Swim for Life is a complete learn-to-swim program from Parent & Tot through to Leadership. Easy to program and easy to explain, Swim for Life leads seamlessly into the Society’s lifesaving training awards. The program is endorsed by the International Life Saving Federation and the Commonwealth Royal Life Saving Society. There are five modules of the Swim for Life program:

1. Parent & Tot for parents and children up to 3 years of age
2. Preschool for children 4-5 years
3. Swimmer for children 5 years and older
4. Adult Swimmer for people over 16 years
5. Fitness Swimmer for swimmers of any age who want to improve their overall physical fitness.

The Society designed the modules to flow together seamlessly and logically into one another and into the basic lifesaving awards: Rookie, Ranger and Star Patrol

Program Overview

Lesson Information

Registration is available IN PERSON and OVER THE PHONE for all public sessions. If you are interested in Private Lessons, please contact the Aquatic Supervisor or Manager of Leisure Services at 250-788-2214 or come in during front desk hours to enroll.

• Spots will not be held without full payment for the course
• Phone in registrations will be accepted with Credit Card Payment
• The Rec Centre reserves the right to combine classes or cancel classes due to low registration
• If you are unsure of your child’s swimming level, please phone the Rec Centre ahead of time and come down during a public swim to have your child’s skills assessed for free.  This takes less than 10 minutes.
• Registration is ongoing for all lessons and generally available up to 3 months prior to the start of the classes.
• There are no classes on Statutory Holidays
• Rates will not be prorated for missed classes or those registering late into a session

Swim for Life Level Descriptions

Parent & Tot 1/2 – Jellyfish/Goldfish

Recommended age: 4-12 months

Teaches toddlers how to play in the water safely! Infants will be introduced to getting their face wet, blowing bubbles, and floating with the help of their parent/caregiver. Provides an orientation to water for infants and their parent/caregiver. Parents/Caregivers will learn how to swim safely with their infant in the pool through instruction of holds and supports.

Parent & Tot 3 – Seahorse

Recommended age: 2-3 years

Teaches toddlers how to safely enter the water wearing a PFD. They’ll develop underwater skills such as submersion and opening their eyes underwater. ‘Starfish’ floats, ‘pencil,’ floats, and kicking skills are taught using songs and games

Preschool 1 – Octopus

Recommended age: 3-5 years

Preschool 1 is a transitional level which transfers the preschooler to the care of the instructor. Preschoolers will have fun learning to get in and out of the water. They’ll learn how to put their face in the water, blow bubbles in the water, and how to float and glide.

Preschool 2 – Crab

Recommended: Completed Octopus

Teaches preschoolers how to safely jump into chest-deep water and how to swim wearing a PFD. They’ll learn submersion skills and continue to work on floats, glides, and kicking with buoyant objects.

Preschool 3 – Orca

Recommended: Completed Crab

Teaches preschoolers how to enter deep water safely wearing a PFD. They’ll learn hot to submerge and exhale underwater, retrieve objects underwater, and will continue developing their floating, gliding, and kicking skills.

Swimmer 1

Recommended age: 5-12 years

These beginners will become comfortable jumping into the water with and without a PFD. They’ll learn how to open their eyes, exhale, and hold their breath underwater. Floats, glides, and kicking skills are introduced.

Swimmer 2

Recommended: Completed Swimmer 1 or Preschool 5

These swimmers will jump into deeper water and learn to be comfortable falling sideways into the water wearing a PFD. They’ll learn how to tread water, develop kicking skills, and will be introduced to front crawl and back crawl.

Swimmer 3

Recommended: Completed Swimmer 2

These swimmers will learn how to dive and will do in-water somersaults and handstands to develop weight-transfer skills. They’ll learn Swim to Survive skills, whip kick on back, and will further develop their front crawl and back crawl.

Swimmer 4

Recommended: Completed Swimmer 3

These swimmers will become better at diving, treading water, and swimming underwater. They’ll learn the Swim to Survive standard and start to develop breaststroke. Front crawl and back crawl are further developed.

Swimmer 5

Recommended: Completed Swimmer 4

These swimmers will master dives and swimming in deep water. They’ll further their Swim to Survive skills and start to develop eggbeater and scissor kick. Breaststroke, front crawl, and back crawl are further developed. Interval training and sprinting drills continue to challenge these swimmers.

Swimmer 6

Recommended: Completed Swimmer 5

These swimmers will become proficient at deep water skills including stride entries and compact jumps. They’ll develop lifesaving kicks such as eggbeater and scissor kick. Breaststroke, front crawl, and back crawl are further developed. Head-up swims, interval training, and a 300m workout develop strength and endurance.

Swimmer 7/8/9 – Swim Patrol

Rookie Patrol
Recommended: Completed Swimmer 6

Swimmers continue developing front crawl, back crawl, and breaststroke. Swimmers develop individual fitness to meet a timed 100m swim and a 350m workout. Water proficiency skills include swimming with clothes, ready position, and feet-first/head-first surface dives. Demonstrating the ability to conduct a primary assessment and calling EMS are included as first aid skills. Victim recognition and throwing assists are other key elements of the program.

Ranger Patrol
Recommended: Completed Swimmer 7 – Rookie Patrol

Teaches capability in the water including stride entries and underwater, forward and backward somersaults. Swimmers learn lifesaving sport skills with a lifesaving stroke medley, timed object support and a non-contact rescue with a buoyant aid. Eggbeater kick and increased fitness levels are developed to meet a 200m timed swim. First aid focuses on unconscious victims and obstructed airway procedures.

Star Patrol
Recommended: Completed Swimmer 8 Ranger Patrol

Challenges swimmers with a 300m timed swim, 600m workout, and a 25m object carry. Strokes are continued to be refined. Lifesaving skills include use of rescue aids, defense methods, victim removals, and support a victim in shallow water. First aid focuses on treatment of bone or joint injuries and respiratory emergencies. Once complete, swimmers register into Bronze Star.