Adelaide Aquatic Centre is scheduled to open in summer 2025-2026. Get ready and enrol today to secure your spot!
We're proud to offer swimming lessons with the Y.
For more than 100 years, the Y has been teaching people of all ages to swim and inspiring children to develop a lifelong love of the water. Our swimming lesson program strives to ensure all students form a positive connection to the water and its surrounds. It also helps students develop vital lifesaving survival skills, not for just the pool, but rivers, lakes and the ocean.
Our swimming lessons and levels
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Infant lessons (6 months - 3 years)
The infant program introduces your child to the water in a playful and secure environment. Parents / carers support their baby or toddler in the pool, which helps to build the child’s confidence and support their learning. It’s also a wonderful way for parent and child to bond.
There are three different levels in the infant program: Starfish, Periwinkle and Minnow.
Program levels
Level Description Starfish
Ages: 6-12 months
Class size: 8 students- Parent / carer water safety education
- Socialising and water exploration activities
- Submersions: conditioning and breath control through triggers / cues
- Correct hold techniques
- Buoyancy and flotation
- Entries and exits with turns
Periwinkle
Ages: 1-2 years
Class size: 8 students- Parent / carer water safety education
- Comfortable and confident in water, working toward independent swims
- Motor skills and floatation: paddle, kick, propulsion
- Submersions: conditioning and breath control through trigger / cues
- Independent entries and exits with turns
Minnow
Ages: 2-3 years
Class size: 8 students- Parent / carer water safety education
- Independent movement
- Motor skills and floatation: paddle, kick, propulsion
- Breath control and bubbles
- Submersions
- Independent entries and exits with turns / swim
- Follow direction and instruction
- Preparation for Tadpole class without parent
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Preschool lessons (3 - 5 years)
The preschool program teaches children to become more independent in the water. Children begin to follow instructions from their swimming teacher and develop important swimming and survival skills.
There are three levels in the preschool program: Tadpole, Goldfish and Flying Fish. Teachers assess and progress children through these levels based on their individual ability.
Program levels
Teachers assess and progress children through the program levels, based on their individual ability.
Level Description Tadpole
Ages: 3-5 years
Class size: 4 students- Developing independence in the water
- Independent floating on front and back
- Slide entry and exit safely independently
- Complete submersion and recovery independently
- Relaxed, flutter kick with an aid
- Extending out to reach and / or paddle
Goldfish
Ages: 3- 5 years
Class size: 5 students- Water awareness
- Understanding of different entries and safe choices around water environments
- Front and back floats
- Streamline body position
- Develop flutter propulsion with kicking
- Develop breath control
- Introduction to freestyle and backstroke arm movement
Flying Fish
Ages: 3-5 years
Class size: 5 students- Roll from front to back and back to front while kicking
- Continued development of flutter kicks with strong propulsion
- Streamlined body position with hands together, face down blowing bubbles
- Kicks on backs with ears in the water, tummy up and arms by side
- Continual development of freestyle and backstroke arm movements
- Learn how to turn head to breath to the side
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School-age lessons (Ages 5+)
In the school-age program children learn about safe activity in the water and develop vital survival skills not just for the pool but for rivers, lakes and the ocean.
There are multiple levels within the school-age program. Teachers assess and progress children through these levels based on their individual ability.
Program levels
Teachers assess and progress children through the program levels, based on their individual ability.
Level Description Octopus
Ages: 5+ years
Class size: 5 students- Water awareness
- Understanding of different entries and safe choices around water environments
- Floatation and body position
- Develop flutter propulsion in kicking
- Paddle and kick with a recovery breath
- Breath control
- Introduction of freestyle arm movements
Sardine
Ages: 5+ years
Class size: 5 students- We have a continual, relaxed, flutter kick with strong propulsion
- Form a streamlined body position on front and back
- Continual development of freestyle and backstroke
- Learn how to turn head to breath to the side
- Introduce survival backstroke and dolphin kick
Turtle
Ages: 5+ years
Class size: 6 students- Perform an underwater push and glide
- Continual, relaxed, flutter kick
- Freestyle is continued with side breathing
- Backstroke demonstrates continual, relaxed kicking
- Introduction to Breaststroke kick on their back
- Continual development of dolphin kick motion
Salmon
Ages: 5+ years
Class size: 6 students- Developing freestyle and backstroke technique without board
- Continued development of breaststroke kick technique with aid
- Learn to catch at beginning of stroke
- Confident underwater movement and summersaults
Tuna
Ages: 5+ years
Class size: 6 students- Creating strong strokes with continual correction
- Increasing endurance through further swimming distance.
- Development of breaststroke kick to form strong propulsion
- Basic introduction to breaststroke arms
- Continual development of starts from wall
- Introduction to tumble turns
Dolphin
Ages: 5+ years
Class size: 7 students- Endurance development
- Complete breaststroke with timing
- Successful execution of survival backstroke and side stroke
- Introduction to basic butterfly arms
- Correct starts from wall for all strokes
- Development of successful Tumble Turns
Shark
Ages: 5+ years
Class size: 7 students- Increasing endurance to pathway feed into Squad Program
- Continual improvement of stroke technique
- Deep water confidence
- Introduction to full Butterfly
- Develop dive starts
- Encourage tumble turns at each end
- Successful execution of survival backstroke and sidestroke
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Squad programs (Ages 5+)
Our squad programs are a vital step between our swimming lessons program and competitive club swimming. They focus on building strong technique, endurance, speed and efficiency and introduce squad-style training. Participants also develop personal skills such as teamwork, discipline, confidence and resilience to prepare for competitions.
We offer junior squad programs as well as a non-competitive squad for those who want to continue swimming without the pressure of competition.
Level Description Junior 4
Ages: 5+ years
Class size: 16 students- Improve technique on all strokes
- Prepares for squad and competitive swimming
- Increasing endurance
- 100 metre freestyle
- 100 metre backstroke
- 50 metre breaststroke
- 25 metre butterfly
- Tumble turns and racing dives
Junior 3
Ages: 5+ years
Class size: 16 students- Technique improvement
- Endurance development
- 200 metre freestyle and backstroke
- 100 metre breaststroke
- 50 metre butterfly
- Tumble turns and racing dives
Enquire now
To find out more about swimming lessons at Adelaide Aquatic Centre (opening summer 2025-2026) and register your interest, please submit a swimming lessons enquiry.
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Teen lessons (10 - 17 Years)
It's never too late to learn to swim! Whether you're starting swimming lessons for the first time or would like to refine your skills and technique, our teen lessons can help you achieve your goals.
Level Description Teen Beginner
Class size: 6 students
Age: 10-17- Understanding of different entries and safe choices around water environments
- Floatation and body position
- Develop flutter kicking propulsion
- Breath control and underwater confidence
- Introduction of freestyle and backstroke arm movements
Teen Intermediate
Class size: 6 students
Age: 10-17- Developing freestyle and backstroke technique without a board
- Backstroke demonstrates continual, relaxed, flutter kicks
- Introduction to breaststroke kick with an aid
Enquire now
To find out more about swimming lessons at Adelaide Aquatic Centre (opening summer 2025-2026) and register your interest, please submit a swimming lessons enquiry.
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Adult lessons (18 years +)
It's never too late to learn to swim! Whether you're starting swimming lessons for the first time or would like to refine your skills and technique, our adult lessons can help you achieve your goals.
Level Description Adult Foundation
Class size: 6 students
Duration: 30 minutes
Age: 18+- Developing confidence in water
- Safe entry and exit safely
- Water awareness and walking in all directions
- Develop breath control
- Front and back floats, with recovery to a standing position
- Relaxed, flutter kick with an aid
- Forward movement of the arms
Adult Beginner
Class size: 6 students
Duration: 30 minutes
Age: 18+
- Understanding the motion of rolling from front to back to front, while flutter kicking in a forward motion
- continual, relaxed flutter kick with strong propulsion
- Form a streamlined body position
- Ears in the water on back
- Introduction of freestyle and backstroke arm movements
- Learn how to turn head to breathe to the side with continual, relaxed, flutter kick
Adult Intermediate
Class size: 6 students
Duration: 30 minutes
Age: 18+- Developing freestyle and backstroke technique
- Strong, continual flutter kick
- Introduction to breaststroke
- Increasing endurance
- Learn to demonstrate correct Survival Backstroke
- Developing treading water technique
Enquire now
To find out more about swimming lessons at Adelaide Aquatic Centre (opening summer 2025-2026) and register your interest, please submit a swimming lessons enquiry.
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Access, Inclusion, and Private Lessons
These programs are designed to support individuals with intellectual or physical disabilities, focusing on growing swimming abilities and self-confidence
Enquire now
To find out more about swimming lessons at Adelaide Aquatic Centre (opening summer 2025-2026) and register your interest, please submit a swimming lessons enquiry.
Our Swimming Teachers
Our teachers are nationally accredited and provide a safe, social and encouraging learning environment to help your child to reach their full potential in and out of the water.
Swimming lesson memberships
What's included?
- One 30-minute swimming lesson per week
- Unlimited make-up lessons if your child needs to miss a lesson
- Access to the splash park and leisure pool outside of lesson times – perfect for practising!
- Access to the online customer portal to book lessons and track your child’s progress
Prices
- Swimming Lessons: $26.90 per week (direct debited fortnightly)
- Junior Squads: $28.12 per week (direct debited fortnightly)
Don't miss out – enrol today!
Secure your spot in our swimming lessons program before Adelaide Aquatic Centre opens by enrolling online.
Or, if you'd like to find out more, submit the enquiry form below to get in touch.