Swimsation Swim School

Incredible local rescue story and an important reminder that it only takes a second to lose sight of a child around the water. Not only is learning to swim so important but also always having a designated water watcher for children of all ages. This story also highlights how important it is to learn CPR, as it really can save a life. Wonderful to see community members coming together to save this child

May is National Water Safety Month. Let's all do our part to keep kids safe around the water Here's some important water safety tips to keep in mind: 1) Always supervise children around water *without* distractions. 2) Install a pool fence around your home pool, and use alarms on doors or gates where appropriate.... 3) Teach your child to swim or enroll them in swimming lessons. 4) Learn CPR so you can perform this life-saving procedure in an emergency. 5) Teach kids to follow rules specific to the type of water body you will be around (e.g., pool, ocean, lake). 6) Children who are not strong swimmers should use coast guard-approved life jackets around the water. Stay safe out there!

This 3 year old has overcome his fear of putting his face in the water and is becoming a great swimmer! Such great progress!

Incredible local rescue story and an important reminder that it only takes a second to lose sight of a child around the water. Not only is learning to swim so important but also always having a designated water watcher for children of all ages. This story also highlights how important it is to learn CPR, as it really can save a life. Wonderful to see community members coming together to save this child

What is an ocean rip current, and how do you escape one? Public pools are currently closed in San Diego County, so the ocean is the only option for water activities for many people. With Memorial Day weekend approaching, be sure you and your family know how to spot and escape from a rip current. A rip current is a strong, narrow current in the surf zone that quickly flows away from the beach. A rip current will not pull you under water, but it can quickly carry you away from... shore. Rip currents can sometimes be difficult to spot, but typically, rip currents occur in the calmer areas between where the waves are breaking. Rip currents also tend to form near a jetty or pier, so it’s best to avoid swimming near those structures. To escape a rip current, swim parallel to shore to get out of the rip current. Then, start swimming back to shore. If you are tired or having trouble escaping, try to stay calm and float on your back. Then, wave or yell for help. Remember to always swim near a lifeguard, and if in doubt, don't go out. Stay safe this weekend!

May is National Water Safety Month. Let's all do our part to keep kids safe around the water Here's some important water safety tips to keep in mind: 1) Always supervise children around water *without* distractions. 2) Install a pool fence around your home pool, and use alarms on doors or gates where appropriate.... 3) Teach your child to swim or enroll them in swimming lessons. 4) Learn CPR so you can perform this life-saving procedure in an emergency. 5) Teach kids to follow rules specific to the type of water body you will be around (e.g., pool, ocean, lake). 6) Children who are not strong swimmers should use coast guard-approved life jackets around the water. Stay safe out there!

Here's two methods for teaching your kids to exit the pool. Pool Safety lessons: 1) "Monkey crawl" along the edge of the pool to the stairs. Help young children learn to hold onto the edge of the pool and then move their hands along the edge so they can make their way to the stairs. I like to put a toy at the stairs so they have a target to aim for. I also sing a song to help motivate them and make it fun: "Crawling like a monkey, crawling like a monkey, how far can you go, h...ow far can you go, {insert child's name} can go so far, {child} can go so far!" 2) Climbing out of the pool. To teach kids to climb out of the pool, I say "Elbow, elbow, up to the belly, knee up, and climb out". This way the child just has to follow these simple instructions. They put each elbow (and forearm) up on the edge of the pool and then lift themselves up to their belly. Then, they can rest their belly on the edge of the pool while they bring their knee up to the edge to then lift themselves out of the pool. Just practice these methods for ~10 minutes each time you're at the pool and they'll learn how to exit the pool in no time.

Does your child kick *efficiently* while swimming? Let's find out! To kick properly and efficiently (for freestyle/front crawl), the legs should be relatively straight, with just a slight bend in the knees, and the legs should kick up and down. Common mistakes are heavily bending the knees to where the child looks like they are running through the water, or bending their leg back out of the water so their foot touches their bum. Both make it difficult to glide through the wa...ter. You can help your child learn to kick efficiently by having them hold the stairs or edge of the pool while you move their legs up and down and keep them relatively straight. Alternate between you moving their legs and letting them try on their own. You can do the same while they hold a pool noodle. For young children, you can hold them facing you while you reach under their body, hold their legs, and move their legs up and down, as shown in one of the video clips (videos filmed last year). It all comes down to practice and repetition! Work on this a little each time you're in the pool, and your child will be kicking efficiently in no time! See more

Wondering how to teach your child the breaststroke? Well here's the first step! Start by teaching your child the frog kick. If you have access to a pool, you can follow the video tutorial below (filmed last year). If not, you can still practice the leg movements with your child in the living room! Just have your child lay on their stomach and practice moving their legs "Up, around, and straight" as shown in the video. When in the pool, I begin helping the child with the leg m...ovements at the steps. Once he/she gets the hang of moving their legs correctly on their own, then I have them practice with a pool noodle. I will usually stand behind them and move their legs in the correct motion a few times, and then let them try it on their own a few times. I continue this cycle until they get the hang of it. Note that this won't all happen in one lesson. This may take a few lessons, but just remember to have fun with it! See more

This is normally the time swim lessons would be ramping up for the summer, and I miss seeing all my swim clients! I know many people have kids home from school now due to the shelter in place orders, so I thought I'd start posting tips that can help prepare your children for swim lessons. I'll try to change up the age groups, but for now, lets focus on getting young children used to having water on their faces and heads. This is a great skill to teach your children because it... makes swim lessons so much easier, and they learn faster! This skill is also something you can easily teach during bath time. Start by just dripping a little water on your child's head / face. They may get a little fussy at first, but don't worry, they will get used to it! Try to make a game out of it, such as cupping water in your hand and pretending to gently crack an egg over their head. Or, you can sing a song such as "It's raining, its pouring, {insert child's name} is snoring, so he/she got in the bath and wet his/her head and now he/she loves the rain!". Don't worry, the words don't have to make sense :) Once your child is used to having small amounts of water poured over their head, move to pouring more water using a cup or small toy bucket. Let me know if you have any questions, and have fun with this!

Floating and the ability to roll over and float are very important water safety skills for children and adults to learn. Watch the progression of this 4 year old who demonstrates these valuable skills!

The sloth is a natural!

This 6 year old has quickly learned fabulous freestyle technique and can already swim 50 yards in 1 minute & 25 seconds! She's ready for the Grommets Junior Lifeguard program next summer, which requires 7 & 8 year olds to swim 50 yards in 1 minute & 30 seconds. Way to go!

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