Learn to Swim

Introduction to Water Skills - Helps participants feel comfortable in the water.

Course Pre-Requisite: Must meet age requirements. No swim skills necessary.

• Enter water using ramp, steps or side
• Exit water using ladder, steps or side
• Blow bubbles through mouth and nose
• Bobbing
• Open eyes underwater and retrieve submerged objects
• Front and back glides and recover to a vertical position
• Back float
• Roll from front to back and back to front
• Tread water using arm and hand actions
• Alternating and simultaneous arm and leg actions on front
• Alternating and simultaneous arm and leg actions on back
• Combined arm and leg actions on front and back
• Plus age-appropriate water safety topics

Exit Skills Requirements: Must demonstrate competency completing the following skills with the assistance of an instructor:

1. Enter the water independently, travel at least 5 yards, bob 3 times under water, and safely exit the water.
2. Glide on the front for at least 2 body lengths, roll to a back float for 3 seconds, and recovers to a vertical position.

Fundamental Aquatic Skills - Gives participants success with fundamental skills.    

Course Pre-Requisite: Must meet age requirements and pass level 1 exit skills test.

• Enter water by stepping or jumping from the side    
• Exit water using ladder, steps or side
• Fully submerge and hold breath    
• Bobbing
• Open eyes underwater and retrieve submerged objects
• Rotary breathing    
• Front, jellyfish and tuck floats
• Back glide and recover to a vertical position 
• Front glide and recover to vertical position    
• Roll from front to back and back to front    
• Tread water using arm and leg actions    
• Change direction of travel while swimming on front or back
• Combined arm and leg actions on front and back        
• Finning arm action
• Plus age-appropriate water safety topics

Exit Skills Requirements: Must demonstrate competency to complete the following skills without assistance from an instructor. Students exiting level 2 for level 3 must effectively pass exit skills testing, swim independently, and demonstrate the muscular endurance & maturity necessary to begin stroke development.

1. Step from side into chest deep water, move into a front float for 5 seconds, roll to back, float for 5 seconds then return to a vertical position.
2. Move into a back float for 5 seconds, roll to front then recover to vertical position.
3. Push off and swim using combined arm and leg action on the front for 5 body lengths, roll to back, float for 15 seconds, roll to the front then continue swimming for 5 body lengths.

Stroke Development  - Builds on the skills in Level 2 through additional guided practice in deeper water.    

Course Pre-Requisite: Must meet age requirements, successfully pass level 2 exit skills tests, swim independently, and demonstrate the muscular endurance & maturity necessary to begin stroke development.

• Enter water by jumping from the side, fully submerge then recover to the surface and return to the side    
• Headfirst entries from the side in sitting and kneeling positions    
• Bobbing while moving toward safety
• Rotary breathing    
• Back float    
• Survival float        
• Change from vertical to horizontal position on front and back
• Tread water    
• Flutter and dolphin kicks on front        
• Scissors and breaststroke kicks    
• Front crawl and elementary backstroke
• Plus age-appropriate water safety topics

Exit Skills Requirements:

1. Jump into deep water from the side, swim front crawl for 15 yards, maintain position by treading or floating for 30 seconds and swim elementary backstroke for 15 yards.

Stroke Improvement  - Develops confidence in the skills learned and improves other aquatic skills.    

Course Pre-Requisite: Must meet age requirements and successfully pass level 3 stroke performance exit skills tests.

• Headfirst entries from the side in compact and stride positions
• Swim underwater
• Feet first surface dive
• Survival swimming        
• Open turns on front and back        
• Tread water using 2 different kicks            
• Front and back crawl, elementary backstroke, breaststroke, sidestroke and butterfly    
• Flutter and dolphin kicks on back        
• Plus age-appropriate water safety topics

Exit Skills Requirements:

1. Perform a feet first entry into deep water, swim front crawl for 25 yards, change direction and position as necessary and swim elementary backstroke for 25 yards.
2. Swim breast stroke for 15 yards, change position and direction as necessary and swim back crawl for 15 yards.

Stroke Refinement  - Provides further coordination and refinement of strokes.        

Course Pre-Requisite: Must meet age requirements and successfully pass level 4 stroke performance exit skills tests.

• Shallow-angle dive from the side then glide and begin a front stroke
• Tuck and pike surface dives, submerge completely    
• Front flip turn and backstroke flip turn while swimming
• Front and back crawl, elementary backstroke, breaststroke, sidestroke and butterfly            
• Sculling       
• Plus age-appropriate water safety topics

Exit Skills Requirements:

1. Perform shallow angle dive into deep water, swim front crawl for 50 yards, change direction and position as necessary and swim elementary backstroke for 50 yards.
2. Swim breast stroke for 25 yards, change direction and position as necessary and swim back crawl for 25 yards.

During class, divers learn beginner diving techniques, including diving stretches, a progression of feet first and headfirst entries from the wall and diving board, and how to be safe while diving. Basic skills developed in this class include straight jumps and dives, tuck jumps and dives, and pike jumps and dives from the wall and diving board. Classes progress at the pace of each diver based on readiness and desire, and some divers might not be ready to progress to certain skills.

Additional skills taught include a basic hurdle approach, proper hand placement, and diving board safety. If a diver demonstrates proficiency in the basic skills, intermediate skills such as flips, and back dives may be introduced. The ultimate goal of every class is to be safe, have fun, and progress and hone each student's diving skills. Ideally each diver learns at their own pace and falls in love with diving, taking their skills to our partners, the Napoleon Dive Club to grow further

For those who graduate from our Basic Diving Class or who already have diving experience and are looking for more advances lessons, please contact the Napoleon Dive Club at mretche@bgsu.edu.