LEVEL ONE: WATER EXPLORATION

The objective of Level One is to help students feel comfortable in the water and to enjoy the water safely. Students will learn elementary water skills which they can build on as they progress through the various levels.

1 - Become oriented to aquatic environment
2 - Fully submerge face (3 seconds)
3 - Experience buoyancy (bob 10 times)
4 - Supported float on front/back
5 - Basic breath control (bubble blowing)
6 - Enter and exit water independently
7 - Move through water comfortably
8 - Supported kicking on front/back
9 - Introduction to alternating arm action
10- Familiarize with getting help
11- Reaching assists without equipment

LEVEL TWO: PRIMARY SKILLS

Level Two is to give students success with fundamental skills and learn to float without support. Learn basic self-help rescue skills.

1 - Fully submerge head (hold 3 seconds)
2 - Retrieve objects in chest deep water
3 - Orientation to deep water with support
4 - Front and back float unsupported
5 - Unsupported back float or glide (5 sec.)
6 - Leveling off from a vertical position
7 - Rhythmic breathing (bob 10 times)
8 - Step-in entry and side exit
9 - Flutter kick on front/back
10- Back crawl arm action
11- Combined stroke front/back using kick/arm movements (5 yards)
12- Turning over front/back, back/front

LEVEL THREE: STROKE READINESS

Students learn to coordinate front and back crawl. Introduce elementary backstroke and the fundamentals of treading water.

1 - Retrieve object, eye open, no support
2 - Bob and submerge head completely
3 - Bob in water slightly over head to travel to safe area
4 - Jump into deep water from side of pool
5 - Kneeling dive and compact dive from side of pool
6 - Front/Back glide w/ push off (2 body lengths)
7 - Coordinate arm stroke for crawl with breathing to side
8 - Coordinate back crawl
9 - Elementary back stroke (10 yards)
10- Reverse direction while swimming on front/back

LEVEL FOUR: STROKE DEVELOPMENT

Level Four develops confidence in stokes learned thus far and to improve other aquatic skills. Introduce breaststroke, sidestroke and wall turns.

1 - Deep water bobbing
2 - Experiment with buoyancy and floating position
3 - Rotary breathing
4 - Stride dive from side of pool from a standing position
5 - Elementary backstroke (10 yards)
6 - Sculling on back (5 yards)
7 - Front/back crawl (25 yards)
8 - Basics of Breaststroke (10 yards)
9 - Basics of Sidestroke (10 yards)
10- Turning at the wall
11- Tread water with modified scissors and rotary kicks

LEVEL FIVE: STROKE REFINEMENT

Coordination and refinement of key strokes. Introduce the butterfly, open turns, feet-first surface dives. Increase swim distances.

1 - Alternate breathing
2 - Stride jump entry
3 - Beginning diving progression
4 - Long shallow dive
5 - Breaststroke (10 yards)
6 - Sidestroke (10 yards
7 - Underwater swimming (3 body lengths)
8 - Elementary backstroke (15 yards)
9 - Butterfly Dolphin Kick (10 yards)
10- Front/back crawl (50 yards)
11- Open turn on front/back
12- Feet first surface dive
13- Tread water (2 min., 2 different strokes)

LEVEL SIX: SKILL PROFICIENCY

The objective of Level Six is to polish strokes so students swim with more ease, efficiency, power, and smoothness over greater distances.

1 - Approach and hurdle
2 - Jump tuck diving
3 - Front/back crawl (100 yards one turn minimum at wall)
4 - Breaststroke (25 yards)
5 - Sidestroke (25 yards)
6 - Butterfly (10 yards)
7 - Approach stroke (25 yards)
8 - Breaststroke turn
9 - Sidestroke turn
10- Speed turn and pull-out for breaststroke
11- Flip turn for front crawl
12- Pike/tuck surface dive
13- Alternate kicks for treading water (3 min., 1 minute - no hands)