How Many Lessons Does It Typically Take to Learn to Swim?

If you have kids, it’s essential to have them learn how to swim. Before you sign them up, you may wonder, how many swimming lessons does it take to learn? The amount of swimming lessons needed will depend on a few factors, though the first step is to find a qualified swim school.

Ocaquatics Swim School is a reputable place for swimming lessons for children of all ages. In this blog post, we dive deeper into the typical number of lessons to learn how to swim and the factors that can impact this.

Factors That Impact Swimming Lesson Duration

In South Florida, swimming is a critical skill that everyone should know. You may want to sign your child up for swim classes, but you may be wondering about how many swimming lessons it takes for them to learn this skill. 

These are the factors that affect swimming lesson duration:

Consistency

Setting a regular swimming schedule for your child helps them become more comfortable with being in the water and ensures they make regular progress. If you only send your child once per week, it’s not enough to build the skills and knowledge needed. Aim to have at least two swimming lessons per week to enhance muscle memory and coordination. 

Your Child’s Age

Swimming lessons can begin when your child is an infant. This will help them learn water safety and become at ease in the water. However, children improve at swimming with age as does their muscle coordination. You can start with lessons for infants and toddlers, and then sign them up for additional lessons as they grow.

Your Child’s Swimming Experience

The more your child is exposed to swimming, the faster they will learn. In addition to signing them up for swimming lessons, make sure you take them swimming outside of classes to continue their exposure to the water.

Your Swim Instructor’s Expertise

Children benefit tremendously by having swim instruction through a certified swim teacher who has experience working with kids. An experienced instructor will adapt to your child’s needs and help them become adept in the water.

Typical Number of Lessons to Learn Swimming by Age

How many swimming lessons does it take to learn? Ultimately, it will depend on each child and keeping up with regular lessons for familiarity and progress. This guide will provide you with a guide of what to expect for swimming lesson duration by age. 

Infants

Children who are under 1 year of age can greatly vary on how long it takes them to learn to swim. Babies must have enough time to develop familiarity with being in the water. In swimming lessons for infants, they learn how to coordinate, balance, and gain strength. It is important to watch their progress and work with the instructors to determine how many lessons your baby needs.

Toddlers

Children between the ages of 2 and 3 will need to exhibit basic swimming skills before they can move on to greater challenges. They’ll learn how to blow bubbles with their faces in the water and be able to swim back to the side wall.

Young Children

Young children between the ages of 4 and 8 will need to master basic swim strokes and skills. By the age of 4, your child will have motor skills and cognitive ability to tread water, float, and swim to a designated point in the pool. 

Older Children 

Older children between the ages of 9 and 12 have a big range that could have them quickly mastering swimming while others may need more classes to fine-tune the right results. Kids at this age can learn more advanced techniques such as diving and swimming underwater. They can also learn how to properly perform the main swim strokes and do flip-turns.

Choosing a Swim Program for Your Child

The typical number of lessons to learn swimming will depend on the factors mentioned above, particularly their age and the consistency in which they attend their swimming classes. When you are looking for swimming lessons, you should make sure the school you choose does more than teach water safety skills.

Certified, Experienced, and Qualified Instructors

The right swim school needs to have instructors who are certified in their training. They should also have extensive experience working with children. You can usually find this on a swim school’s website, though credentials will also be displayed at the school.

Offering of Consistent Schedules

The next metric is finding a swim school that has multiple lessons per week. This builds your child’s growth in swimming and helps them retain these essential skills. 

Availability of Comprehensive Swim Classes

A good swim school will have stages of programs that start with building water safety and covering the basics of swimming. It will then progress to learning different swimming strokes, gradually becoming more challenging for your child as they gain competency in the water. 

Safety-Focused

Every child needs to learn good safety habits involving water, whether they are in the pool or at the beach. A school that focuses on keeping everyone safe and sharing proper water etiquette will ensure a safe learning environment for your child.

Benefits of Engaging in Regular and Consistent Swimming Lessons

When your child is little, swimming effectively may be your main goal. You want them to be safe any time they are around water. Once they learn these basic swimming skills, you should set additional goals for their progression.

You may not envision them going into competitive swimming, but signing them up for swimming lessons that go beyond the basics is great for discipline. It’s also a fun experience where they can make new friends. 

Working with a swim school that has indoor swimming pools with heated water is another bonus. With the way the weather can turn in South Florida, it ensures that your child can still swim safely without worry of thunderstorms.



Plan on making time in your child’s schedule for swimming lessons at least twice per week over several months. Ocaquatics Swim School makes it easy to get the certified and safe instruction your child needs at the right frequency.