FAQ

Living in New Zealand and being surrounded by so many different bodies of water - rivers, lakes, ponds & ocean - a lot of our recreational activities are water-based, so our kids NEED to learn to be able to survive in various aquatic environments, they NEED to be competent in the basics to get them to this level. Adults NEED to learn to swim as you are ultimately supervising your young children - if your child got into trouble could you HELP YOUR CHILD?

We start babies as early as four months old and this is a great age to start. Your child develops so much in their early years, so learning a skill like swimming actually becomes easier.

However your child's most valuable water experiences start in the home - this gets them prepared for lessons and our lessons encourage this education in the home.

Basically the sooner, the better, and it is never too late to learn. You do not have to wait for your child to start school, likewise if they are well into their high school years and never learnt to swim then now is a good time to start.

Water Safety NZ has recommended that every person in NZ should be able to confidently swim 200m continuously and competently. HOWEVER, swimming is an activity that needs continual practice. If you stop you may go backwards in fitness and technique.

Please refer to our camera policy in the Centre Rules. If you wish to take photos of your child only, then please talk to the tutor first.

On occasion we will also ask parents' permission to take some photos of their child in their groups for promotion purposes.

We believe that technique at the very early stages is VERY IMPORTANT! If a beginner swimmer swims one length poorly - without feedback they are learning bad habits. We stop swimmers so we can communicate with them and give them feedback on how to improve.

Unfortunately we usually cannot offer any catch up lessons, nor can we give you a refund if you choose to do another activity. A credit may be considered when three or more lessons are affected by serious illness or injury (at the Aquatic Supervisor's discretion). A medical certificate will need to be produced in these cases but we do not accept certificates that are over three weeks late.

Our term fees are based on the length of the term. They are paid term-by-term to make it more manageable for families, therefore they are not payable on a weekly basis,

Please note: Just like paying for other sporting or school fees, you are paying for that space - we do not have the ability to try to fill random absentee spaces, therefore we do not credit every missed lesson for reasons of other activities, sick days etc.

Learning to swim should not be likened to other sports - it is a very specific skill done in an environment we aren't built for, and yes IT DOES TAKE TIME!

It cannot be rushed and children will learn at their own pace. It needs continual practice, especially under the guidance of a tutor for feedback and correction so that bad habits are not maintained.

Your child will move up when they have competently and confidently achieved the requirements of the level. Their tutor will let the Aquatic Supervisor know when they have met the standards so that an assessment can be organised. If there is space available in the next level then the child will be able to move up immediately.

Simple. We are all different in all areas. You should never compare your child to other children as everyone has different learning and physical capabilities. Developmental stages must always be considered. Just like school, children are in different reading and math groups.

Our class size depends on the levels. Our first levels start with small groups of 3 children max, they then gradually increase to 4 and 5 per group. Once in the lane pool the group sizes are increased to 6 and in the older levels 7 per group.

During that 20-30 mins your child is in the care of the tutor, so we encourage parents to go get a coffee or even use that time to go for a swim. However, if your child is under 8 years old then you must supervise them before/after their lesson (if they are staying in the pool), according to the pool rules.

Click here to view lesson fees.

As our after-school lessons run with the school terms, prices are based on lengths of school terms (certain days can be affected by various public holidays). Please contact the Aquatic Supervisor for details. What do you do when a Pool Contamination occurs during lessons?

Our lessons do not finish when they are interrupted by a pool contamination (typically these occur in the warm Learners pool). Our instructors have the ability and are trained to run a strong relevant lesson using a combination of dryland activities and a section of the big lane pool. Yes its colder, but this is a great opportunity to practice water safety skills learnt so far in a more realistic temperature to what they would experience in open water.

Refunds will not be given out because the lesson will continue.