Swim Levels
Let’s get into the swim of things!
It’s never too early to spread your fins and learn to swim. From blowing bubbles to butterfly kicks, Wisconsin Swim Academy has developed an expertly-crafted, yet simple chart to help us find the best class to build our kiddos trust, confidence and swim skills. Let’s dive in and see what cool school fits your swimmer best!
Swim Skills
We’d like to see each swimmer confidently achieve each skill to move onto the next level.
Jellyfish 1
LEVEL 1: Keep blowing those bubbles… you’re almost there!
- Submerges head/face underwater comfortably
- Blows bubbles comfortably for 5 sec
- Kicking assisted with noodle for 10 ft
- Reaching arms and kicking for 10 ft assisted
- Reaching arms and kicks when prompted
- Back glide assisted with 1 hands holding ears in the water
- Elementary backstroke arms unassisted
- Slides or jumps in with a 1 or 2 hand hold assist to the wall
Jellyfish 2
LEVEL 2: You’re ready to jump in on your own!
- Comfortable blowing bubbles with full face in water for 5 sec
- Swim 5 ft independently to and from step
- Kicking with the noodle in front of face for 5 sec, only assist with breath
- Reaching-kicking-bubbles with face in water for 5 sec, partial assist
- Back glide, ears in water, assistance with rollover-partial (float and kick with independence)
- Elementary backstroke ears in water, assistance with rollover, partial assistance with arms
- Jumps in independently with assist to wall
- Treading with noodle for 10 seconds
- Back float for 5-10 seconds
- 3 years old
Clownfish
LEVEL 3: You’re doing it… with no helping hands!
- Do Pizza arms and swims off the step only assist with breath
- 4 strokes only assist with breath
- Can swim 10 ft independently
- Roll over fully independent
- Back glide independent – can swim on back with limited to no help
- Elementary backstroke with little to no assistance
- Breaststroke kick independently with the kick board (to rope and back)
- Jumps in and swims to the wall independently, no help
- Tread water comfortably for 20 sec, no spinning
- Deep water confidence
- Mature enough to sit on the tot dock while they wait their turn
- minimum 4.5 years old
Otter
Specifically designed for older beginner swimmers between the ages of 7-10 years old to help them gain confidence and skills.
Beginner Otter
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- Bubbles with goggles in for 5 seconds
- Swimming 5 feet independently to and from step
- Kicking with noodle partial assist
- Reaching-Kicking-Bubbles with face in for 5 seconds independent (only assist w/breath)
- Back glide ears in water 1 hand hold
- Elementary backstroke ears in water 1 hand hold
- Jumps in independently with assist to wall
- Treading with noodle 10 seconds
- Back float 5 to 10 seconds
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Advanced Otter
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- Pizza arms only assist with breath
- 4 strokes only assist with breath
- Can swim 10 feet independently
- Roll over is independent
- Back glide mostly independent
- Elementary backstroke arms and legs mostly independent
- Jumps in and swims to the wall independently
- Treads water 20 seconds
- Breaststroke kick independent with kickboard
- Guppy Ready
Guppy
LEVEL 4: You’re getting pretty good at this swimming thing.
- Front glide 50 ft independently
- 4 Strokes, 50 feet independently
- Proficient with breath-rolling to the side
- Elementary backstroke arms and legs independent
- Back glide streamline 50 ft independent
- Backstroke arms independent
- Jumping in and treading water 30 sec without goggles
- Breaststroke kick 50 feet with limited assistance
- Front glide 25 ft, no goggles
- Swims comfortably without goggles
- Dolphin kick 25 feet independently
Shark
LEVEL 5: Keep going… you’re making waves.
- Front glide 2 lengths of the pool independent
- 4 strokes, 2 lengths of the pool independent
- Streamline 2 lengths of the pool independent
- Backstroke 2 lengths of the pool independent
- Breaststroke 2 lengths of the pool independent
- Treading water 1 minute
Orca
Prerequisites:
- Has passed all required shark skills
- Has been assessed by a member of the Deck Manager team
- Has completed a trial lesson at Lawrence
Will Learn:
- Building endurance for the core strokes: (Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Dolphin kick)
- Ability to swim all strokes 100M proficiently
- Mastering competitive Freestyle and Backstroke
- Refining dolphin kick
- Beginning butterfly stroke
- Refining breaststroke
- Treading 2 minutes
- Sit and kneel dives
- Advanced survival swimming
- Swimming with clothes
- Jumping in rolling to back float
- Treading 1 minute
- Breath control
- Swimming with clothes
Marlin
Prerequisites:
- Able to swim all strokes 100M
- Mastered competitive Freestyle and Backstroke
- Mastered Dolphin kick
- Mastered Breaststroke
- Passed treading 2 min
- Passed Advanced survival swimming
Will Learn:
- Butterfly
- Competitive Breaststroke
- Flip turns
- Stand dives
- Building endurance: Swimming Freestyle and Back Stroke 200M
- Treading 3+ minutes
- 100M Individual Medley Swim: Swimming each stroke 50M continuously
- Back Stroke
- Breaststroke
- Butterfly
- Freestyle
STR – Swim Team Readiness
Prerequisites:
- 200M Freestyle
- 200M Backstroke
- 100M Breaststroke
- 50M Butterfly with correct timing
- 100M Individual Medley
- Stand dives
- Basic flip turns
Will Learn:
- Start block dives
- Backstroke starts
- Swim team drills
- Competitive flip turns
- 200M breaststroke
- 100M Butterfly
- 200M Individual Medley
- Advanced endurance: 500M freestyle
- Mock swim meets
- Practicing starts
- Learn racing technique
- Learn how to finish