Swim Safe This Summer With Swimming Safari!

In Florida, it seems as though we are swimming 10 months out of the year. And in Jacksonville, with our eastern boarder being the Atlantic ocean, we are truly surrounded by water. A river even cuts through the heart of our great city. So it seems only logical that a great swimmer and native Floridian such as my self would be able to teach her own six and four-year-old water babies to swim.

Unfortunately, I found it very difficult to keep their concentration on learning while in the pool, and it was nearly impossible to get them separated to teach them. Then I figured it would be easy to find a professional instructor that could teach them to swim, right? Everyone seemed to have a friend of a friend that gave swimming lessons, but many times, you had to provide your own pool and their hours for lessons were very limited.  I was feeling defeated, until I was asked to write a review on behalf of Swimming Safari.

Swim Safari

The moment I stepped into Swimming Safari, I knew I had finally found what I was looking for when it came to swim lessons for my kids. The entrance is colorful and cheery, and a staff member greets you right away to check you in. The kids are given a bracelet with a color that corresponds with their class and time. My children started in the Happy Hippos 2.

The Happy Hippos 2 class is designed for children who are comfortable in the water but do not know how to swim. We take a seat in the very large gallery, where a floor to ceiling glass wall separates the parent spectators from Swimming Safari’s massive swimming pool. They have a fun play zone in the gallery area, perfect for those kids that need to be entertained while their siblings are in the pool.

swim safari week 1
On our way to our first lesson- we were a little nervous!

When class is ready to begin, an instructor calls the color wristband that is ready to swim. The kids are escorted into the pool room, which is cleverly heated within two degrees of the saltwater, heated pool. Genius!

For the next 30 minutes, I watched in amazement as my kids listened attentively to their swim instructor. I saw them jump in the water, float on their backs and swim independently from one spot to another. At this first class, they only had one other classmate. In the three classes that followed, there were usually no more than four kids total in a class. Once every few weeks they are evaluated and parents are given a written report of the skills their children have mastered (or still need to work on).

YAY-hairdryers!
YAY-hairdryers!

After each class, the kids shower off and greet their parents inside the pool area. Then- this is where it gets even better- you walk into their changing rooms. They have over-sized family bathrooms with changing tables and changing stalls with rubber floors and benches. Counter tops that double as a changing stand for the little ones (so you aren’t bending over and killing your back)! And, which I found most interesting- a row of hair dryers,- so you don’t have to leave with wet hair. Do you have sports practice or something else planned after your swim lesson? No sweat- you can have your little fishy all ready to go once you walk out of Swimming Safari. They have truly thought of everything.

In four weeks of 30 minutes/week lessons, my six-year-old can swim independently, go under water and roll over to float on her back. (She would not jump into the pool before we began lessons at Swimming Safari.) My four year old isn’t too far behind her- he is jumping in, going under water and learning to float. Every child learns at their own pace, but I fully expect them to be pool ready in just two months of lessons. And when I say “pool ready” I mean that they will be finally able to keep up with their water lovin Momma.

I only wish I would have found Swimming Safari sooner! With lessons available from six months of age, literally everyone can learn to swim here. I opted for a semi-private, once a week class, but they have private lessons and multiple day classes. I can’t wait to take part in their Family Swim every third Saturday – two hours of family fun in the pool. Best of all, there is no need to worry about those pesky summer afternoon showers, that’s one of the many benefits of an indoor pool!

Now they are little fishes!

Swimming Safari is giving one lucky JMB reader a set of 8 lessons including registration fee (value of $167) tonight! Be sure to check the JMB Facebook page for your chance to win!

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Thank you to Swimming Safari for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own.

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