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Swim Lessons

Aquatic-based classes are an excellent way to stay fit no matter your age or physical fitness. It is never too late to learn to swim or sharpen your skills and enjoy this lifelong recreational pursuit. Continue reading for descriptions of our group levels, private offerings, and additional pool activities!

Registration Schedule

Summer Quarter Classes:

  • Closed for all programs

Fall Quarter Classes:

  • Group Swim Lesson Registration OPENS 9/21 @ 10am
    • Group Registration CLOSES 10/9 @ 9am
  • Private Swim Lesson Registration OPENS 10/12 @ 10am
    • Private Registration CLOSES 11/8 @ 11:59pm

Need Financial Assistance to participate?

Apply for up to an 75% discount via the Student Recreation Fund!

 

Private Swim Lessons

Offered: Every Quarter

Looking for more individualized learning? Join an experienced swim instructor for 1-on-1 lessons! All swim abilities and goals are welcome. Available for Rec Members only. Private swim lessons provide 3 hours of in-water instruction, split across multiple sessions. The days/times of sessions will be scheduled between you and your instructor after registration.

Pricing

  • Students: $150.00*
  • Employees & Plus-Ones: $180.00*

*not including tax

Program Details

We utilize a waitlist function to ensure that you only pay once we match you with an instructor. Just follow the steps below:

  1. Click on the “Register Here” button below, and read through our program details
  2. At the bottom of the page, click “Waitlist Options”
  3. Add yourself to the waitlist (can only be done with a current Rec Membership)
  4. Next, fill out our so we can quickly match you with an experienced instructor who can assist with your specific goals!
  5. Once an instructor becomes available, they will email you from their UW email and send a registration email from our registration software.
  6. Register and pay for the lessons through the registration email.
  7. Email the instructor back and begin scheduling your sessions!

We may not be able to accommodate every client on the list. If that happens, you will be notified 2-3 weeks before the end of the quarter.

If you are having issues joining the waitlist or filling out the form, please email recaqua@uw.edu.

All packages are nonrefundable and nontransferable.
Packages expire 6 months after date of purchase.
Clients forfeit a session if they are more than 15 minutes late for appointments over 30 minutes OR 5 minutes late for appointments 30 minutes or less.
Clients forfeit a session for appointments canceled or rescheduled with less than 24 hours’ notice.

We have multiple instructors who are experienced with almost anything you could want to learn when it comes to swimming! Previous clients have improved on skills from floating and freestyle to endurance and reducing pain while swimming. If you’re unsure if we would be able to assist with a certain goal, or if you have specific accommodation requests to discuss, email us at recaqua@uw.edu. We will do our best to help you accomplish your goals!

We do recommend in most cases that individuals continue to practice on your own outside of swim lessons. Instructors will give you drills, tips, and feedback during your sessions which may take more time to implement than you have available in the sessions.

You will schedule your session dates and times with your instructor after you pay for the program. You can schedule sessions for any time the IMA is open, except for the following time blocks:

  • None (Summer Quarter)

There may be some additional restrictions on how many private swim lessons may run at one time; your instructor will be aware of those as you are scheduling.

You will split up the 3 hours of instruction into multiple sessions. You can split the time up one of the following ways:

  • Six 30-minute sessions. This is ideal for individuals looking for two sessions per week.
  • Four 45-minute sessions. This is ideal for individuals looking for one session per week.
  • Three 1-hour sessions. This is ideal for individuals looking for one session per week or less.

Usually, packages are completed within the span of one quarter, and any second package will spill over into the following quarter. If you’d like to continue working with the same instructor for a second package, we will first have to verify that the instructor is available to work the next quarter. We will also verify if you are planning to or able to get a membership for the next quarter. If both are true, you will be able register and pay for a second package without rejoining the waitlist.

Private lessons are not better or worse than the group lessons.Ìý It really depends how best you as a student learn, and what you want to learn.Ìý If you learn better in a group and your goals align with our group levels, then the group lessons are a good fit.Ìý If you prefer one-on-one instruction or have more specific/unique goals that aren’t covered in our group levels, then private lessons may be the better fit.

No. Currently all programs are available for adult (16+) individuals with an active IMA membership.

  • All packages are nonrefundable and nontransferable.
  • Packages must be purchased at least 24 hours prior to scheduled appointment.
  • Packages expire 6 months after date of purchase.
  • Clients will be charged for training sessions if they are more than 10 minutes late.
  • Clients will be charged for training sessions canceled or rescheduled with less than 24 hours’ notice.

Group Swim Lessons

Offered: Every Quarter

Don’t like learning alone? Group swim lessons are a great way to increase your confidence in the water and improve your stroke techniques, alongside peers of the same swim level. Group classes are typically 3-6 participants to one instructor.

Pricing

  • Students: $60.00*
  • Employees & Plus-Ones: $90.00*

*Participants must possess a Rec Membership, sold separately

Course Structure

Each session of swim lessons will run for 6 weeks; there is one class per week, and each class is 40 minutes long. This allows for participants with busy schedules who cannot attend lessons 2 days a week; it also provides ample time between lessons for participants to practice the skills learned in the prior class.

We highly recommend that you only register for a course if you can attend all classes in that course. Each class covers a sequence of skills that build on top of each other; missing one class means you will miss valuable instruction and practice that are necessary for the next class. If you do miss a class, we cannot guarantee that the instructor will be able to catch you up on the content you missed, or that they will be able to assist you with learning the next skills at the same level at the other participants.

If you would like to register for multiple courses per week, you are welcome to; however, please note that instructors are adjusting course content and pacing based on the goals and progress of the participants in each different course. You may find that one Beginner course moves “faster” through the level content than another Beginner course.

Levels Offered

If you have any questions about which level is right for you, email recaqua@uw.edu and we will do our best to help you decide.

Beginner swim lessons are for those who want to conquer the basics of swimming! Learn to be comfortable in the shallow end, float on your own, and start learning freestyle. This course is not for individuals who can already float on their own and have an understanding of freestyle/breaststroke.

Swimmers joining this course should:

  • Have no skill/experience, OR
  • Be uncomfortable in 4ft water or with submerging face underwater, OR
  • Be unable to float on front and back independently

In this class, you can expect to:

  • Get comfortable in 4ft of water
  • Learn breathing control in the water
  • Learn to float independently
  • Learn to submerge underwater comfortably
  • Learn safety rolls
  • Learn to glide off the wall
  • Learn flutter kicks
  • (Time permitting) Learn freestyle arms

This course is for individuals who are comfortable being in the water and are looking to take the next step into swimming forward! Learn the fundamentals of freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke. Swimmers who can already swim these strokes should look to the Advanced class.

Swimmers joining this class should:

  • Be comfortable in 4ft of water with submerging your face, AND
  • Able to float on your front and back independently, AND
  • Able to move forward in the water (flutter kick, arm movements) with little to no coordination, OR
  • Have functional understanding of one stroke, with little to no understanding of the other two strokes

In this class, you can expect to learn:

  • Freestyle kicking, arms, and side breathing
  • Backstroke kicking, arms, and breathing control
  • Breaststroke kicking, arms, and breathing
  • Goal to swim one length of each stroke without stopping

The Advanced course is for individuals who have a fundamental understanding of breaststroke, freestyle, and backstroke, and are looking to improve their endurance, swim technique, and turns. This course is not for individuals who can swim more than 100 yards without stopping; if you are looking for more specific swim training, consider private lessons!

Swimmers joining this class should:

  • Be able to swim one length (25 yards) of freestyle, backstroke, AND breaststroke

In this class, you can expect to learn:

  • Endurance and technique for freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke
  • Treading water
  • Optional: Open turns and Flip turns*
  • Optional: Butterfly*
  • Optional: Diving*

*Optional skills can be requested during the class, however there may not be time to get to all optional skills in one course. They will be included in the course content if the instructors are able to teach the skills within the allotted course time.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are several different options for you in regards to group lessons.Ìý We offer Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced to accommodate various skills levels and interests.Ìý Take a look at the class descriptions to see what group would be the best fit. If you have additional questions or would like to discuss further, email recaqua@uw.edu.

Group lessons are each 40 minutes, once a week, for 6 weeks (6 total classes).

Lessons can be purchased online through our online portal. If you are having trouble accessing the website or seeing correct prices, please reach out to recinfo@uw.edu.

If you do not fulfill the pre-requisites for a level, then you should take the previous level or go into private instruction.

If you find that you are not on the same level as the rest of the group, talk with the instructor. We will do our best to ensure the class fits your needs, or move you to a more suitable class level.

If you have registered for a group swim class series that you know you can no longer attend, you are eligible for a full refund if you submit aÌýÌýprior to 11:59 PMÌýon theÌýThursday before the class series begins.

Failure to attend the first day of a class series will terminate your registration, and you will not be permitted to participate in the remainder of the series.ÌýNo refundÌýwill be granted.

No refundsÌýwill be provided for a single class due to individual absence. Partial refunds may be provided for a single class if that class is canceled due to instructor absence or pool closure.

Group swim classes are refundableÌýif:

  • Injury/illness/an emergency prevents you from participating for the entire or remainder of the class series and you submit aÌýÌýprior to the first class you do not attend.
  • You and your instructor decide together on the first day of class that a different difficulty would suit you better, and there is no space in that class or we do not offer a class at your desired difficulty.

Group swim classes areÌýnot refundable in any other case.

H2O Cardio

Offered: Fall, Winter, & Spring Quarters

This program is part of the Rec Class Pass.

Join us for fun in the H2O! This class combines buoyancy and water resistance to tone your muscles in a cardio-focused workout. We alternate using shallow and deep water for a variety of moves to get your whole body working! Participants joining us for the deep-water days must be able to tread water confidently.

View Rec Class Pass


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