Frequently Asked Questions
Our Frequently Asked Questions list answers all of your questions about lessons, payment and more!
We have all the answers!
General Swim Lesson FAQs
ISR Lessons: At ISR, each lesson and objective is child-centered, but with each child, there’s a core competency of survival: learning to rollover and float. Babies who are between 6 and at least 12 months old will learn how to orient themselves in the water and roll to a back float position to rest and breathe, and maintain a stable, life-saving position until help arrives.Little ones, who are older than 12 months and walking well, will be ready to learn the full ISR Self-Rescue™ Swim-Float-Swim Sequence. We teach this age group to swim for a short distance, roll into a back float position to rest and breathe, then flip back over to swim again in search of an exit. . This sequence is repeated until the child reaches an edge, or is able to be rescued by an adult.
Learn to Swim: Students will first learn to be comfortable in the water and then how to be buoyant. Learning what it feels like to be buoyant in the water is important for students to then be able to learn more advanced skills. Students will be taught self-rescue skills in a child-centered environment. Skills include floating, breath holding, finding and swimming to the wall, rolling over to take a breath and more. After swimmers learn these skills they will learn the different swim strokes. You will notice that Learn to Swim lessons include games, singing, toys and other fun activities. This environment teaches children that swimming can be fun and the water does not have to be feared.
Absolutely! Both of our programs will teach students how to swim AND teach survival skills.
No. Every child can learn. It is our job to find the best way to communicate the information so that it makes sense to the child. We set your child up to be successful every time!
YES! Coastal Swim Academy is dedicated to safety and maintaining numerous safety protocols to promote safe lessons. Your child’s health and well-being are our highest priority and are closely monitored on a daily basis.
ISR Lessons: Your child’s medical and developmental history is a mandatory part of the ISR national registration process, all of which is held strictly confidential. Your education in the area of aquatic safety for your entire family is an integral part of your child’s lessons. You will receive access to the “Parent Resource Guide”, written by Dr. Harvey Barnett and JoAnn Barnett, which will inform you of every aspect of swimming for infants and children.
The AAP recommends swim lessons as a layer of protection against drowning that can begin for many children starting at age 1. Recent studies suggest that water survival skills training and swim lessons can help reduce drowning risk for children between ages 1-4. Classes that include both parents and their children also are a good way to introduce good water safety habits and start building swim readiness skills. If your child seems ready, it’s a good idea to start lessons now.
Yes! We have 8 individual changing rooms with doors, along with an ADA accessible changing room. There is plenty of space to safely change your infants, and there is cubby space to store your belongings.
If you are enrolled in the learn to swim lessons, you will need to bring a towel & goggles. ISR enrolled students will need to bring 3 towels each day for your lessons.
The Difference Between Our Programs FAQs
ISR and Learn to Swim lessons both have the same goal: Save lives by teaching swimmers self-rescue skills. The two programs go about reaching this goal in very different ways. ISR teaches students to become Aquatic Problem Solvers in case of an aquatic emergency whereas Learn to Swim lessons teaches students to swim through games and activities. Studies show that taking swim lessons of any kind reduce the risk of drowning by 80%! Learn about all the differences between our two programs today!
Absolutely! Both of our programs will teach students how to swim AND teach survival skills.
The more your child is exposed to swimming, the more confident they will be in the water. Whether you stay in ISR refresher lessons, or transition into the learn to swim program to learn more advanced strokes, this is what makes Coastal Swim Academy unique! Based on our research, we know that refresher lessons are important because children change so much both cognitively and physically during the first 4-5 years of life. It is important that their water survival skills grow with their bodies. Frequency depends on the child’s age, growth rate, skill level and confidence level. The goal of refresher lessons is to help your child adjust his/her new body size and weight to his/her existing skill level. Your instructor will work with your child to help fine-tune his or her aquatic experience to assist with building efficiency, which will result in self-confidence. This is especially important if your child has not been able to practice any appropriate aquatic skill between seasons.
The reason for this is multifaceted. First, repetition and consistency are crucial elements of learning for young children. Research shows that short, more frequent lessons result in higher retention. And secondly, most children have fairly short attention spans and will not be able to focus on the task for longer and we want to take advantage of the best time for learning.
Traditional Learn to Swim Lessons are year-round, continuous lessons. Some families choose to have lessons more than once a week, however the most common schedule for a swimmer is to have one, 30 minute lesson per week.
Learn to Swim lessons build safety skills slowly and at the pace of the child. There are also games, songs and playing throughout the lesson. In addition, swimmers have the option to build upon their skills and further develop all four swimming strokes.
The 4-6 weeks is an estimate that is based on the average time in which it takes most children to learn swimming survival skills. Every child is unique and ISR’s Self-Rescue program is specifically designed based on your child’s individual strengths and needs. It is important to realize that this is an average which means that some children will actually finish more quickly while others will need more practice. ISR is dedicated to safety and, therefore, we want to provide your child with the time and best opportunity to become proficient in his/her survival skills. We will always honor your child’s needs.
Learn to Swim lessons teach the child to feel the water, feel their buoyancy and love being in the water alongside survival skills. For this reason, learning swimming skills will take longer than 6 weeks. However, during this time students not only learn survival skills, but build endurance for longer swimming and prepare to learn all four strokes. Lessons are 30 minutes long for the instructor to get to know your child and have the time to go over skills multiple times, play games and award praise.
Participating in swim lessons can help your child become a safe and confident swimmer. Many parents report that once their young children have mastered learning to swim, the resulting confidence in their abilities engenders a positive self-concept that is often demonstrated in other aspects of their personalities. The Griffith Study also shows that children in swim lessons reach developmental milestones in all areas much faster than their peers.
Our Policies FAQs
Please see our pricing page for detailed pricing information.
We will send you a series of informational forms regarding what you need to know and how to prepare for your lessons.
We have a 2 swim diaper policy: every child that is 3 and under must be in a reusable swim diaper with elastic around the legs and torso, along with a disposable swim diaper. For your convenience, we will have swim diapers for sale in our retail store.
Your child is welcomed to use swim goggles for eye protection; however, your child will be required to learn to self-rescue WITHOUT goggles. Our goal is for your child to perform self-rescue techniques under all kinds of circumstances.
No! Your tuition rate will be prorated for that month.
Annual registration fees are not refundable. If you want to suspend your swim lessons, you must notify the front desk at least 2 weeks prior to processing your next month’s tuition.
Any lessons canceled due to pool closures, inclement weather, or an emergency will be rescheduled or credited to your account. If you miss your regularly scheduled group lesson for any reason (illness, injury, vacation, etc.), you may reschedule the lesson within 30 days of the absence. There is a limit of 1 lesson per month to reschedule without a fee. You may reschedule additional makeup classes within 30 days for a $10 fee per class. Credits are not given for a child’s absence, including vacations, injury, or illness.Private lessons may be made up if a 24-hour notice of the absence is provided. Make-up classes for private lessons cannot be guaranteed and must be scheduled through the aquatics directors.
If you are enrolled in the learn to swim lessons, you will need to bring a towel & goggles. ISR enrolled students will need to bring 3 towels each day for your lessons.
