Swim Lessons: Group, Buddy, and Private
Available for all ages, abilities, and skill levels. Our goal for participants to learn the skills of being safe in, on and around the water, lead a life of health and fitness and to open up opportunities for fun in all recreational aquatic programs.
Group Lessons are offered in two sessions during the academic semester. During the summer they are only offered during Summer RAD Camp (register through the Town of Orono).
Private and Buddy swim lessons are 1-on-1 or 2-on-1 and are scheduled with your instructor of choice anytime during the year. Click here for information.
All swim lesson options are available for members and non-members. All group lessons and all youth private and buddy lessons are 30 minutes in length. Adult private and buddy lessons are 60 minutes (1 hour) in length.
Sign up for group swim lessons today via WebTrac or by visiting the front desk. Or email joshua.b.bridges@maine.edu for more information.
https://umaine.edu/campusrecreation/program/aquatics/swim-lessons/private/
Please note the following policies that apply to ALL children’s swim lessons.
- Up to two (2) of the child’s legal guardians* may accompany the enrolled child to a swim lesson. Any other guests, of any age, must purchase a day pass. (Age 14+ = $10, Age 6-13 = $5, Age 0-5 = FREE but must still be assigned an “infant day pass” for tracking purposes.)
- All swimmers, legal guardians, and their guests must check in at the front desk.
- Everyone must sign a liability waiver prior to arriving for swim lessons; minors’ liability waivers must be signed by their legal guardian. If anyone in your party does not yet have a current liability waiver signed and on file, please arrive for lessons 20-30 minutes early as there is sometimes a wait. Liability waivers must be signed annually at minimum and will sometimes be required more than once (for example, at activity registration and then again at first visit).
- Anyone aged 18+ must present a MaineCard, RecCard, or a government issued picture ID card. Anyone aged 14-17 must present a RecCard, School picture ID, or government issued photo ID, or be accompanied by a parent or other responsible adult guardian.
* Please note that if you need someone other than the child’s legal guardian to bring the child to lessons, you will need to email Josh Bridges at least 48 hours in advance of the lesson in question.
Current Group Swim Lesson Session Dates
All group lessons are 30 minutes in length. Children’s swim lessons occur in 4-week sessions with two lessons a week, (Mondays and Wednesdays, academic year only) or 6-week sessions with one lesson a week (Saturdays). Adult lessons occur in 4-week sessions, twice a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays, academic year only).
Monday/Wednesday (4 Weeks, Children Only) and Tuesday/Thursday (4 Weeks, Adults Only)
Summer Session 1: TBD
Summer Session 2: TBD
Member: $55; Non-Member: $70
Saturday (6 Weeks, Children Only)
Summer Session 1: TBD
Summer Session 2: TBD
Member: $41; Non-Member: $52
Group Lesson Descriptions
There are 3 categories of Group Swim Lessons: Little Splashers, Preschool, and Learn-To-Swim.
These categories are sorted by age and ability. (Children are defined for these purposes as age 6 months to 13 years. Adults are defined for these purposes as age 14+.) To place yourself or your child in the correct group, click here.
Little Splashers: 6 months – 3 years old
Primary Focus: Water Adjustment and Boundaries.
Student Goals: Little Splashers introduces basic skills to parents and children. Parents learn how to safely work with their child in the water, including how to appropriately support and hold their child in the water and how to prepare and encourage their child to participate fully and try the skills. Children receive an introduction to basic skills that lay a foundation for learning to swim. In addition, parents are introduced to several water safety topics.
Class size: 6-8 students, 1 instructor
Preschool Aquatics Level 1: 3-5 years old; 2-3 swimmers per group
Primary focus: Comfort and Control.
Student Goals: Level 1 introduces basic aquatic skills, which children continue to build on as they progress through Levels 2 and 3 of Preschool Aquatics and then Learn-to-Swim. In addition, children start developing positive attitudes and safe practices around the water in Preschool Aquatics Level 1.
Preschool Aquatics Level 1 Skills
Class size: 2-4 students, 1 instructor
Preschool Aquatics Level 2: 3-5 years old; 2-3 swimmers per group
Primary Focus: Further Development of Level 1 Skills.
Student Goals: The objectives of Level 2 are to further develop basic aquatic skills. Children begin to perform these skills at a slightly more advanced level (for example, for longer lengths of time, for longer distances or in deeper water). Many skills in Level 1 are performed with assistance. Level 2 marks the beginning of independent aquatic locomotion skills. Children continue to explore using simultaneous and alternating arm and leg actions on the front and back to gain greater proficiency in preparation for performing strokes. Level 2 also builds on the water safety topics introduced in Level 1.
Preschool Aquatics Level 2 Skills
Class Size: 2-4 students, 1 instructor
Learn-to-Swim: 6-13 years old
Level 1: Introduction to water skills
Student Goals: Level 1 introduces basic aquatic skills, which participants continue to build on as they progress through Learn-to-Swim. In addition, participants start developing positive attitudes, effective swimming habits and safe practices in and around the water.
Class size: 2-4 students, 1 instructor
Level 2: Fundamental Aquatic Skills
Student Goals: The objective of Learn-to-Swim Level 2 is to give participants success with fundamental skills. This level marks the beginning of true locomotion skills. Participants learn to glide and float without support and recover to a vertical position. Participants further develop simultaneous and alternating arm and leg actions on the front and back, laying the foundation for future strokes. New water safety topics are introduced, and previously acquired water safety knowledge and skills are reinforced.
Class size: 2-4 students, 1 instructor
Level 3: Stroke Development
Student Goals: The objectives of Learn-to-Swim Level 3 are to expand proficiency of previously learned skills by providing additional guided practice. Participants learn and practice survival floating and learn to swim front crawl and elementary backstroke at rudimentary proficiency levels. You introduce the scissors and dolphin kicks and extend the time duration for treading water. As in all levels, new and previously addressed water safety topics are included. Participants who successfully complete Level 3 have achieved basic water competency in a pool environment.
Level 4: Stroke Improvement
Student Goals: In Learn-to-Swim Level 4, participants improve their aquatic skills and increase their endurance by swimming the strokes learned in Level 3 (i.e., front crawl, elementary backstroke) for greater distances and with more advanced proficiency. Participants add arm actions to the previously learned scissors kick and breaststroke kick to perform the rudimentary sidestroke and to learn the breaststroke. Participants also begin to learn the back crawl and butterfly, as well as the basics of performing a simple open turn at a wall.
Adult Swim: 14+ years old; 2-4 swimme
rs per group
Level 1: Learning the Basics can help teens or adults overcome their hesitation in, on and around the water and learn the basic skills to achieve a minimum level of water competency.
Level 2: Improving Skills and Swimming Strokes is designed for teens and adults who want to: improve their foundational swimming skills, increase the level of comfort in, on and around the water, enjoy the water with their loved ones, open the door for other aquatic opportunities.
Level 3: Fitness swimming is for teens and adults that want to improve their swimming skills for a variety of reasons. Some may want to use the benefits of water to improve their fitness level, become part of Swim Fit (Masters Swim), or other competitive races such as triathlons or open water swims.