What are lessons like?

You are coming to pool lessons with basic breathing skills.
These skills will be adapted to swimming strokes. Regardless of how the facility looks to you,
the teacher must be someone you can put your confidence in.

Shopping for a swim program

• Watch the teacher give a lesson. You know what you need – a safe place to learn and practice without being pushed or forced. You will advance, but at your own speed.
  The beginning of your career as a swimmer requires repeating basic skills so that, like walking, you'll do them without thinking. Your progress depends on your dedication to practicing and your teacher's patience and sensitivity.

• Ask about how the pool's deep end is used by teachers.
  The deep end is never to be included in your first, basic lessons.
  Later you will be able to swim across the pool from shallow to deep end,
  but only after much practice and confidence building.
  For now you want the comfort of knowing you will only be in the shallow end
  as you learn your strokes, able to stand up when you need to.
  For example, you may be swimming along the shallow end toward your teacher,
  who stands facing you, blocking the deep end beyond.

• Ask about how floating is taught.
  New swimmers learn floating best when combined with gliding and kicking.
  The teacher may at first hold your hands and walk backward as you are pulled floating face down, holding your breath or bubbling.
  Soon after you'll be able to push off from the wall on your own, hands in front, first gliding and soon adding kicking.
  Again, take time to remember your breatholding, mouth open, to stay relaxed.
  When you add kicking, then, your ankles will also be relaxed – remember?

As important as the teacher is the time you devote to practicing. Make sure you can allow time between lessons to practice.
Need I say more?

Schools

• Swimmer's Guide Online http://www.swimmersguide.com/default.htm

• Citysearch http://www.citysearch.com