Swim Lessons

How do I know what level to register my child in?

View the conversion chart to find out how to convert a Red Cross lesson into a LSS lesson or call us to schedule a free swim assessment. Your child must be turning the minimum age when the program starts not during the program as set by the Lifesaving Society.

NEW! Swim Skills Pop-up

This swim program provides kids with an opportunity to practice their swimming skills with one of our certified swim instructors. Attend as many sessions as you like! Space is very limited and pre-registration is required. Progress reports and evaluations will not be provided to registrants. The City's refund policy will apply for any cancelled classes.

Days: Tuesdays and Thursdays until August 24, 2023.
Times: 10:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. (each class is 30-minutes)
Cost: $8.65 per person

Fall swim lesson registration

We recognize the importance of safety in and around water.

You can register online or in person at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. Online registration is highly recommended. Lesson schedules will be viewable online beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 6, 2023 at brantford.ca/Activenet.

Lessons run once a week for 8-weeks beginning October 2, 2023. Swim class descriptions can be found below.

Financial Assistance is available to those that meet the requirements. Learn more.

Winter swim lesson registration

We recognize the importance of safety in and around water.

You can register online or in person at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, December 6, 2023. Online registration is highly recommended. Lesson schedules will be viewable online beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 29, 2023 at brantford.ca/Activenet.

Lessons run once a week for 8-weeks beginning January 8, 2024. Swim class descriptions can be found below.

Financial Assistance is available to those that meet the requirements. Learn more.

Makeup classes

We do not reschedule swimming lessons for personal reasons such as illness, vacations or sporting events.

Photography

We want you to capture the special moments by taking pictures, but not everyone wants to be in your picture. We will allow one day per session to take pictures, which will be on the last day of swimming lessons.

Preschoolers

If your child is not potty-trained, please make sure to dress them in pool-safe diapers (e.g. Little Swimmers). We sell these at the front desk but we have limited stock available. We will not allow regular diapers in the pool.

Private and semi-private swimming lessons

We offer private swimming lessons and semi-private swimming lessons are available.

Private Swim Lessons

One-on-one swimming lessons are available throughout the week for swimmers ages three and older that need more attention to improve on their swimming skills. It is ideal for those that may move, learn, or communicate differently as well.

View our complete private swim lesson rate, ratio and length for ages three and up. Class lengths vary throughout the year; please check RecConnect for current course lengths.

Private rates
Rates	Class length	Classes	Ratio
$221.20	30 minutes	8	1:1

Semi-Private Swim Lessons

To set-up semi-private lessons (two swimmers to one instructor), you must do the following:

Register the first swimmer into a regular private lesson at the regular private lesson rate then;
Call us to register the second swimmer at an additional, reduced rate

Note: for safety reasons, the two swimmers being registered in the semi-private lessons, must be no greater than two levels apart (e.g. Swimmer 1 and Swimmer 3) unless pre-approved by the Aquatic Supervisor. We will not be able to permit a child ages three to six, to be in a semi-private lesson with a child that is capable of swimming 25m's or more of the pool.

View our semi-private swimming lessons rate, ratio and length for ages three and up. Class lengths vary throughout the year; please check RecConnect for current course lengths.

Semi-private rates
Rates	Class length	Classes	Ratio
$162.00	30 minutes	8	1:2

Swim class descriptions

Parent and Tot (4 months to 3 years)

Your child will learn to enjoy being in the water with you in this class. A parent/caregiver must be in the water with their child(ren) to provide hands on support.

Preschool 1

Your preschooler will learn to get in and out of the water and jump into chest deep water. They will do floats and glides on their front and back with assistance, and learn to get their face wet and blow bubbles underwater. When they are ready they will learn to jump into chest deep water by themselves, and how to get in and get out wearing a lifejacket. They will also submerge and exhale underwater.

Preschool 2

Your preschooler will learn to get in and out of the water and jump into chest deep water. They will do floats and glides on their front and back, and learn to get their face wet and blow bubbles underwater. When they are ready they will learn to jump into chest deep water by themselves, and how to get in and get out wearing a lifejacket. They will also submerge and exhale underwater. While they wear a lifejacket they will glide on their front and back.

Preschool 3

Your child will try both jumping and a sideways entry into deep water while they wear a lifejacket and they will recover objects from the bottom in waist-deep water. They will also work on kicking and gliding through the water on their front and back unassisted.. They will also master a short (5 metres) swim on their front wearing a lifejacket and gliding and kicking on their side.

Preschool 4

Your child will try both jumping and a sideways entry into deep water unassisted and they will recover objects from the bottom in chest-deep water. They will also work on kicking and gliding through the water on their front and back unassisted for 7 metres and open their eyes underwater. They will also learn front crawl, and master gliding and kicking on their side.

When they get more confident they will try a forward roll entry wearing a lifejacket and treading water for 15 seconds.

Preschool 5

Your child will learn to do a forward roll entry while wearing a lifejacket and they will recover objects from the bottom in chest-deep water. They will learn front crawl and back crawl unassisted.

They will learn vertical whip kick in a lifejacket and will complete interval training.

Swimmer 1

Your child will become comfortable jumping into water with and without a lifejacket. They will learn to open their eyes, exhale and hold their breath underwater. They will also work on floats, glides and kicking through the water on their front and back on their own.

Swimmer 2

Your child will become comfortable jumping into deeper water and learn to fall sideways into the water wearing a lifejacket. They will also learn to support themselves on the surface without an aid, whip kick, swim 10 metres on their front and back, and we will introduce them to flutter kick interval training for 5 metres, four times.

Swimmer 3

Your child will dive and explore various entries in deep water. They will work on their front crawl for 15 metres, back crawl and whip kick for 10 metres. Their flutter kick interval training will increase to 15 metres, four times.

Swimmer 4

Your child will swim 5 metres underwater and complete lengths of front crawl and back crawl, whip kick and breaststroke arms with breathing. They will also finish the Canadian Swim to Survive Standard then finish with front crawl sprints over 25 metres and front or back crawl interval training, 25 metres, four times.

Swimmer 5 to 6

Your swimmer will master their shallow dives, cannonball entries, eggbeater kicks, and in-water backward somersaults. They will refine their front and back crawl over 50 metres, and breaststroke over 25 metres. Then they will pick up the pace doing 25 m sprints and two interval training sprints; 50 metres, four times, front and back crawl; and breast stroke, 15 metres, four times.

Swimmer 7 to 9

Your swimmer will be challenged with 600 metre workouts, 300 metre timed swims and a 25 metre object carry. Strokes are refined over 100 metre swims. First aid focuses on treatment of bone or joint injuries and respiratory emergencies including asthma and allergic reactions. Lifesaving skills will include defence methods, victim removals and rolling over and supporting a victim face-up in shallow water.

Adult 1

This class is for non swimmers or beginners who are looking to become more confident in the water. Learn to put your face in and exhale, swim on your front and back and work on your swimming strokes.

Adult 2

This class is for building endurance and correcting your swimming strokes. Work on drills to build strength and technique to become a more confident swimmer.