Welcome to our Learn to Swim Skills @ Home page. We will be adding both pictures and videos over the next couple of weeks so these skills from our weekly lessons can be practised.  Some don't require you to be in the pool but if you are,  please make sure there is an adult present. 

1. Streamline

Relevant Levels: All - A correct Streamline position is used across all levels of Learn to Swim and Stroke Development as well as right though our Squad levels. 

Required for Promotion: Tadpoles to Goldfish (Swim Hub) & Starfish to Turtles (Main Pool) in a correct Glide Position 

The images below depict how your Streamline should look. This can be practised out of the pool to either maintain shoulder flexibility or those still having trouble getting their arms behind their ears keep trying. It can take a little while for those muscles to get used to this position. A good streamline position is essential for promotion in our Learn to Swim levels and swimmers will continue to execute this throughout all Stroke Development and Squad levels. 

As per the labels on the photos this positioning is what the coaches are looking for in our assessment process. 

Helpful hints for a successful Streamline Glide: 

• Set up with correct arm position
• Using the a ledge, step or ladder, bend forward ensuring arms stay in the correct position
• Bend at the hips with bent knees, eyes down and aim for goggles in the water first
• When in the water, maintain good head position, chin on chest, arms behind ears, squeeze everything tightly. Legs and feet together. 

This is how it should look in the water.

2. Back Float

Relevant Levels: All - Being able to float and maintain buoyancy in the water without moving is vital before adding kicking or arms.

Required for Promotion: For Tadpoles to Goldfish (Swim Hub) and Starfish to Turtles (Main Pool) children must be able to demonstrate a 5 second back float independently and recover to a standing position. 

Helpful Hints: Ears wet and chin dry to help with head position. Belly button up to the sky. It's important the child is relaxed, a stiff body is really hard to float. Arms and legs spread to help with weight distribution and balance. 

3. Flip and Float 

Relevant Levels:  Tadpole level at Swim Hub. Practised in Starfish at the Main Pool

Required for Promotion: Yes from Tadpole to Goldfish in Swim Hub

This skill is taught so children learn to use their body to maintain buoyancy by getting their head, hips and feet in the right position so they don't sink. It also helps with breath control, learning to take a breath before turning & trying not to get water up their nose when they flip back.  We do this both starting on their front and starting on their back. 

Helpful Hints:  Being relaxed in the water is super important to get this skill.  When the children roll between front and back and vice versa make sure their head simply rolls rather than lift. A dropped chin when on their back will cause their hips to drop.  Eyes should be looking down when on their front and eyes up / chin up on their back.  Ollie, who demonstrates in the video below is 12, for older children this skill is a bit more difficult due to their size but younger ones should be able to master it with some practice. 

4. Gliding with a Kickboard

Relevant Levels: Used in Tadpoles and Goldfish (Swim Hub) and Starfish & Turtles (Main Pool).  

Required for Promotion: No 

This drill helps to practice head & body position. The main objective is maintain eyes looking down with hips, legs and feet on the surface of the water.  See below for some useful cues.

Helpful Hints:  Hands on top (iPad thumbs).  Arms go above the head with straight elbows with chin on chest. To push off, bend knees and aim for goggles in the water first. 

5. Dog Paddle with Pop up Breath.

Relevant Level: Tadpoles (Swim Hub)

Required for Promotion: Yes. From Tadpoles to Goldfish 

This skill brings together arms and legs moving at the same time and adding a breath. There's a lot to coordinate when swimming & we often see a child can kick well independently but those great kicking legs disappear when we add another component. By keeping arms under the water in this skill it helps to keep a correct body position in the water while children learn to move their arms and legs at the same time. Sounds easy but things that seem easy on land can be harder in the water.  We want to maintain what we have already learnt, eyes down, long kicking legs, fast little kicks. 

Helpful Hints: Remind kids to keep their eyes down, fast legs but slow arms. 

6. Kicking.

Relevant Levels: All - Learn To Swim, Stroke Development and Squads.

Required for Promotion: Yes, from Tadpoles to new Swim Hub level Seahorses

Our first video uses a kickboard to help with flotation and body position. It's important the board is held nice and tightly so the child has control of it. Same hold (iPad thumbs) and beginning cues as the kickboard glide -  eyes down, ears in the water.  A good kick is essential to progress through the higher Learn to Swim and Stroke Development levels.  From when a child first learns to kick we want to encourage fast little kicks, legs close together and fairly straight knees.  If we instruct with the words "big kicks" children tend to bend their knees and their kick becomes inefficient.  Kicking comes from the hips all the way to the toes. 

The next video shows a Streamline kick - so we take away the board.  Again a skill used right through all Learn to Swim, Stroke Development and Squad levels. 

Required for Promotion: Yes, from Goldfish to Penguins in Swim Hub and Turtles to Seals at AIS Main Pool.  

7. Bubble and Breathe

Relevant Levels: All - Learn To Swim, Stroke Development and Squads.

Required for Promotion: Yes, Goldfish to Penguins (Swim Hub)  and Turtles to Seals at Main Pool. 

Before trying to master this skill moving we start learning a Bubble & Breathe, stationary. We want to instil a practice of rolling the head, rather than lifting and creating an even air exchange. A simple to way to explain this is reminding children is on land we breathe in and out all the time without really noticing it but in the water we can't breathe in, only out. Breathe in to the side and blow bubbles to breathe out.  To simplify further, talk to the fish, listen to the fish. 

8. Windmill Arms

Relevant Levels:  Goldfish (Swim Hub) , Turtles (Main Pool)

Required for Promotion: No 

Once the children have mastered propelling themselves through the water with a good kick and dog paddle arms we introduce the arms coming out of the water.  This is where the coordination gets tricky between keeping their body in the right position, legs kicking and arms moving all together.  We generally want to establish a good kick before adding arms into the mix.  We start by practicing on land (video below).  We want slow, big arms and keeping their body relatively skill.  Make sure arms moving continuously though and hand not meeting. One arm should be in the water and one arm out. 

8. Windmill Arms - in the water

Relevant Levels: Goldfish (Swim Hub) , Turtles (Main Pool)

Required for Promotion: Yes. Goldfish to Penguins (Swim Hub) Turtles to Seals (Main Pool)

Let's put those arms into practice in the water. We want to see head down (chin on chest), nice fast kicking legs but slow arms. The pool used in the demonstration videos is quite short but hopefully it will give you a bit of an idea of what we are looking for.