Swimmers Program
CHP Swimmers program is designed for youth ages 5 to 12 years old. Swimmers 1-9 are designed to be completed in chronological order. If you are unsure of where your youth may fit please see below our Swimmer level comparison chart which states all the skills to be performed in the class.All skills listed below must be completed 3 times for a participant to progress to the next level.
Not sure what level your child may be:
- We recommend bringing your child in for a swim assessment, which is available to be completed any time the pool is open to the public and not at full capacity.
- If you are unable to bring your child in for an assessment before registration begins please call our Aquatics Director Tara at (902)464-5110 to complete an assessment over the phone.
- If your child has never taken formal swimming lessons but is a strong swimmer we do not recommend registering for a lesson over Swimmers 3 as they will be missing technique and/or fundamentals for the skills.
- Please note that if your child is signed up for a level higher than assessment they will be removed to ensure safety of your child and the class.
- If your child just turned 5 years old and previously completed a Skippers level, please see below our level conversion chart.
|
Level
Completed |
3-5 Years | 5-12 Years |
| Skippers 1 | Skippers 2 | Swimmer 1 |
| Skippers 2 | Skippers 3 | Swimmer 1 |
| Skippers 3 | Skippers 4 | Swimmer 1 |
| Skippers 4 | Skippers 5 | Swimmer 2 |
| Skippers 5 | Skippers 6 | Swimmer 2 |
| Skippers 6 | N/A | Swimmer 2 |
Swimmers 1
These swimmers have completed up to Skippers 3 or are taking the first step in their swimming journey. These lessons take place in the main pool where they will be introduced to skills to increase their comfortability in the water. They will progress to completing their front and back floats and glide independently.
🏊♀️ View Skills (click here)
- Enter and exit shallow water
- Jump into chest deep water
- Jump into chest deep water (PFD)
- Tread water [30 sec] (PFD)
- Hold breath underwater [5 sec]
- Submerge and exhale 5 times
- Open eyes under water
- Float on front [5 sec]
- Float on back [5 sec]
- Roll laterally front to back and back to front
- Glide on front [3m]
- Glide on back [3m]
- Glide on side [3m]
- Flutter kick on front [5m]
- Flutter kick on back [5m]
- Front crawl (PFD) [5m]
Swimmers 2
These swimmers will be introduced to swimming 10-15m of front and back crawl, this lesson has a big emphasis on flutter kicks on their back and sides. In this class, they will learn whip kick for the first time and learn water-smart skills
‐ Recommended for children who have completed Swimmers 1 or Skippers 4, up to Skippers 6
🏊♂️ View Skills (click here)
- Jump into deep water, return and exit
- Sideways entry (PFD)
- Tread water [15 sec]
- Recover object from bottom in chest deep water
- Wearing PFD, jump into deep water, tread [30 sec] and swim/kick [15m]
- Flutter kick on side [10m]
- Flutter kick on back [10m]
- Whip kick in vertical position [30 sec] with aid
- Front crawl [10m]
- Back crawl [10m]
-
Interval training:
4 x 9-12m flutter kick with 10-15 sec rest -
Interval training:
4 x 5m flutter kick with 20 sec rest
Swimmers 3
These swimmers will focus on front and back crawl techniques and learn self-water rescue skills like a forward roll into deep water and treading water. In this class, they will perfect their whip kick skills and be introduced to a kneeling dive.
‐ Recommended for children who have completed Swimmers 2.
🏊🏽 View Skills (click here)
- Kneeling dive into deep water
- Forward roll entry into deep water
- Tread water [30 sec]
- Handstand in shallow water
- Front somersault
- Jump into deep water, tread [30 sec] and swim/kick [25m]
- Flutter kick on back [5m], reverse direction and flutter kick on front [5m]
- Flutter kick on front [5m], reverse direction and flutter kick on back [5m]
- Whip kick on back [10m]
- Front crawl [15m]
- Back crawl [15m]
-
Interval training:
4 x15m flutter kick with 20 sec rest
Swimmers 4
These swimmers will progress to swimming 25-50m of front and back crawl, and begin incorporating breaststroke arms into their whip kick. They will be introduced to interval training doing 4x25 front or back crawl with 30 seconds rest.
‐ Recommended for children who have completed Swimmers 3.
🏊🏻 View Skills (click here)
- Standing dive into deep water
- Tread water [1 min]
- Swim underwater [5m]
- Roll entry into deep water, tread [1 min] and swim [50m]
- Whip kick on front [15m]
- Breast stroke arm drills [15m]
- Front crawl [25m]
- Back crawl [25m]
-
Interval training:
4 x25m front or back crawl with 20 sec rest - Sprint front crawl [25m]
- Water smart
Swimmers 5
These swimmers will try breaststroke for the first time as well as a shallow dive into deep water. They will progress to interval training with a 50m front or back crawl with 30 seconds rest and learn how to do a stationary eggbeater (lifesaving kick).
‐ Recommended for children who have completed Swimmers 4.
🏊🏿 View Skills (click here)
- Shallow dive into deep water
- Tuck jump into deep water
- Jump entry into deep water and tread [2 min]
- Stationary eggbeater kick [30 sec]
- Back somersault
- Roll entry into deep water, tread [90 sec] and swim [75m]
- Breaststroke [25m]
- Front crawl [50m]
- Back crawl [50m]
- Head up front crawl [10m]
-
Interval training:
4 x 50m front or back crawl with 30 sec rest -
Interval training:
4 x 15m breast stroke with 30 sec rest - Sprint back crawl [25m]
Swimmers 6
These swimmers will be preparing to start the Patrol levels, in these lessons they will learn beginner lifesaving skills like a stride entry and lifesaving kick. They will progress to completing a 25-50m breaststroke as well as a 50-100m front and back crawl.
‐ Recommended for children who have completed Swimmers 5.
🏊🏼 View Skills (click here)
- Stride entry into deep water
- Compact jump into deep water
- Legs-only surface support [45 sec]
- Swim under water [10m] to recover object
- Eggbeater kick on back [15m]
- Scissor kick [15m]
- Breast stroke [50m]
- Front crawl [100m]
- Back crawl [100m]
- Head-up swim [25m]
-
Interval training:
4 x25m breast stroke with 30 sec rest - Sprint breast stroke 25m
-
Workout (300m):
50m warm up, 4x25m front crawl with 15 sec rest, 4x25m back crawl with 15 sec rest and 50 cooldown
Swimmers 7
These advanced swimmers will be challenged in a new way with endurance and lifesaving first aid skills. During this lesson, they will complete a 350m workout, and a 100m timed swim and will be educated on victim recognition and caring for external bleeding.
‐ Recommended for children who have completed Swimmers 6.
🏊🏿♀️ View Skills (click here)
- Head up front crawl or breast stroke [25m]
- Scull in ready position [30 sec]
- Carry 2.3kg object [15m]
- Surface dives, foot and head first
- Lifesaving kick [25m]
- Inflate clothes / use as buoyant assist
- Obstacle swim [25m]
- Front crawl [50m]
- Back crawl [50m]
- Breast Stroke [50m]
-
Fitness training:
350m workout - Swim [100m] in [3 mins or better]
- Assess conscious victim
- Contacting EMS
- Care for external bleeding
- Look and see
- Victim simulation
- Victim recognition
-
Rescue drill:
Throw aid to target 30 sec
Swimmers 8
These advanced swimmers will add to their skills they learned in Swimmers 7 by learning how to safely remove conscious victims, and care for a victim in shock and an obstructed airway. They will push themselves physically by supporting a 2.3kg object for 1 minute and swimming 200m in 6 minutes.
‐ Recommended for children who have completed Swimmers 7.
🏊🏻♀️ View Skills (click here)
- Somersault sequence, forward and back
- Stride entry, swim head up [25m] and ready position
- Eggbeater kick on back [25m]
- Support 2.3kg object [1 min]
- Search and recover object
- Remove conscious victim
- Front crawl [75m]
- Back crawl [75m]
- Breast stroke [75m]
- Lifesaving medley [100m]
- Swim [200m] in [6 min]
- Assess unconscious breathing victim
- Care for victim in shock
- Obstructed airway, conscious victim
- Victim simulation
- Victim recognition
- Victim avoidance
- Rescue with buoyant object [20m]
Swimmers 9
These advanced swimmers will prepare for the Bronze program by learning defense methods, how to remove an unconscious victim and how to care for a bone or joint injury. This program will push them physically when they swim 300m in 9 minutes and complete the 600m swim.
‐ Recommended for children who have completed Swimmers 8.
🏊🏻♂️ View Skills (click here)
- Entries with aids
- Head up swim [25m] and scull in ready position
- Defense methods front, rear and side
- Eggbeater kick - travel, change direction and height
- Carry 4.5kg object [25m]
- Remove unconscious victim
- Search to recover object
-
Turn and support victim face up
- shallow water - Front crawl [100m]
- Back crawl [100m]
- Breast stroke [100m]
-
Fitness training:
600m workout - Swim [300m] in [9 min]
- Care for bone or joint injury
-
Care for respiratory emergency
- asthma or allergies - Locate and describe submerged object
- Rescue with towing aid [20m]