Swim Lessons

The City of Riverside is excited to offer adult swimming lessons for students 18+ years of age. The classes are designed to introduce the inexperienced adult to the water and gain confidence while improving their swimming skills. Levels 1—3 are offered from the Learn to Swim Program for adult participation. Each level in the Learn to Swim Program builds upon the skills taught in the previous level. 

Level 1 - Adult Beginner Become comfortable in the water, learn fundamental swimming skills and improve swimming strength and stamina. This class is a basic swim course for adults learning to swim. Participants are taught floating and basic stroke techniques (front float, front crawl, back float and elementary backstroke). Class ratio 6:1. Pre requisite: none.

Level 2 - Adult Intermediate Participants are taught how to improve the front crawl stroke and be introduced to breaststroke and sidestroke. Swimmers develop confidence and endurance using the strokes learned in the Beginner Class. Class ratio 6:1. Prerequisite: Adult Beginner or equivalent skills.

Level 3 - Adult Advance In this class, participants establish stroke readiness by building on the safety and rescue skills presented in Levels 1 & 2. The focus on this level is to work on proper technique and stroke refinement in order to achieve more ease, efficiency, power and endurance. The majority of the class is spent in deep water. Class ratio: 8:1. Pre requisite: Adult Intermediate or equivalent skills.

Which class should I register my child? If your child has never had swimming lessons before and is pre-school age, a Parent & Me class should be considered. School-age students with no experience should consider a Level 1 class. For students with some experience who are comfortable in the water, a Level 2 or 3 class may be more appropriate.

I am signing up for several sessions this summer. How do I schedule my child? Can I put him/her in different levels? Generally, it is not recommended that you sign up for each level, as passing a level is not automatic, but based on completion of skills. If your child has little water experience, it is recommended you sign him/her up for the same level over multiple sessions. For students who are comfortable in the water, we recommend starting with the level completed last year as a “refresher” and then moving on to the next level for additional sessions. If your child does pass a level earlier than expected, arrangements can be made with the Pool Manager to transfer classes if class space is available. Lower level classes fill up very quickly; therefore it is much easier to move a child up than to transfer a child to a lower level.

My child is fearful of the water. What should I do? There are many different reasons why children might be fearful of the water. The best thing to do is enroll in classes with low student-teacher ratios, for example: Level 1. Children should be encouraged to learn at their own pace.

My child does better if he/she can swim with the same instructor during the summer. What can I do? Usually, staff is assigned classes depending on schedules and instructor availability. The Pool Manager will accept requests for instructors and will attempt to assign instructors as needed. However, there are no guarantees on specific instructors.

How long will it take my child to learn to swim? Every child will be given individual instruction at their own pace. Children vary greatly in their learning capabilities and motor skills. Repetition, patience, and persistence are key factors in helping to develop water skills and encouraging comfort in the water.

Are students (17 and younger) allowed to sign up for the Adult Classes? No, the Adult Swim Lessons are designed for students 18+ only.

What if I can’t swim? Swimming ability is not required. We can use a variety of flotation devices for support in deep and/or shallow water. Instructors work closely with patrons until they feel comfortable in the water.

There are many options of swim lessons, how can I register for a specific pool, location or time without filtering through all of the swim lessons online? Please see instructions on how to register here.