Swim Levels and Descriptions

Swim Levels and Descriptions

Island Grove Swimming Lessons- Red Cross Class Descriptions


Level I – Water ExploratIon (Minimum age is 4) To orient participants to the aquatic environment and teach elementary skills which can be built on as they progress through the Learn to Swim Program.
Learning Objectives:Become oriented to the aquatic environment and move comfortably through the water. Fully submerge face. Experience buoyancy and demonstrate basic breath control. Demonstrate supported floating and kicking on front and back. Enter and exist water independently. Become familiar with alternating arm action. Learn basic water safety rules and become familiar with ways to get help. Demonstrate reaching assists without equipment. Learn how to release a cramp. Become familiar with the fundamentals of using a life jacket.
Level II – PrImary SkIlls To build on the fundamental aquatic locomotion, safety, and rescue skills shown in Level I.
Learning Objectives: Fully submerge head and retrieve underwater objects. Explore deep water with support. Demonstrate unsupported front and back float or glide. Level off from a vertical position. Demonstrate rhythmic breathing. Demonstrate step-in entry and side exist. Perform flutter kick on front and back. Demonstrate finning on back. Perform combined stroke on front and back. Float in life jacket with face out of water. Perform reaching and extension assists from deck. Become familiar with rescue breathing.
Level III –Sstroke Readiness To build on the aquatic locomotion, safety, and rescue skills presented in Level II by providing participants with additional guided practice.
Learning Objectives: Retrieve object unsupported with eyes open. Demonstrate bobbing. Jump into deep water with life jacket on. Learn basic rules of safe diving. Dive in kneeling and compact positions. Demonstrate gliding with push-off. Coordinate the components of the front crawl and back crawl. Demonstrate the fundamentals of elementary backstroke and treading water. Reverse direction while swimming on front and back. Become familiar with the H.E.L.P. and huddle positions. Learn how to open airway for rescue breathing.
Level IV – Stroke DevelopmentTo develop confidence and competency in the aquatic locomotion, safety, and rescue skills presented in the Learn to Swim program thus far.
Learning Objectives: Demonstrate deep-water bobbing. Demonstrate rotary breathing. Build endurance by swimming elementary backstroke, front crawl, back crawl, and elementary backstroke at increased distances. Learn the basics of breaststroke, sidestroke and turning. Learn alternate kicks for treading water. Learn rescue breathing techniques. Become familiar with CPR.
Level V – Stroke RefInement To coordinate and refine the keystrokes presented thus far in the Learn to Swim Program and to introduce the butterfly, open turns, the feet first surface dive.
Learning Objectives: Demonstrate alternate breathing. Demonstrate stride jump entry. Demonstrate long shallow dive. Perform front crawl, back crawl and elementary backstroke for increased distances. Perform the sidestroke and the breaststroke and swim under water. Perform open turn on front and back. Learn basic safety rules for diving from a board. Recognize the signs and spinal injury. Perform feet first surface dive. Learn the dolphin kick. Increase endurance and skill in treading water.
Level VI – SkIll ProficIency To polish strokes presented in previous levels, swim them with greater ease, efficiency, power and smoothness over greater distances, and to introduce additional turns.
Learning Objectives: Enhance ability to perform strokes introduced at previous levels. Perform approach stroke. Demonstrate breaststroke and sidestroke turns, speed turn and pull out for breaststroke, and flip turn for front crawl. Learn alternate kicks for treading water. Demonstrate a throwing rescue. Roll spinal injury victim face up.