Dena's Swim School

1. What is the best age to start? Our philosophy is “The sooner the better, and it’s never too late”. The majority of students who start at a very young age will master the water and be able to navigate pools on their own before they turn two. Ages two, three and four are fine ages to start, although sometimes children at this age experience more anxiety and emotional obstacles. As a child grows and becomes a teenager or an adult, they will often find that it is more of a struggle to learn to swim because of the mental hurdles they must overcome. However, an open mind and commitment can often lead to great success.
2. Why should I put my child in private lessons?  It has been proven over and over that lower student to teacher ratio is the best learning environment.  Therefore, one student to one instructor is optimal for learning and being safe.  We specialize in effective learning through on-on-one lessons that are individually tailored to the students learning style and development level
3. What if my child is scared or crying? If your child is nervous or crying, please take a moment to chat with the instructor and then let him/her work with your child. Some children may suffer from separation anxiety, and this will go away as soon as the child gets to know and trust the instructor. A fear of new places may also cause a few tears, and this will also go away with time.Being afraid of the water is not uncommon in younger beginners, but the instructor will compassionately help your child adjust to the water through games and basic skills such as blowing bubbles, songs, and games. With time, your child will be happy and successful in the water. Please be patient and allow the instructors and staff to work their magic with your child.
4. What can I do to make my child comfortable in the water? Let the instructor do most of the teaching. Children learn from repetition and fun. Bath time is another good time to play with skills and have fun in the water. Practice floating or blowing bubbles and kicking your legs in the tub or pool.
5. Can my child swim more than once a week? Of course! The more a child is exposed to the water the faster they will learn to swim. Just be sure not to over do it. Children need all kinds of activities to stimulate their minds and bodies.
6. Are parents allowed to be present during lessons? While we welcome parents to observe the swim lessons so they can carry over the water skills, we find that most children do better when their parents are out of direct sight.  
7. Are parents required to be in the water during lessons?  For children under 2 years, we recommend a parent is in the water for the child to be most comfortable.  Children 2 years and older, get the most out of the lessons without their parent in the water and often with the parent out of direct sight.
8. When will my child be a “safe” swimmer?  Every child is unique and develops at their own pace.  Babies and toddlers who have had positive water experiences early tend to develop faster because they do not develop a fear for the water.  Keeping this in mind, the younger they get started, the sooner they will become safe and joyful swimmers.  Learning to swim is not a skill that you can learn in just a few lessons, but requires time to develop and practice.  We recommend beginners take 3 lessons a week for maximum skill retention and fast progression.
9. Why don’t you use flotation devices? We believe that flotation devices give children and parents a false sense of security. We want our children to feel the water and how it effects and moves their body. The flotation devices tend to make the child swim in a more vertical body position and do not allow the child to discover their own body’s buoyancy. In swimming, you want your body to be in a more horizontal or streamline position so that you can move through water more easily.
10. What if my child is not potty-trained? All children not potty-trained need to wear a reusable or disposable swim diaper.  No exceptions.
11. What should the water temperature be? For the benefit of the student and instructor, we prefer the pool temperature to be at least 86°. We prefer a warm pool because it allows our students to swim in a relaxed environment. A cold pool usually results in cold, shivering students. Who, in turn, will not be relaxed when it’s time to swim. A warm and relaxed environment creates a comfortable and fluid swimmer.
12. Do you hold lessons during bad weather? If our instructors feel the weather is not conducive to a safe learning environment he or she will cancel the lesson and schedule a make-up lesson with you.
13. How does the billing work?  Lesson package of 10 lessons are paid for in advance  to ensure that we are able to book your entire lesson request with an available instructor who is able to set aside that time from for you in their schedule.  Our instructors are extremely busy during the peak swim season and lesson packages ensures they are able to accommodate a client for the duration of the lessons.
14. Do you have insurance?  Yes, we are fully insured to provide swim lessons and life-guarding services.