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A water accident can happen in an instant. Here at the Skagit Y, we are working hard to ensure all youth can participate in lifesaving swim lessons.
Stage A: Water Discovery
Swimmers must be accompanied by one adult parent/guardian in the water at all times throughout this class.
This stage introduces infants and toddlers to the aquatic environment.
Stage B: Water Exploration
Swimmers must be accompanied by one adult parent/guardian in the water at all times throughout this class.
In this stage, we will focus on exploring body positions, blowing bubbles, and fundamental safety and aquatic skills.
Stage 1: Water Acclimation
*Swimmer must be comfortable on front and back in the water working with an instructor without a parent.
*Swimmers entering this Stage must be comfortable on front and back in the water working with an instructor without a parent.
This stage increases students’ comfort with underwater exploration and introduces basic self-rescue skills performed with assistance.
Stage 2: Water Movement
*Swimmers entering this stage must be able to:
- Submerge (bob) independently
- Front and back glide with assistance for 5 feet
- Front and back float with assistance for 10 seconds and recover independently
- Roll back to front and front to back with assistance
- Exit the water independently
- Jump, push, turn, grab with assistance
- Swim, float, swim with assistance for 10 feet
*Swimmers entering this Stage must be able to:
- Submerge (bob) independently
- Front and back glide with assistance 5 feet
- Front and back float with assistance for 10 seconds and recovery independently
- Roll from back to front and front to back
- Exit the water independently
- Jump, push, turn, grab with assistance
- Swim, float, swim with assistance for 10 feet
In this stage, students focus on forward movement in water and basic self-rescue skills performed independently.
Stage 3: Water Stamina
*Swimmers entering this Stage must be able to complete the following skills unassisted:
- Submerge and look at object on the bottom
- Front and back glide 5 feet
- Front and back float for 10 seconds
- Roll from front to back and back to front
- Tread water near the wall for 10 seconds and exit
- Jump, push, turn, grab
- Swim, float, swim for 5 yards
*Swimmers entering this Stage must be able to:
- Submerge and look at an object on the bottom independently
- Front and back glide for 10 feet
- Front and back float for 20 seconds
- Roll from front to back and back to front
- Tread water for 10 seconds near the wall
- Exit the water independently
- Jump, push, turn, grab independently
- Swim, float, swim for 5 yards independently
This stage develops intermediate self-rescue skills performed at longer distances than in previous stages.
Stage 4: Stroke Introduction
*Swimmers entering this Stage must be able to complete the following skills unassisted:
- Submerge and retrieve an object in chest-deep water
- Swim 10 yards on front and back
- Roll back to front and front to back
- Tread water for 30 seconds and exit
- Jump, swim, turn, swim, grab for 10 yards
- Swim, float, swim for 15 yards
*Swimmers entering this Stage must be able to complete the following skills unassisted:
- Submerge and retrieve an object in chest-deep water
- Swim 15 yards on front and back
- Roll back to front and front to back
- Tread water for 1 minute and exit
- Jump, swim, turn, swim, grab for 10 yards
- Swim, float, swim for 25 yards
This stage introduces basic stroke technique in front crawl and back crawl and reinforces water safety through treading water and elementary backstroke.
Stage 5: Stroke Development
*Swimmers entering this Stage must be able to complete the following skills unassisted:
- Front crawl with rotary breathing for 15 yards
- Back crawl for 15 yards
- Elementary backstroke for 15 yards
- Breaststroke kick for 15 yards
- Butterfly kick for 15 yards
- Tread water with a scissor & whip kick for 1 minute
- Sitting dive
- Swim any stroke or combination of strokes for 25 yards
This stage introduces breaststroke and butterfly and reinforces water safety through treading water and sidestroke.
Stage 6: Stroke Mechanics
*Swimmers entering this Stage must be able to complete the following skills unassisted:
- Front crawl with rotary breathing and bent-arm recovery for 25 yards
- Back crawl for 25 yards
- Breaststroke for 25 yards
- Butterfly with simultaneous arm action & kick for 15 yards
- Elementary backstroke for 15 yards
- Sidestroke for 25 yards
- Tread water with a scissor & whip kick for 2 minutes
- Kneeling dive
- Swim any stroke or combination of strokes for 50 yards
This stage refines stroke technique on all major competitive strokes and encourages swimming as part of a healthy lifestyle.