For children

Children aged three and over participate in a fun and engaging aquatic learning environment where they will develop personal survival and water safety skills.

The children’s basic swimming strokes will be developed as technique is introduced and developed as children move through the levels. The program is designed to allow development at the child’s own pace.

Our instructors incorporate fun into the children’s learning environment to maximise their learning and encourage an enjoyment of swimming.

Level	Age	Duration	Ratio	Children recommended for this level
Goldfish	3-4 years	30 minutes	1:6	Have no previous water experience Are not confident in or around water
Turtle	4-5 years	30 minutes	1:5	Are comfortable in water Are able to blow bubbles Can fully submerge and open eyes under the water Can float on their back and float with a flotation aid
Otter	5+ years	30 minutes	1:6	Can kick on front with a flotation aid with face in the water for 10 meters Can kick on back with a flotation aid for 10 meters Can float using a flotation aid for 30 seconds
Whale	6+ years	30 minutes	1:6	Can swim 15 meters of backstroke and freestyle using efficient stroke technique Are comfortable in deep water Can tread water for 15 seconds Can submerge and recover an object from chest depth
Shark	7+ years	30 minutes	1:8	Can swim 25 meters of freestyle and backstroke efficiently Can swim 10 meters of lifesaving backstroke efficiently Can tread water and survival skull for 90 seconds
Stingray	8+ years	45 minutes	1:8	Can swim continuously for 200 meters using efficient stroke techniques Can survival skull, float or tread water for 4 minutes Can survival swim slowly for 6 minutes Can perform a surface dive and recover items in water depth equivalent to the height of the student

Please note that there is a $19.99 start up fee for aquatic education memberships.

Goldfish – 3 to 4 years

Children are taught how to safely enter and exit the water and the importance of water safety reinforced. Once in the water they are introdued to movement in the water and familiarising them with basic swimming actions. A parent or guardian is required in the water with children in the goldfish level.

The essential water skills are taught including the flutter kick technique using flotation devices and blowing bubbles, while putting their face under the water. The children will floating on their back and front with assistance from instructor, parent or flotation device.

Turtle – 4 to 5 years

The turtle group focuses on ensuring the children are aware of how they can move in an aquatic environment and builds on the skills learnt in goldfish of water familiarisation.

The children will learn how to float on their own and how to recover to a standing position after floating on their back and front respectively. Arm movements are introduced with their flutter kick so they can can begin to move forward in the water. Torpedo's will be a key to practicing and developing flutter kick skills, as well as introducing the idea of breathing while kicking.

Otter – 5+ years

The otter's main focus is to develop breathing techniques, while in motion. Otter's will be able to place their head underwater, open their eyes underwater and blow bubbles by this stage.

Drills using kickboards and progressing to no kickboards incorporating breathing and flutter kick and eventually arm motions will be key. The children should also be able to answer questions about water safety and practice safe slide in entries, jump entries and exits.

Children will begin to learn basic stroke skills individually and then as a whole.

Drills to develop a proficient flutter kick and windmill arms are key to getting a basic freestyle action developed for children in this level. Kicking on their backs is also introduced to get the children developing skills for backstroke.

Whale – 6+ years

Once a basic freestyle action is developed it can be refined in the whale level. When the children have mastered something that resembles freestyle arms with a flutter kick basic breathing techniques can be introduced. The child's backstroke skills will also be refined in this level concentrating on keeping their tummies up and their heads back whilst using nice straight arms out of the water and big pulling motions whilst their arms are underwater. Children will be able to swim 50m using two or more strokes in the later stages of this level. Children will be introduced to butterfly kick with their arms by their side to gain skills to be built upon in later levels.

Shark – 7+ years

Sharkies should now be competent in freestyle and backstroke and be able to do a basic breastroke. The timing of arms, kicks and breathing for breastroke will be refined in the shark level.

They will now enhance their breathing techniques by taking them one step further with bilaterally breathing, while swimming freestyle. Children will be introduced to the survival backstroke frog kick and using a flotation aid lying on their backs. The basic skills for breaststroke will be introduced and built upon. Children will be taught to duck dive under the water to collect objects in deeper water as well how to safely dive into the water.

Stingray – 8+ years

The stingray level is the junior squad at NMRC.

After completing the shark level the child should be competent in all four strokes. Squad will focus on building endurance and fitness whilst improving technique to develop speed. These lessons are run for 45 minutes and will introduce the use of fins and pool buoys to maximise stroke efficiency and technique.

Swimming endurance is now introduced to enable children to swim multiple laps in all strokes, while working on fitness and technique. Sharkies will now begin butterfly arms and combine them with the butterfly kicks learned in earlier levels.