Learning To Swim - HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?

By: Andy and Tapanee Thompson

In the swim school industry, an instructor can expect to be asked a certain question by various customers throughout the year on a pretty regular basis: “How long will it take for my child to learn to swim?”  To answer this question, each family should first understand that being able to swim proficiently is one of the most important life skills anyone can achieve.  However, the first goal for every parent should be to get her/his child to be safe in the water.

At British Swim School, before we even start down the road to swim proficiency with our students, we first guide them to obtain the skills paramount to surviving an accidental fall-in.  How long it will take to learn to be safe in the water depends on many factors such as age, fear of water, and frequency and consistency of lessons. It could take children under the age of 3 anywhere from 6 months to 2 years to be safe in the water. The earlier you start, the easier to learn and the sooner they will be safe in the water. It is not to be mistaken that to be safe in the water means they are drown-proof. No one is ever drown-proof. Adult supervision is absolutely critical when you are near the water. Drowning is often silent. Don’t ever expect you will hear them if they are in trouble.

Often times,  parents come to us and report their child already knows how to swim. It is often the case that their child has the ability to go across the pool with the doggy paddle but is unable to perform the life-saving back float, which would afford them time to rest and call for help in the event they fell in. This false sense of security is not only dangerous, it is downright scary. We get right to work on that skill first which is an important fundamental to learning to swim proficiently, while lowering the risk of drowning among children.

Acquiring Swim Proficiency Is A Process

Acquisition of swim proficiency is not something that happens overnight.  It is not an EVENT.  It is a process that takes a substantial amount of time, no matter the student.  How much time?  There is no firm answer.  Every student will learn at a pace that is comfortable to them.  The key to that statement is comfort. At our school, we nurture a true sense of fun in the water with all of our students, increasing the chances that the student will acquire one of the most powerful, life-confirming skills they will ever need.

At British Swim School, we start from 3 months old and go all the way up to adults. We create safe and happy swimmers by providing a year-round continuous program as opposed to sessions. Oftentimes we find that students who drop for a period of time will regress. As a result, we believe that children need repetition and continuous training to learn.

How long will it take to learn how to swim?  The only honest answer is, it depends.  Not what every parent wants to hear.  But it is a genuine answer.  It depends on:

• personality of the child
• whether fear is involved
• their age
• consistency of going to lessons
• level of training of the instructor

Adults will learn at a much faster pace than children. For young children, it is expected to be a process of 2-3 years to learn how to swim proficiently.

What is the definition of being “able to swim proficiently”?  More on that next time…..