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Learn to Swim and Dive

Jun 05
0

The benefits of winter swimming lessons

By | General, Learn to Swim and Dive | No Comments

Winter is coming! The swimming pool, swimming lessons. Really? No, that’s a summer thing. Now it’s time to hibernate: go home, turn on the heater, close the curtains, cook hearty meals, watch football on TV. That will see the family through to the warmer months. Kids can start swimming again then.

Sound familiar? Indeed, parents often pause kids’ swimming lessons over the winter months. But for the health, wellbeing and ongoing safety, is this the best approach? There are a number of reasons suggesting it’s not.

Water safety in summer starts in winter!

Safety is the most important reason parents enrol their kids in learn to swim programs but sadly Royal Life Saving Australia reports that the number of fatal drownings increased last year with the summer of 2024-25 one of the most deadly on record. The beach, pool, and inland waterways are a huge part of the activities enjoyed by kids and families in summer but many, simply, are not prepared, either in terms of safety knowledge or swimming skill.

The minimum level of swimming skill recommended for a Grade 6 student is to be able to confidently swim 50m of freestyle and tread water for 2 minutes. This is a minimum level and does not guarantee safety in an uncontrolled water environment. 48% of Australian Grade 6 children don’t even meet this standard (1).

As a water safety initiative, Royal Life Saving Australia is encouraging parents to enrol their children in swimming lessons during winter to prepare for summer.

Additionally, Royal Life Saving Australia notes that accidents happen in water all year round with 34% of drownings occurring in the autumn and winter seasons.  This reinforces the importance of children understanding how to handle emergencies and stay confident in the water during every season of the year.

It’s in the maths

Aisha and Billy are in Grade 2 and have basic water skills, putting their head under water and more-or-less floating on their back with some confidence. Aisha swims all year round and it takes her two years to progress from basic skills to confidently swimming 50m of freestyle. Billie, however, does not swim during the winter months. In his time away from lessons, Billie regresses: kids forget skills and muscle memory has not been established. Things need to be relearnt when he restarts lessons. Other kids with regular lessons are progressing faster. Billie loses some confidence and motivation: it’s harder and harder to get him to lessons. What might have been two years to achieve a minimum level of competence now starts to look more like four, if Billie is to continue at all. Billie faces the increasingly real possibility that he may end up one of 48% of Grade 6 students that doesn’t meet the minimum swimming safety level.

Aisha, meanwhile, is very much looking forward to school swimming sports.

Scrutinising the maths

Swimming competence – and confidence – takes time and commitment. How long will vary from kid to kid but one thing is for sure, it is a skill learnt in years not months. Pamela, a Surrey Park Swimming lead instructor, says, “Children’s skills regress if they take time off. Even during the two week school holidays they’ll come back and it takes them a few weeks to get their skills back to where they were towards the end of the term.” Taking six months off over winter can set skills back significantly, with each of the following a valid consideration:

  • Repetition is fundamental for long-term skill retention in children. Repetition and practice are key.
  • In younger swimmers, muscle memory, a key to developing as a swimmer, has not had the opportunity to ‘fix in’ making swimming technique more automatic.
  • Kids, quite simply, forget stuff. This relates to instruction given by the swim teacher and also to what may be crucial water safety information.
  • By continuing to swim through winter, kids have the opportunity to continue to develop and build on the skills and safety understanding that they had been working on previously.

Immunity and fitness

Swimming all year round helps kids stay active, fit, and healthy with benefits to both general physical and mental health. La Trobe University research indicates children who engage in swimming year-round tend to have stronger immune systems and are less susceptible to illness(2). This is very much contrary to the old myth that children will get sick swimming during the colder months, an idea directly addressed, and dispelled, by research (3).

Consistent swimming makes you smarter

The world’s most comprehensive study into the impact of early years swimming, conducted by Griffith University and involving 10,000 children (4), concluded that children in swimming schools appear to be more advanced in terms of their development. Lead researcher Professor Robyn Jorgensen noted, “While we expected the children to show better physical development and perhaps be more confident through swimming, the results in literacy and numeracy really shocked us. The children were anywhere from six to 15 months ahead of the normal population when it came to cognitive skills, problem solving in mathematics, counting, language and following instructions” (4).

And the logistics?

Rolling swimming lessons through from the warmer months straight on into the winter months helps provide kids with consistency of teachers, consistent routine and regular time slots, and allows kids the opportunity to start building swimming friendships with fellow classmates.

A couple of winter tips

The pool environments at Surrey Park Swimming Learn to Swim facilities are warm throughout the year. However, for the walk to, or from, the car, we strongly recommend making sure kids are dressed warmly (not in a wet towel) before and after lessons, with proper footwear and potentially a beanie, keeping feet and head warm. And while all our pools at Surrey Park Swimming are heated, if there is time, a hot shower afterwards will always warm kids up quickly.

 

References

  1. https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/32192/RLS_SwimWaterSafety_NatBenchmarks-Assessment.pdf
  2. https://www.latrobe.edu.au/news/announcements/2024/five-reasons-to-keep-your-kids-swimming-during-winter
  3. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277925217_Swimming_through_winter_necessary_for_children’s_health_and_development_expert_commentary
  4. https://news.griffith.edu.au/2013/08/13/swimming-a-smart-move-for-children/
May 12
0

Drowning rates on the rise – Why swimming lessons are important for our migrant communities?

By | Club Squad Swimming, General, Learn to Swim and Dive | No Comments

“I feel it’s because Australia is an island. We’re so blessed here,” says Houra Lavassani from the Migrant Information Centre. “The beach, going to a river or a lake. It’s a fun thing to do, a lifestyle. It’s a part of Australian culture.”

For many of Australia’s migrant population, however, a swimming culture may be a culture that is quite unfamiliar.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics most recent population data indicates that 30.7% (more than 8 million) of Australia’s population was born outside the country (1). Their nations of birth may have been land locked, swimming lessons and swimming pools may have been inaccessible or accessible only to the wealthy, and swimming skills and water safety may not have been considered institutional or parental priorities.

“For many, the beach or the pool wasn’t part of daily life the way it is here,” says Nesma Said, originally from Egypt and the mother of two Surrey Park Swimming squad members. She continues, “From what I’ve seen in the Egyptian community and among other Muslim or multicultural families, swimming ability can be quite limited, especially for the parents. In Egypt, unless families were middle to upper class and living near coastal areas or having access to social and sport clubs, swimming wasn’t necessarily a priority or widely taught in schools.”

Confirming Nesma’s observation, research conducted for the Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030 classifies 41% of overseas-born Australian residents as poor swimmers (2). This, tragically, translates into migrant communities being disproportionately represented in fatal drowning statistics, with the Water Safety Strategy identifying multicultural communities as a key area upon which to focus in order to reduce national drowning numbers. The Strategy notes that the primary risk factors in multicultural communities are 1: a lack of swimming ability, water safety knowledge and experience and 2: low levels of awareness and perception of risk.

After the drowning of two Nepali men in 2024, Mr Anil Pokhrel from the Non-Resident Nepali Association, speaking to the Guardian newspaper, said, “A lot of people who come here, they are not aware of ocean culture, they don’t understand the dangers, they don’t know about reefs, tides or waves” (3).

In this context, Nesma observes that in Australia, swimming is much more than just a sport. “It is a critical safety skill,” she says, “With beaches, rivers, and pools being such a big part of life here, not knowing how to swim puts people at real risk.”

This risk to migrant families is at its highest in their first years in Australia. Ms Stacey Pidgeon, manager of research and policy at Royal Life Saving, Australia noted on the ABC,  “Some of our research has shown, particularly for adults, it (learning to swim) is not a priority … particularly in those first five years when employment and education and finding a house are the priority” (4).

Nonetheless, understandably when the heat of summer sets in, migrant populations join the broader Australian population flocking to beaches, pools, lakes, and rivers. Learning swimming skills is crucial to enjoying these often remarkably beautiful water environments safely.

But learning to swim is not solely about safety. Selena (originally from India), Joy (from China), and Sarah (from Korea) have all been participants in Surrey Park Swimming’s Adult Learn to Swim Program for about a year. For Selena, it used to upset her that she did not have the confidence to join her children in the swimming pool when they would call out to her to come and play with them. Similarly, Joy was very scared of waves at the beach and would not go in with her family. Learning to swim has allowed them to engage with their children in summer water pursuits. And Sarah, whose daughter is a Surrey Park squad swimmer, takes pride in sharing swimming lesson stories with her family at the dinner table.

Pride, a sense of achievement, and overcoming fears are fundamental to the stories of each of these adult, migrant, learn to swim students. Selena sees this as something that can inspire her own children. She says, “I want to encourage my children to say, ‘Oh, see, Mum is scared of water but she is still learning swimming. She didn’t give up.’ It’s like I don’t want them to give up on things in their own lives.”

Houra from the Migrant Information Centre emphasizes further benefits for migrants to Australia. “It is a really, really good thing,” she says, “Not just because they learn a new skill, but because they make new connections with their community, make friendships in the community and also integration in the Australian community.” Nesma agrees, “Beyond safety, swimming is also a great way for families to integrate, connect socially, and feel included in Australian culture. It’s also something that promotes health and confidence, especially for young people.”

Good health, confidence, learning new skills, meeting people, facilitating integration, each and every one of these is so important in transitioning into a new environment, a new country and a new culture. And these, of course, are benefits of learning to swim in addition to the obvious: safety in the water for yourself and your family on those hot summer days.

Surrey Park Swimming has a comprehensive learn to swim program for adults. In addition to this, a portion of lesson fees from our Learn to Swim Programs go towards our Community Access Program for Swimming that provides free or subsidised lessons to refugee communities in our local area. These classes teach swimming skills and water safety. Surrey Park Swimming respects and understands the cultural and linguistic barriers that learning to swim may present to multicultural participants.

 

References:

  1. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/australias-population-country-birth/latest-release
  2. https://www.watersafety.com.au/australian-water-safety-strategy/
  3. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/jun/15/life-saving-lessons-multicultural-leaders-urge-education-in-second-language-of-water-safety-after-latest-drownings
  4. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-20/migrant-swim-safety-lessons-drowning-prevention/104234018
Jan 23
0

Why Surrey Park Swimming for Term 1 2025?

By | Learn to Swim and Dive | No Comments

Term 1 2025 lessons commence on Tuesday 28th of January 2025!

Now is the best time to start your swimming lesson journey. Whether your an adult who is looking to start, refine, or consolidate your swimming skills, or a parent looking to start your baby’s first swimming lessons!

Why Surrey Park Swimming?

  • We have been established since 1904. We have decades of practise and have extremely experienced teams coordinating, running, and managing our learn to swim programs
  • You and your children will be in safe hands, and guided through our progressive program to meet your swimming goals
  • We are a not for profit and focus on giving back to our community. Portions of swimming lesson fees are donated into the Surrey Park Swimming Community Access Program for Swimming (CAPS) which provide free water safety talks to kindergartens and primary schools in our local community, and provide subsidised lessons for those experiencing financial hardship.
  • Surrey Park Swimming Blackburn and Learn to Swim Victoria Heidelberg have mineral salt water pools, which is like swimming in a day spa! One of only a few pools in Victoria with this beneficial water. Our water will be gentle on you and your child’s skin and makes it possible for kids with sensitive skin to participate in swimming lessons. Find out more about the benefits of mineral salt water here.
  • We focus on technique to ensure your stroke is efficient, clean, and effective.
  • Water safety will be a vital part of your swimming education. Students graduating Level 8 work towards achieving the Victorian Water Safety Certificate. Surrey Park Swimming has one of the highest achievement rates for this certificate created by the Victorian government as an initiative for primary school kids.
  • Students have clear pathways to our Club Squads to continue their swimming journey. Surrey Park Swimming is currently the number 3 swimming club in Victoria!

In term 1 2025 our CAPS funding is supporting to cover the gap between swimming lessons and the “Get Active Kids” vouchers. 

Book in lessons today. We run 7 days a week, have excellent customer satisfaction rates, and ensure every student progresses.

Dec 20
0

When should your child start swimming?

By | Learn to Swim and Dive | No Comments

When should your child start swimming lessons?

Swimming is an important life skill and survival skill and the earlier you start developing that skill the better! It’s a fantastic, fun and social activity that is great to maintain throughout their childhood and helps develop water safety skills. Swimming develops lifelong exercise practises that will benefit your child for their whole life.

The best time to start introducing your child to lessons in a pool is at 6 months of age through baby and toddler lessons. At this age, it’s essential that guardians are in the pool with their child. From 3 to 4 years of age, children can start formal classes in the pool on their own under guardian supervision. At this age, kids have the patience and concentration to listen to a teacher without parental assistance. However, if you are reading this as an adult caring for a 10 year old who has never completed formal lessons, don’t fret, it is never too late to learn to swim! Check out our teen swimming lessons for information on starting for kids 10 years+.

toddler smiling and running along mat in swimming lesson to parent's arms

Why are swim lessons important for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers?

Swimming Lessons are the most important activity for babies and toddlers. As your baby is learning to interact with the world around them, introducing water skills is a natural step, helping with mobility and muscle strength as they grow. Once your baby reaches 6 months old, it’s a great time to introduce them to formal baby swim lessons. At this age they are learning to grasp, grip and pull their bodies up, so learning to exit the water is another useful skill to add during this developmental stage. Formal parent and baby lessons give you and your child the opportunity to build confidence in the water and ensure you both learn the water survival skills you need to safely enjoy playing in water. Encouraging safe and fun water play in these lessons is also a fantastic way to bond with your child!

Lessons at a young age help to build knowledge through gradual learning, so these critical life skills stick with your child for life. As they progress through their swimming journey, you and your child will:

  • Learn valuable water safety knowledge and survival skills
  • Know that your child knows how to be safe in water
  • Learn skills that can help prevent drowning
  • Learn floating, rolling, paddling, and breathing control

How to start learning to swim at home?

Getting your child comfortable and confident in the water doesn’t have to wait until formal swim lessons. You can start at home from day one by doing gentle cup pour exercises with your baby. This is a great way to get your baby used to the water.

Start with 1 second cup pours over the face. Then, as they get more comfortable with that sensation, progress to 5 second water pours.

Here are some tips to remember when doing gentle cup pours at home:

  • Start pouring at the crown of the head
  • Encourage breathing out birthday candles and blinking repeatedly
  • Always smile and shower praises, even if they have a slip or get water up their nose!

 

mother hugging and staring lovingly at daughter who is sitting on pool noodle in her lesson

How to prepare for swim lessons with a baby?

Feeling prepared for your swim lesson with your child can make the experience less stressful and more fun! Ensure you pack all necessary items and even arrive a little early to give you both enough time to adjust to the new environment together.
To ensure long-lasting water hygiene, make sure you take the time to wash the pool water off after your lesson, especially the hands and feet, to keep germs away. Remember to dry off as much as you can before leaving to avoid dry skin and so you and your child feels comfortable after the lesson.

What should you bring to your baby swimming lessons?

  • Two towels: One to wrap baby in on the walk to the showers and a fresh one to dry them off after the shower
  • Bathers: Long sleeve bathers will keep your baby warmer in the water. However, avoid long sleeve rash tops in indoor pools when your child your starts learning freestyle or backstroke arms, as they can restrict movement. Make sure you also pack comfortable bathers for yourself!
  • Swimming nappies are essential in the water. If you are on the cusp of nappy sizes, always size down for a snug fit rather than loose to prevent leakage into the pool
  • Nappy bag
  • Snacks, water, bottle for afterwards

Don’t be surprised if your bub falls asleep in the car ride home. Swimming lessons are tiring business.

These foundation skills and early exposure to swimming will ensure your child builds muscle faster, making them stronger and safer when learning to walk, run and jump. Ensuring a fun and exciting start to your child’s swimming journey can spark a lifelong love of the water!

Start your swimming journey now. It is never too late to start learning how to swim, even if you are reading this as a parent of a 10+ year old or an adult who is wanting to start lessons for the first time!

Find out more about our levels and progression here:

Baby and toddler swimming lessons.

Preschool swimming lessons.

Learn to swim alongside your child with our adult learn to swim lessons!

 

 

Research resources:

  1. https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/about/news-and-updates/news/2022/jan/When-is-the-right-time-for-children-to-learn-to-swim
  2. https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/babies-and-swimming
  3. https://onewiththewater.org/swimming-readiness-tips-babies-toddlers/#:~:text=Practice%20Submersion%20Readiness&text=Keep%20initial%20pours%20very%20brief,wipe%20eyes%20with%20a%20towel.) 

https://surreypark.org.au/learn-to-swim-babies-and-toddlers/

Aug 12
0

Surrey Park Swimming News Term 3 2024

By | Club Squad Swimming, Learn to Swim and Dive | No Comments

Please click here to read quarterly newsletter. In this edition is our 120 year celebratory dinner and annual presentation night where new life members were announced. Read some of the stories from our beloved Alwyn, a swimmer and life member with Surrey Park Swimming Club in the 1960s, as well as our latest Learn to Swim, Learn to Dive, and Club Squad events and news.