breathing
  • Practice deep water bobbing
  • Experiment with buoyancy and floating position
  • Demonstrate diving from poolside, from both stride and standing positions
  • Master treading water with a modified scissors, modified breaststroke and/or rotary kicks (2 minutes)
  • Demonstrate turning at the wall
  • Perform the following strokes 25 yards: front crawl with rhythmic breathing, back-crawl, and breaststroke.

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