The Swim Basics program includes three stages for teens and adults: Stage 1 Water Acclimation, Stage 2 Water Movement and Stage 3 Water Stamina. The Swim Strokes program includes three stages for teens and adults: Stage 4 Stroke Introduction, Stage 5 Stroke Development and Stage 6 Stroke Mechanics.

Upcoming Session

The next session for classes and lessons begins the week of October 30—registration opens October 17 for members and October 24 for non-members.

Learn to swim or improve current ability

  • Ages: 13 years and up
  • Class length: 30 minutes

Group lesson rates

You don't need to be a member of the Y to take swimming lessons, but members receive a discount on lessons. 

  • Members: $65 for seven-class session
  • Non-members: $125 for seven-class session

*Your child must be a Y member to receive the discounted rate

Choosing a level

I’m not yet able to swim halfway across the Y pool (12.5 yards) on my front and back without a flotation device.

Register for Swim Basics

I’m able to swim halfway across the Y pool (12.5 yards) on my front and back without a flotation device.

Register for Swim Strokes

Swim Basics

In this program, teens and adults learn personal water safety and achieve basic swimming competency by learning two benchmark skills—swim, float, swim and jump, push, turn, grab.

Develop comfort with underwater exploration and learn to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water. This class is for people who aren’t yet comfortable going underwater voluntarily.

In this class, you will:

  • Bob to submerge in the water
  • Front and back glide to the wall for five feet with help
  • Front and back float for 10 seconds with help
  • Roll from back to front and front to back with help
  • Jump, push, turn, grab with help
  • Swim, float, swim 10 feet with help
  • Exit the water

Focus on body position and control, directional change, forward movement in the water and continue to practice how to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water. This class is for people who aren’t yet able to do a front and back float on their own.

In this class, you will:

  • Submerge to look at an object on the bottom of the pool
  • Front and back glide to the wall for 10 feet
  • Front and back float for 20 seconds
  • Roll from back to front and front to back
  • Jump, push, turn, grab
  • Swim, float, swim five yards
  • Tread water near the wall for 10 seconds
  • Exit the water

Learn how to swim to safety from a longer distance than in previous stages. The class also introduces rhythmic breathing and integrated arm/leg action. This class is for people who aren’t yet able to swim 10-15 yards on their front and back.

In this class, you will:

  • Retrieve an object in chest-deep water
  • Swim on their front and back for 15 yards
  • Roll from back to front and front to back
  • Jump, push, turn, grab 10 yards
  • Swim, float, swim 25 yards
  • Tread water for one minute
  • Exit the water

Swim Strokes

Having mastered the fundamentals, teens and adults learn additional water safety skills and build stroke technique.

Learn the front crawl, back crawl, breaststroke kick and butterfly kick. This class is for people who aren’t yet able to swim 15 yards of front and back crawl.

In this class, you will:

  • Swim the front crawl with rotary breathing for 15 yards
  • Breaststroke kick for 15 yards
  • Butterfly kick for 15 yards
  • Elementary backstroke for 15 yards
  • Dive from a sitting position
  • Tread water using a scissor and whip kick for one minute
  • Swim any combination of strokes for 25 yards

Work on stroke technique and learn the major competitive strokes. This class is for people who aren’t yet able to swim the front crawl, back crawl and breaststroke across the pool.

In this class, you will:

  • Swim the front crawl with bent-arm recovery for 25 yards
  • Breaststroke for 25 yards
  • Butterfly with simultaneous arm action and kick for 15 yards
  • Back crawl for 25 yards
  • Sidestroke for 25 yards
  • Dive from a kneeling position
  • Tread water using a scissor and whip kick for two minutes
  • Swim any combination of strokes for 50 yards

Refine stroke technique on the major competitive strokes, learn about competitive swimming and discover how to incorporate swimming into a healthy lifestyle. This class is for people who aren’t yet able to swim the front crawl, back crawl and breaststroke across the pool and back.

In this class, you will:

  • Swim the front crawl for 50 yards and do a flip turn
  • Breaststroke for 50 yards and do an open turn
  • Butterfly for 25 yards
  • Back crawl for 25 yards and do a flip turn
  • Sidestroke or elementary backstroke for 50 yards
  • Dive from a standing position
  • Tread water for one minute and retrieve an object from the bottom of the pool
  • Swim any combination of strokes for 150 yards

Upcoming Session

The next session for classes and lessons begins the week of October 30—registration opens October 17 for members and October 24 for non-members. See the annual session calendar