Swimming Lessons Cost

• At $20 -$445 per session, group lessons are the most popular offering. They allow students to learn through participating as well as by watching others demonstrate swimming skills. For example, a four-week session for children that includes two lessons each week costs $30 for members of the public at the University of South Florida Waterfront Swim School, and the Copley Family YMCA in California charges $32 for members and $45 for non-members for a four-week group session; classes are offered once a week and are 30 minutes long. For $445, instructors from Arizona's Kidtastics will come to a family's backyard pool to provide eight in-home lessons for a group of four students.
• One-on-one private lessons typically cost $54 -$330 per lesson and allow students their instructor's undivided attention and the chance to progress more rapidly. For example, a package of six private lessons for members costs $140 at the PNC YMCA in Pennsylvania. The Somerset Valley YMCA in New Jersey charges members $129 for four private swim lessons, while non-members pay $199. In Arizona, Kidtastics charges $330 for eight private swim lessons.
• People with private pools can hire swim instructors to come to their home, condo or apartment complex from $40 per lesson to more for session packages. The Bridgewater Family YMCA in New Jersey charges members $150 for four weekly swimming lessons for one participant. In Texas, the YMCA of Arlington charges $325 for two-week sessions for up to six participants; classes last 50 minutes.
• Classes for children as young as six months cost about $30 -$174 per session. In Texas, the YMCA of Arlington charges members $30 for four "Parent/Child" classes while the Chicago Swim School charges $165 for 12 classes. These programs require a parent or caregiver to be in the pool with the infant at all times.

• Students are put together by age and ability and student-to-instructor ratios vary. There's one instructor to five or six children for preschoolers aged three to five at the Copley Family YMCA. For age 14 to adult, the student-teacher ratio there can be as many as 1:10. Michigan's Troy Family Aquatic Center's instructor ratio is 1:6 for classes without parents and 1:15 for parent-tot or parent-infant courses. At Kidtastics in Arizona, swim pupils learn in groups of three or four.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics supports formal swimming lessons for most children 4 years and older. California's Sequoia YMCA created these objectives for its swim students, based on the YMCA's national curriculum.
• Many swim centers require their instructors to have completed training programs offered by the YMCA or the American Red Cross. The University of Minnesota's swim program requires instructors to hold certifications in first-aid and CPR.
• Here's a checklist for what to look for in quality swim lessons, according to Babycenter.com.

• At most YMCAs, non-members often can take lessons, but might pay more. At the PNC YMCA, that "program fee" costs an additional $50 annually, according to the center's staff.
• Non potty-trained children must wear protective disposable or re-useable swim diapers while taking lessons in the pool. Both products are widely available at stores including Target and online sites such as Diapers.com for less than $10.

• All YMCAs, including California's Sequoia YMCA, charge on a sliding scale based on family income.
• The Washington District of Columbia Jewish Community Center gives discounts to members and non-members who buy packages of five private swim lessons.
• The University of South Florida extends discounts if more than one child from a family is enrolled in swim lessons. Colleges also typically charge students, faculty, staff and alumni lower fees.
• YMCA members get discounts on swim lessons and the annual cost of family memberships, varying by region. Annual family memberships cost $909 at the Bridgewater Family YMCA in New Jersey and $864 at the Southwest Family YMCA in Colorado.

• Contact local branches of the Red Cross and YMCA to find nearby aquatic centers offering swimming and water safety courses. The United States Swim School Association trade group also lists its members.
• Observe a swim class before enrolling to ensure a good fit, according to Megan Block-Brewer, aquatics director at the Sequoia YMCA: "Some styles are very competitive, others emphasize fun."
• Once enrolled, many swim programs do not offer financial refunds or pro-rate fees for classes missed, give program vouchers or extend make-up lessons. Before signing up, make sure to understand all terms.

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