Swimming Lessons Cost

Typical costs:

• 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^[1] , 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^[2] 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^[3] 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^[4] 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^[5] 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^[6] .

• At most YMCAs, non-members often can take lessons, but might pay more. At the PNC YMCA^[7] , 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^[8] and online sites such as Diapers.com^[9] for less than $10.

• All YMCAs, including California's Sequoia YMCA^[10] , charge on a sliding scale based on family income.
• The Washington District of Columbia Jewish Community Center^[11] gives discounts to members and non-members who buy packages of five private swim lessons.
• The University of South Florida^[12] 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^[13] and YMCA^[14] to find nearby aquatic centers offering swimming and water safety courses. The United States Swim School Association^[15] 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.

1.  www1.usfsp.edu/waterfront/swimschool.htm
2.  www.ymcaofpittsburgh.org/
3.  www.ymcasomersetvalley.org/pdf/backyardpoolbridge.pdf
4.  www.ymcasv.org/pdfs/SEQswimlessons_youth.pdf
5.  www.recsports.umn.edu/aquatics/learntoswim.html
6.  www.babycenter.com/404_what-should-i-look-for-in-a-swim-class_70461.bc
7.  www.ymcaofpittsburgh.org/
8.  www.target.com/p/huggies-little-swimmers-baby-diapers-jumbo-pack-select-size/-/A-11177183
9.  www.diapers.com/p/finis-reusable-swim-diapers-16432?site=Cl&cm_mmc=cse-_-googlebase-_-s...
10.  www.ymcasv.org/pdfs/SEQswimlessons_youth.pdf
11.  www.washingtondcjcc.org/sport-and-fitness/aquatics/
12.  www1.usfsp.edu/waterfront/swimschool.htm
13.  www.redcross.org:80/find-your-local-chapter
14.  www.ymca.net
15.  www.usswimschools.org/ssdirectory.php

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