The Aquatics Department offers numerous classes each year for adults and children to learn to swim. Certified American Red Cross instructors teach all swimming classes. Enrollment for classes is limited in order to maintain quality instruction and an optimal teaching environment. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Youth Lessons
The cost of each session (includes all lesson days in the session) is noted below.
- $70 per child for currently-enrolled FSU students (enrollment verified at time of registration)
- $80 per child for Campus Recreation members
- $90 per child for Non-Members who are FSU Faculty / Staff
- $100 per child for Non-Members who are not affiliated with FSU
Refunds: Refunds will be issued upon request for cancellations made at least 10 days before the registered session starts. Requests made later than 10 days before the session starts will only be issued if the registered participant provides medical documentation of an injury or illness.
Class Location: All lessons are conducted at the Leach Recreation Center Pool.
Class Length: Classes run 30 minutes to 45 minutes in length depending on the level.
Make-Up Days: Classes are not automatically canceled during inclement weather. Make-up classes are only offered if FSU Campus Recreation must cancel the lesson for any reason.
Spectator Policy: Guardians of swimming participants in levels 1-6 are required to wait in the stadium seating off the pool deck. An elevator is available for use. Guardians of swimming participants in Preschool Levels are allowed to remain on deck in specific viewing locations.
What Should I Wear: Proper swimming attire is required. Swimmers of all ages must wear actual bathing suits. “Basketball style” shorts are allowed. Female suits can be one or two-piece; however, sports bras and thongs are not permitted. All children in diapers must wear a swim diaper.
Register Online or In-Person: Registration takes place in Rec Connect, our online portal, or in-person at the Leach Recreation Center during normal operating hours. For assistance with Rec Connect, please visit our Rec Connect Help Desk.
Multiple Registrations: If you are planning on registering multiple dependents for the same session, please be sure to add them as dependents on your Rec Connect account. For assistance, please call 850-655-6750 or 850-644-0548.
Registration Periods
Youth swim lessons will be offered via private lessons. Please view the private lessons page for more information.
Register Here
Swim Lesson Levels
- Must be 6 months – 3 years old to participate.
- Introduces basic skills to guardians and children. Guardians learn how to safely work with their child in the water, including supporting and holding their child in the water appropriately and preparing and encouraging their child to participate fully and try the skills. Children receive an introduction to basic skills that lay a foundation for learning to swim. In addition, guardians are introduced to several water safety topics.
- Must be between 3 – 5 years to participate
- Level 1 skills may be performed with full support from the instructor or a flotation device. This level is designed to orient young preschoolers to the aquatic environment and to help them gain basic aquatic skills. In addition, participants start learning about how to be safe around water.
- Level 2 skills may be performed with intermittent assistance, such as the participant performs a skill unsupported but may begin and end the skill with support from the instructor. Preschool Aquatics Level 2 builds on the basic aquatic skills and water safety skills and concepts learned in Level 1. Participants begin to perform skills at a slightly more advanced level and begin gaining rudimentary propulsive skills on both the front and the back. This level marks the beginning of independent aquatic locomotion skills.
- Level 3 skills are performed independently. Participants are able to perform basic aquatic skills with greater proficiency for longer distances and times. In addition, previously acquired water safety knowledge and skills are reinforced and expanded upon.
- Purpose: Must be at least 6 years old to enter Learn-To- Swim
- This level is for those who have nerve taken lessons, are hesitant in the water, or have minimal skills. This level begins with wat acclimation and builds to submersions, floating, and more.
- Exit Skills Assessment to move to Level 2:
- Enter independently, using either the ramp, steps or side; travel at least 5 yards; bob 5 times; then safely exit the water.
- Glide on front at least 2 body lengths, roll to a back float for 5 seconds and recover to a vertical position. (This part of the assessment can be performed with assistance.)
- Purpose:
- This level marks the beginning of true locomotion skills. Participants learn to glide and float without support and recover to a vertical position. Participants further develop simultaneous and alternating arm and leg actions on the front and back, laying the foundation for future strokes. New water safety topics are introduced, and previously acquired water safety knowledge and skills are reinforced.
- Exit Skills Assessment to move to Level 3
- All Learn-to-Swim Level 2 exit skills are performed independently:
- Step from side into chest-deep water, push off the bottom, move into a treading or floating position for at least 15 seconds, swim on front and/or back for 5 body lengths, then exit the water.
- Move into a back float for 15 seconds, roll to front, then recover to a vertical position.
- Push off and swim using combined arm and leg actions on front for 5 body lengths, roll to back, float for 15 seconds, roll to front, then continue swimming for at least 5 body lengths.
- Purpose: Participants learn and practice survival floating and learn to swim front crawl and elementary backstroke at rudimentary proficiency levels. You introduce the scissors and dolphin kicks and extend the time duration for treading water. Participants also learn rules for headfirst entries and begin to learn to enter the water headfirst from a seated position at poolside (if the water is 9 feet deep or deeper)
- Exit Skills Assessment to move to Level 4
- When participants complete Learn-to-Swim Level 3, they have achieved basic water competency in a pool environment. They are starting to show stroke proficiency in the front crawl and elementary backstroke. They have begun learning the breaststroke and the scissors kicks and can tread water for 1 minute. They demonstrate comfort in deep water and can enter the water headfirst from both the sitting and the kneeling positions
- Purpose: Participants improve their aquatic skills and increase their endurance by swimming the strokes learned in Level 3 (i.e., front crawl, elementary backstroke) for greater distances and with more advanced proficiency. Participants add arm actions to the previously learned scissors kick and breaststroke kick to perform the rudimentary sidestroke and to learn the breaststroke. Participants also begin to learn the back crawl and butterfly and the basics of performing a simple open turn at a wall.
- Exit Skills Assessment to move to Level 5
- When participants complete Learn-to-Swim Level 4, they are starting to demonstrate effective and efficient strokes in the front crawl and elementary backstroke. They are beginning to show stroke proficiency in the breaststroke, back crawl, butterfly and sidestroke. They can enter the water headfirst from both compact and stride positions.
- Purpose:
- Participants refine their performance of all six strokes (i.e., front crawl, back crawl, butterfly, breaststroke, elementary backstroke and sidestroke) and increase the distances that they swim. Participants also learn to perform flip turns on the front and back.
- Exit Skills Assessment to move to Level 5:
- When participants complete Learn-to-Swim Level 5, they are starting to demonstrate effectiveness and efficiency in all strokes. They are starting to work on endurance through longer swims that require using open and flip turns. They can enter the water using the shallow-angle dive and can then continue swimming.
- Purpose
- The objective of this level is to refine strokes so participants swim them with greater efficiency and effectiveness over longer distances. Level 6 offers three options to meet specific needs and interests—Personal Water Safety, Fundamentals of Diving and Fitness Swimmer. These options focus on preparing participants for more advanced courses, such as the Water Safety Instructor course or other aquatic activities such as competitive swimming or diving. We Customize this level to meet the objectives of the participants.
- Exit Skill Assessments:
- When participants complete Learn-to-Swim Level 6—Personal Water Safety, they are able to swim all strokes effectively and efficiently. They are able to swim continuously while using the appropriate turns for the stroke. They also have a solid understanding about how to be safe in, on and around the water.
- Swim 500 yards continuously using at lease 3 different strokes
- Retrieve objects from the bottom of the pool from 7-10 ft in depth.
- And more.
