No matter your age, it's probably a good idea to learn how to swim. If you haven't already, don't worry as it's never too late! Throughout this article, you'll see exactly why you should learn to swim, the different ways you can learn to swim, and where you can learn to swim.
Why You Should Learn to Swim
The first and most obvious reason to learn how to swim is simply due to safety. It doesn't take a genius to realise that knowing how to swim will drastically reduce your risk of drowning.
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Those who don't know how to swim don't tend to put themselves in situations where they need to, but you never know when you might need the skill. It's far better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
Secondly, swimming is really good for you. It works most of your body and it's also really low-impact, which means you're far less likely to sustain injuries than you would if you were doing something like running or jogging, for example.
Another excellent reason to learn how to swim is that it's fun. By learning how to swim, you'll also be able to make the most of summers at the beach or pool parties, too! Naturally, you can always attend these without swimming, but it's nicer to be part of the fun rather than sitting at the side of the water wishing you knew how to swim.
Finally, learning how to swim will also open up opportunities for plenty of other sports and activities that are inaccessible if you don't know how to swim. It's never a good idea to take up surfing, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, or any other water sport if you don't know how to swim. Once you have access to the water, you'll have access to all the sports and activities that take place on it.
Now that you've seen why you should swim, let's see what options you have.
Learning to Swim with Swimming Schools
One excellent way to learn how to swim is by attending lessons at a swimming school. Children might pick up swimming from spending time in the pool or at the beach with floatation devices, but having a structured lesson from a swimming school can teach you proper form, different strokes, and water safety.
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At a swimming school, you'll also be in a group. For some, it helps to learn together and can actually be motivating to see others also learning to swim, especially if you're learning to swim later in life and are self-conscious about having never learned to swim: not that you should be.
Your swimming lessons can also be a nice way to meet new people or get out of the house. As mentioned earlier, swimming is a useful life skill but also a great way to exercise. While beginners' swimming lessons won't be particularly intensive as you won't be swimming great distances, it's still far better than just sitting in front of the TV.
Prices for lessons at swimming schools or public baths will vary, but there are some very affordable options and also options for different ages and abilities. For those completely new to swimming or anyone who's spent their whole lives avoiding the water, there are even often lessons in water familiarisation so that you won't be put straight in the deep end!
Learning to Swim with Private Swimming Lessons
Another excellent way to learn how to swim is through private swimming lessons. In these lessons, you'll be working one-on-one with a swimming teacher or instructor. This kind of learning comes with plenty of advantages, but there are also a few disadvantages that we need to mention.
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In terms of advantages, private swimming lessons are a great way to learn far more quickly than you would in a group lesson. Since the instructor will be focusing on you and nobody else, every minute of every session will be spent working towards getting you more comfortable in the water and improving your technique and form to make you a better swimmer.
This also means that the structure of the lessons can be tailored to you. You'll learn at your pace and use the approaches that work most effectively for you. In a group lesson, you'll be offered a one-size-fits-all solution for learning how to swim and while instructors will look to help students who are struggling or need some extra help, they can't constantly focus their attention on a single student's needs.
The downside to private swimming lessons is often the cost. As you're paying for a swimming instructor's time by yourself, you'll tend to pay a premium. There may also be other costs incurred as you may need to pay for access to the pool or for equipment and floatation devices if your instructor doesn't include these in the price.
Learning to Swim with Free Swimming Lessons
If your budget doesn't extend to private swimming lessons or even swimming lessons at swimming schools or public pools, you can always look for free swimming lessons!
Very few things in life are free, but since swimming is such an important and beneficial skill, there are programs and initiatives out there to help people learn how to swim.
Generally, there tend to be more free swimming lessons for children as the demand is higher. Don't worry! There are some initiatives out there for swimming lessons for adults, too.
With adult swimming lessons, however, you're more likely to find a swim program that includes the first lesson for free or a taster session that you don't have to pay for. The same is true of private swimming lessons as some instructors will offer the first session or taster session for free to draw in new customers.
Where You Can Learn to Swim in Australia
Naturally, we won't be able to go through every single place you can go get swimming lessons across the whole country, but we'll start with the nation's capitals to give you some places to start your search.
If you live in smaller places, you'll likely know where your local pool is and it'd be worthwhile starting off by asking them what the options are for swimming lessons.
Canberra
To start your search for swimming lessons, consider looking to the Canberra Olympic Pool, which offers swimming lessons for all ages both during the week and on the weekend.
For children, the lessons start at six months and include education for parents on water safety and progress through various stages all the way to lessons for school-age children learning to swim up to 100 metres.
Sydney
There are a few main aquatic centres in Sydney that offer swimming lessons including:
- Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool
- Cook + Phillip Park Pool
- Victoria Park Pool
These options mostly include swimming lessons for all ages, aquarobics, lap swimming, etc. and are a good place to start your search.
Darwin
At the time of writing, Darwin's Casuarina Pool is currently under redevelopment, with a brand new pool expected to be opened in late 2024 with a large eight-lane 50-metre pool as well as a learn-to-swim pool.
In the meantime, options are available at the Nightcliff and Parap pools with swimming lessons offered for children and adults by the YMCA of the Northern Territory, Royal Life Saving Society Australia NT, and Swim Dynamics.
Brisbane
In Brisbane, you can find swimming lessons at one of the city council's many pools. With so many choices, it's worthwhile just searching for your nearest pool or a couple of your nearby pools and seeing which lessons they offer.
Adelaide
You can learn to swim in Adelaide at the Adelaide Aquatic Centre, which offers swimming lessons for babies, kids, teenagers, adults, and even private one-on-one lessons for both kids and adults.
Hobart
Swimming lessons are available for adults and children at the Hobart Aquatic Centre. The classes are particularly small with 3 or 4 participants at the lower levels with larger groups for more proficient swimmers.
Melbourne
Adults and children can learn to swim at Melbourne City Baths. The adult classes cover water familiarisation, water confidence, stroke development, and stroke refinement.
The swimming lessons for kids consist of four different programs depending on their age and level.
Perth
In Perth, Western Australian State Swim offers lessons to adults and children including at Canning Vale, Osborne Park, and Whitford City.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of where you can learn to swim, but they are good options for all ages across various locations in the country. Most pools offer swimming lessons or have lessons taking place regularly so it's always a good idea to get in touch with them to ask about lessons.
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