PARENT & TOT

For infants aged 4 months – 3 years at the time of the course

Splish! Splash! Laugh! Water can be so much fun! The parent and child are in the water together for this class led by a certified instructor. Spend quality time together while you have fun, learning, moving in the water and socializing. Through structured in-water interaction between parent and child, we stress the importance of play in developing water positive attitudes and skills. We provide Lifesaving Society Water Smart^® tips on keeping your child safe in aquatic settings, and instructors provide guidance with answers to your questions. The activities, progressions, and skills are based on the child’s developmental age.

Register your child according to their age at the time of the lesson:

Recommended age: 4 months – 3 years

Parent and Tot 1 (4 – 12 months):  Learn to enjoy the water with the parent.

Parent and Tot 2 (1 – 2 years):  Learn to enjoy the water with the parent.

Parent and Tot 3 (2 – 3 years):  Learn to enjoy the water with the parent.

PRESCHOOL

For children aged 3 – 5 years at the time of the course

Give your child a head start on learning to swim. The Lifesaving Society Preschool program develops an appreciation and healthy respect for the water. Our aquatic progressions work to ensure 3 – 5 year olds become comfortable in the water and have fun acquiring and developing a foundation of water skills. We incorporate Lifesaving Society Water Smart^® education in all preschool levels.

Register your child according to their previous swimming level (see chart) or current swimming ability:

Recommended age: 3 – 5 years

Preschool 1: These preschoolers will have fun learning to get in and out of the water. They’ll have fun getting their face wet, blowing bubbles, jumping, floating, and gliding.

Preschool 2: These preschoolers learn to jump into chest deep water by themselves and get in and out while wearing a lifejacket. They’ll explore submerging and exhaling underwater. While wearing a lifejacket, they’ll glide on their front and back.

Preschool 3: These youngsters will try both jumping and a sideways entry into deep water while wearing a lifejacket. They’ll recover objects from the bottom in waist-deep water. They’ll work on kicking and gliding through the water on their front and back.

Preschool 4: Advanced preschoolers will learn to do solo jumps into deeper water and get out by themselves. They’ll do sideways entries and open their eyes underwater. They’ll master a short (5 m) swim on their front wearing a lifejacket and gliding and kicking on their side.

Preschool 5: These youngsters get more adventurous with a forward roll entry wearing a lifejacket and treading water for 10 sec. They’ll work on front and back crawl swims (5 m), interval training, and get a giggle out of trying the whip kick.

SWIMMER

For youth aged 6 – 15  years at the time of the course

 The Lifesaving Society’s Swimmer program teaches absolute beginners as well as swimmers who want to build on the basics with progressions. In-water practice develops solid swimming strokes and skills while we incorporate Lifesaving Society Water Smart^® education in every Swimmer level.

Register your child according to their previous swimming level (see chart) or current swimming ability:

Click here for help selecting the right level for your child

Recommended age: 6 –15 years

Swimmer 1: These beginners become comfortable jumping into water with and without a lifejacket. They’ll learn to open their eyes, exhale, and hold their breath underwater. They’ll work on floats, glides, and kicking through the water on their front and back.

Swimmer 2: These advanced beginners learn to jump into deeper water and to be comfortable falling sideways into the water wearing a lifejacket. They’ll be able to support themselves at the surface without an aid, learn whip kick, swim (10 m) on their front and back, and be introduced to flutter kick interval training (4 x 5 m).

Swimmer 3: These junior swimmers dive, do in-water front somersaults, and handstands. They’ll work on 15 m of front crawl, back crawl, and 10 m of whip kick. Flutter kick interval training increases to 4 x 15 m.

Swimmer 4: These intermediate swimmers swim underwater and lengths of front, back crawl, whip kick, and breaststroke arms with breathing. Their new bag of tricks includes the completion of the Canadian Swim to Survive^® standard. They’ll cap it all off with front crawl sprints (25 m) and front or back crawl interval training (4 x 25 m).

Swimmer 5: These swimmers master shallow dives, cannonball entries, eggbeater kicks, and in-water backward somersaults. They’ll refine their front and back crawl (50 m) swims and breaststroke (25 m). They’ll pick up the pace in 25 m sprints and two interval training bouts: 4 x 50 m front or back crawl, and 4 x 15 m breaststroke.

Swimmer 6: These advanced swimmers rise to the challenge of sophisticated aquatic skills including stride entries, compact jumps, and lifesaving kicks like eggbeater and scissor kick. They’ll develop strength and power in head-up breaststroke sprints (25 m). They’ll easily swim lengths of front crawl, back crawl, and breaststroke as well as the 300 m workout.

ROOKIE, RANGER, STAR

The Lifesaving Society’s 3-level Canadian Swim Patrol program provides enriched training for those who want to develop swim strokes and skills while having fun in the challenging world of lifesaving. Swim Patrol develops swimming strength and efficiency with emphasis on Water Smart^® behaviour. Skill drills enhance capability in the water, good physical conditioning, and lifesaving judgement.

Rookie: Swimmers continue stroke development with 50 m swims of front crawl, back crawl, and breaststroke. Lifesaving sport skills include a 25 m obstacle swim and 15 m object carry. First aid focuses on assessment of conscious victims, contacting EMS, and treatment for bleeding. Fitness improves to 350 m workouts and 100 m timed swims.

Ranger: Swimmers develop better strokes with 75 m swims of each stroke. They tackle lifesaving sport skills in a lifesaving medley, timed object support, and rescue with a buoyant aid. First aid focuses on assessment of unconscious victims, treatment of victims in shock, and obstructed airway procedures. Skill drills develop a strong lifesaving foundation.

Star: Swimmers are challenged with 600 m workouts, 300 m timed swims, and a 25 m object carry. Strokes are refined with 100 m swims. First aid focuses on treatment of bone or joint injuries and respiratory emergencies including asthma and allergic reactions. Lifesaving skills include defence methods, victim removals, and rolling a victim over while supporting their face out of the water.

​ADULT SWIM

Register according to your previous swimming level or current swimming ability:

Recommended age: 16+ years

Click here for help selecting the right level

Work with certified instructors to learn the basics and improve your current swimming ability. You’ll develop water confidence and smooth recognizable strokes. We incorporate Lifesaving Society Water Smart^® education in all adult levels.

Adult 1: Learn water confidence with the basics. Floats, glides, rhythmic breathing, and kicking. You’ll work towards a 10 – 15 m swim on your front and back. Explore different ways to get in and out of the pool and even recover an object from the bottom. Improve your fitness and your flutter kick with 4 x 9 – 12 m interval training.

Adult 2: Kick it up a notch and build skills and endurance to perform two different interval training workouts of 4 x 25 m kicking and front or back crawl. You’ll learn dive entries and breaststroke arms. Support yourself at the surface for 1 – 2 minutes and try a shallow water handstand.

Adult 3: Learn to master the eggbeater, stride entries, and a compact jump. A 300 m workout and 25 – 50 m sprints will get your heart pumping. Master front crawl, back crawl, and breaststroke. Whew! What a great class!