We provide instruction in the Swim For Life - Lifesaving Society for children between the ages of 4 months and 13 years. The program emphasizes water safety and how to respond in emergency situations. All instructors have at least 200 hours of training and practical teaching experience.
Effective January 2023, the Town of Whitby will be introducing the Lifesaving Society Swim for Life Program. The Swim for Life Program stresses in-water practice to develop solid swimming strokes and skills with a primary focus on front crawl, back crawl, and breast stroke. The Program also incorporates Water Smart education at every level to teach valuable water safety lessons that last a lifetime.
Our Aquatic and Customer Service teams have been trained to assist you in ensuring that your child is registered into the correct level. If you are unsure what level your child should be registered into, come into a public swim and have your child accessed or contact our customer service staff at 905.666.1991 or getactive@whitby.ca
If you have questions about swimming lessons, etiquette, locations, etc., visit our Swimming FAQs page.
Parent and Tot (Ages 4months -3yrs - Parents required to assist child in the water) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Parent and Tot 1 – (4-12months) Parent and Tot 2 – (12-24months) Designed for the 12 to 24-month-old to learn to enjoy the water with the parent. Designed for the 2 to 3-year-old to learn to enjoy the water with the parent. |
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Preschool (Ages 3-5yrs) |
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Preschool 1 – (3-5yrs) These preschoolers learn to jump into chest-deep water by themselves, and get in and get out wearing a lifejacket. They'll submerge and exhale underwater. Wearing a lifejacket, they'll glide on their front and back. These youngsters will try both jumping and a sideways entry into deep water while wearing a lifejacket. They'll recover objects from the bottom in waist-deep water. They'll work on kicking and gliding through the water on their front and back. Advanced preschoolers will learn to do solo jumps into deeper water and get out by themselves. They'll do sideways entries and open their eyes underwater. They'll master a short swim on their front wearing a lifejacket, gliding, and kicking on their side. These youngsters get more adventuresome with a forward roll entry wearing a lifejacket and treading water for 10 seconds. They'll work on front and back crawl swims for 5 metres, interval training and get a giggle out of whip kick. |
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Swimmer (Ages 6-13yrs) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Swimmer 1 – (6-13yrs) These advanced beginners will jump into deeper water, and learn to be comfortable falling sideways into the water wearing a lifejacket. They'll be able to support themselves at the surface without an aid, learn whip kick, swim 10 metres on their front and back, and be introduced to flutter kick interval training (4x5 metres) These junior swimmers will dive and do in-water front somersaults and handstands. They'll work on 15 metres of front crawl, back crawl and 10 metres of whip kick. Flutter kick interval training increases to 4 x 15 metres These intermediate swimmers will swim 5 metres underwater and lengths of front, back crawl, whip kick, and breaststroke arms with breathing. Their new bag of tricks includes the completion of the Canadian Swim to Survive Standard. They'll cap it all off with front crawl sprints over 25 metres and 4 x 25 metres front or back crawl interval training. These swimmers will master shallow dives, cannonball entries, eggbeater kicks, and in-water backward somersaults. They'll refine their front and back crawl over 50 metre swims of each, and breaststroke over 25 metres. Then they'll pick up the pace in 25 metre sprints and two interval-training bouts: 4 x 50 metre front or back crawl; and 4 x 15 metre breaststroke. These advanced swimmers will rise to the challenge of sophisticated aquatic skills including stride entries, compact jumps and lifesaving kicks like eggbeater and scissor kick. They'll develop strength and power in head-up breaststroke sprints over 25 metres. They'll easily swim lengths of front crawl, back crawl and breaststroke, and they'll complain about the 300 metre workout. |
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Aquatic Leadership Courses | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Canadian Swim Patrol 1 - Rookie Patrol (Prerequisite Swimmer 6 and 8yrs of age) Canadian Swim Patrol 2 - Ranger Patrol (Prerequisite Swimmer 6, 8yrs of age and completion of Rookie) Swimmers develop better strokes over 75 m swims of each stroke. They tackle Lifesaving Sport skills in a lifesaving medley, timed object support and rescue with a buoyant aid. First aid focuses on assessment of unconscious victims, treatment of victims in shock and obstructed airway procedures. Skill drills develop a strong lifesaving foundation. Canadian Swim Patrol 3 - Star Patrol (Prerequisite Swimmer 6, 8yrs of age and completion of Rookie and Ranger) Swimmers are challenged with 600 m workouts, 300 m timed swims and a 25 m object carry. Strokes are refined over 100 m swims. First aid focuses on treatment of bone or joint injuries and respiratory emergencies including asthma and allergic reactions. Lifesaving skills include defence methods, victim removals and rolling over and supporting a victim face up in shallow water. Bronze Star (The minimum prerequisite for this program is Swimmer 6 and 10 years of age. Canadian Swim Patrol is recommended.) Bronze Medallion (Aged 13 or successful completion of Bronze Star) Candidates develop the judgement, skills, and fitness required for water rescues including tows, carries, defenses, and releases as well as resuscitation skills. Candidates develop stroke efficiency and endurance in a timed swim. As a prerequisite for this program, candidates must be thirteen years of age or have a current Bronze Star certification. Please bring prerequisite information to the first class. 100 per cent attendance is required. Bronze Cross and Emergency First Aid(Successful completion of Bronze Medallion) Bronze Cross is a Lifesaving Society certification course for candidates who hold current Bronze Medallion certification. Bronze Cross is the prerequisite for the National Lifeguard Service Award. Upon successful completion of the course, candidates receive certification in Emergency First Aid and CPR 'B'. Please provide proof of prerequisite when registering. Topics include lifesaving vs. lifeguarding, teamwork and rescues, and management of spinal injuries. 100 per cent attendance is required. Candidates who are younger than fourteen years of age and hold a current Bronze Medallion must register in person at one of our Town of Whitby recreational facilities. NLS & Standard First Aid, CPR ‘C’ (Aged 15 and successful completion of Bronze Cross) This is a Lifesaving Society certification course and a nationally recognized lifeguarding award. Candidates must be 15-years-old by the date of the exam. This course also certifies a candidate in Standard First Aid & CPR 'C'. Bronze Cross is a prerequisite for this course. Please provide proof of prerequisite both when registering and on the first day of lessons. 100 per cent attendance is mandatory. Swim for Life and Lifesaving and Emergency First Aid Instructor (Aged 15 and successful completion of Bronze Cross) This is a two certification course. The Lifesaving Society Swim for Life Instructor course prepares the candidate to teach and evaluate the swimming strokes and related skills found in the Lifesaving Society Swim for Life program. The Lifesaving Instructor course prepares the candidate to organize, plan, teach and evaluate lifesaving and first aid skills as well as resuscitation techniques to instruct Lifesavings Canadian Swim Patrol, Bronze Medallion, Bronze Cross and Emergency First Aid programs.100% attendance is required. |
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Adult Swim Lessons (Ages 14yrs+) |
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Adult Swimmer 1/2/3 – (14yrs+) |
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Swim Conversion Chart - Red Cross Levels to Swim for Life Levels | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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