American Red Cross Swimming & Water Safety Course Descriptions

Course
Parent/Child A
(6 mo-3 years)
Parent/Child B
(18 mo-3 years)
Preschool
Level 1
Preschool
Level 2
Level 1
Intro to
Water Skills
Course Prerequisite
Children 6 months-3 years and a minimum of 1
adult accompanying each child.
Ages 3-4 without Parent – No previous skills
needed
Ages 4-5 without Parent – Able to demonstrate
all Preschool Level 1 skills
Ages 5 and Up – No Skills Required
Level 2
Fundamental
Aquatic Skills
Ages 5 and Up – Passed Level 1 or can float on
front/back and perform basic front crawl skills
Level 3
Stroke
Development
Ages 5 and Up – Passed Level 2 or can do 10
yards of the front crawl and rhythmic breathing.
Must be comfortable in the deep water (over
their head).
Level 4
Stroke
Improvement
Passed Level 3 or can swim 15 yards of
coordinated elementary backstroke, 25 yards of
proficient front/back crawl, and 10 meters of
butterfly.
Level 5
Stroke
Refinement
Passed Level 4 or age 8 by time class starts and
can swim 50 yards front/back crawl, 25 yards
elementary backstroke, breaststroke and
sidestroke, standing dive, deep water bobbing,
flip turns and open turns on front/back, and
treading water for 2 minutes.
Level 6
Swimming
and Skills
Proficiency
Passed Level 5 or age 8 by time class starts and
can swim 50 yards front/back crawl, 25 yards
elementary backstroke, breaststroke and
sidestroke, standing dive, deep water bobbing,
flip turns and open turns on front/back, and
treading water for 2 minutes.
Level 6
Fitness
Swimmer
Passed Level 5 or age 8 by time class starts and
can swim 50 yards front/back crawl, 25 yards
elementary backstroke, breaststroke and
sidestroke, standing dive, deep water bobbing,
flip turns and open turns on front/back, and
treading water for 2 minutes.
Course Content
Water adjustment, water entry, pool exploration, front and back float,
front and back glide, leg action on front and back, blowing bubbles,
underwater exploration, rolling over on front and back, lifejackets, and
water exit.
Enter and exit water safely, breath control and submerging, bubble
blowing, front glide and recover, back glide and back float and recovery,
changing directions, treading water arm and hand action, alternate and
simultaneous arm and leg actions on front and back and personal and
general water safety skills.
Enter and exit water safely, breath control and submerging, bubble
blowing, bobbing, retrieval of underwater objects, front glide, back float
and recovery, changing directions and positions, treading (5 Seconds),
arm and leg actions on front and back, finning arm actions on back, self
help and water safety skills. Exit Skills Assessment.
Underwater swimming and breath control, buoyancy on front and back,
swimming on front and back with alternating arm and leg action,
combined and simultaneous and alternating stroke on front and back,
basic water safety rules, fundamentals of using a lifejacket, front/back
glide, treading water, bobs.
Fully submerging underwater and doing bobs,picking up objects from
underwater while keeping eyes open, front and back floats – rolling over,
front and back glides, treading water, combined arm and leg action front
and back – developing distance and endurance, finning and sculling,
moving in water with a lifejacket, tuck and jellyfish floats, recover to
vertical position.
Bobbing with head fully submerged 5x, rotary breathing, front and back
glides, treading water, front crawl, back crawl, changing horizontal and
vertical positions on front and back, elementary back stroke, diving rules
and basic skills, HELP and huddle position with lifejacket, jumping in deep
water, scissors kick, survival float.
Underwater swimming, feet-first surface dive, survival swimming, open
turns on front and back, treading water using scissors, breaststroke, or
rotary kick and sculling arm action 2 min., front crawl, back crawl,
breaststroke, elementary backstroke, butterfly, scissors kick, safe diving
rules and skills, sculling, push off in streamline, compact and stride jump.
Diving, swimming underwater, tuck and pike surface dives, survival float,
flip turns on front and back, front crawl, back crawl, butterfly,
breaststroke, elementary backstroke, sidestroke, sculling, rescue
breathing, shallow angle dive-then swim and tread water for 5 minutes.
Level 6A goal is to refine strokes so participants swim them with more
ease, efficiency, power and smoothness over greater distances. Front
crawl and elementary backstroke – 100 meters, back crawl, breaststroke,
sidestroke, and butterfly – 50 meters. Open turns and flip turns, HELP
and huddle positions, feet first and headfirst surface dives, back float,
survival float, and survival swimming, treading water without arms,
surface dives in 7 – 10 feet, water safety skills.
Cooper 12-minute swim test at the beginning and end of class, front crawl
and elementary backstroke – 100 meters, back crawl, breaststroke,
sidestroke, and butterfly – 50 meters. Open turns and flip turns, circle
swimming, using a pace clock, swimming using pull-buoys, fins and
paddles, setting up an exercise program, various training techniques,
target heart rates, and aquatic exercise.