What is Infant Aquatics® and how is it Different From Other Swim Programs?

There are many swim lesson programs available, and out of those, a fraction are survival swimming programs. So if you’re looking for an instructor for your child, it’s important to evaluate the methods and instructors to find the right fit for your family.

Infant Aquatics® is a self-rescue survival swimming program for children ages 6-months-6 years old.

In only 4 weeks, infants who are at least 6 months old but are not yet walking learn to hold their breath in the water, roll onto their backs to rest, and wait for help if they were ever to get into the water alone.

Children who are walking up to 6 years old will learn to swim-float-swim--that is, hold their breath and propel themselves with their eyes and face in the water, and rollback and float when they need air. Although this is technically a “survival” sequence, it is also most often used for fun in the pool.

Most general swim lessons available for children under 3 years old are “parent/tot” water acclimation classes. Sure, these lessons can be a fun activity. However, the goal is to get kids more comfortable with the water before actually learning to swim.

Infant Aquatics® lessons are focused on teaching competence in the water first so that confidence naturally follows. 

Since most drownings (non-fatal without injury, non-fatal with injury, and fatal) happen to kids under 5, the most dangerous scenario is having a child who “thinks” they can swim but really cannot.
​
Infant Aquatics® lessons are always taught by certified Infant Aquatic Survival® Specialists. All IA instructors must go through a rigorous 6-week training, which involves hours per day being hands-on with a wide range of ages and abilities under the supervision of a Certifying Instructor. IA instructors also study hours of academic material focused on child development, behavior, and anatomy/physiology as it relates to teaching very young children to swim.

In IA lessons, children must be medically cleared to swim prior to starting lessons, and lessons are kept to a maximum of 10 minutes each (20 minutes for older children) to ensure the safest possible lesson each day. Continuing education is ample for Infant Aquatics instructors, and they have access to a vast knowledge source of other instructors and certifying instructors 24 hours per day.

Infant Aquatics®’ initial lessons are only 1:1 so that your child receives our undivided attention each day.

Lessons are 4 days per week over the course of 4-6 weeks, because that is how young children best learn and retain new motor skills, like crawling, walking, and swimming. Having longer lessons (group or 1:1) only 1-2 times per week will not yield the same results. That’s why we say our kids learn how to swim in a matter of weeks, not months or years!

Most children are not ready for more traditional stroke lessons until they are 5-6 years old, mainly because learning to take a side breath takes a lot of coordination. And you will not see IA swimmers pop their heads for a breath. For children under 4, this move gets tiring quickly, since their heads are very heavy relative to their bodies. And when small kids pick their heads up to breathe, their feet sink and they go vertical, making it very hard to stay on top of the water. Staying horizontal during the swim and then rolling over for a breath makes swimming much easier, safer, and more efficient for them.

Some Infant Aquatics® instructors teach stroke, and some just get your child swimming and floating but well-prepared to learn stroke when they are older. Either way, your child will be swimming better and far ahead of most kids who don’t start rigorous lessons until they are 4-5 years old. By the time stroke lessons are needed, IA kids are already much safer and more comfortable in the water because they have been swimming long before that!

Regardless of which lessons you take, it’s always a good idea to observe them first and see what you think of the instructor and method. Also remember that no person is ever “drown proof,” and that all children need constant eyes-on supervision while in or near the water. Infant Aquatics lessons are a terrific start to your child’s safe swimming journey and are their final defense in the water should supervision, barriers to the water, alarms, etc. ever fail.

Give your child the self-rescue swimming skills they need now to be safer, and lay a foundation for a lifelong love of the water!