Students enter the water at a 45 degree angle with their head pressed between their arms and their body extended.
Swim Underwater
Students must swim at least 3 body lengths
Feet First Surface Dive
Students start off by treading water, and then uses a strong scissors or breaststroke kick to rise out of the water.
Students should remain in a streamline position until they begin to slow down. Then he/she should press up to continue their descent.
Survival Swimming – 30 Seconds
Students will float as long as possible, then will lift their head up, take a breath, do a simple scissors kick followed by a large arm pull, then float again.
The students must demonstrate their ability to do this skill with ease.
Students need to understand this skill should only be performed in warm water.
Open Turn on Front
Students must demonstrate using any stroke on front, turn at the wall, then glide two body lengths before stroking.
Open Turn on Back
Students must demonstrate using any stroke on the back, turn at the wall, and then glide two body lengths before stroking.
Treading Water with 2 Kicks – 2 Minutes
Students may use either a modified scissors, breaststroke, or rotary kick and sculling arms.
The head must stay above the water.
Front Crawl 25 Yards
The body must be 15 degrees or less in angle with only an occasional side to side motion of trunk and legs.
Students must have an above water recovery with arms bent at the elbow.
The hands must enter above the head with fingertips first.
The arms must bend during the power phase.
The arms must finish beyond the hips.
The flutter kick must be continuous and a moderate splash is acceptable.
Students must blow bubbles and breathe to the side. No looking straight forward.
Breaststroke 15 Yards
The body must be 30 degrees or less during the glide.
The hands must pull outside the shoulder and can go past the shoulder but not the waist.
The legs must bend simultaneously at the knees but the knees may extend outside the hips and toes.
The ankles may bend a little during the power phase.
An occasional scissors or flutter kick is acceptable.
The stroke must have the basic form of pull, breathe, kick and glide.
Butterfly 15 Yards
The body may be up to 30 degrees from the surface but the face must be in the water.
The arms must recover above the water but may exit the water above the waist.
The legs may bend at the knees during up beat and the feet may break the surface occasionally.
The stroke must have the basic form.
Back Glide with 2 Kicks – 3-5 Body Lengths
Students must be in a streamlined position on their back.
Students do this exercise twice using a flutter kick and a dolphin kick.
Elementary Backstroke – 25 Yards
The body must be 15 degrees or less from the surface.
The chin should have a slight tuck and the ears should be at or beneath the surface.
The hands remain underwater through the stroke.
The arms extend at roughly 3 and 9 o’clock.
The power phase ends at hip level.
The legs must bend simultaneously and the knees do not separate beyond the width of the hips.
The toes must flex up and out.
The breathing must be in a relaxed rhythmic pattern.
There needs to be at least a minimal glide.
Back Crawl – 15 Yards
The student’s body must be at less than a 30 degree angle with some rudimentary body roll.
The student’s ears may be out of the water, the chin on their chest, and their hips may be bent.
Students may have some side to side motion in their trunk.
The student’s arms should come out of the water.
Arms may be straight during the power phase.
Students should have a good flutter kick. An occasional bicycle kick is acceptable.
Students may occasionally hold their breath.
Sidestroke – 15 Yards
The body must be 30 degrees or less from the surface.
Both arms may occasionally break the surface.
Lead arm elbow may be straight during the catch phase.
The trailing arm elbow must stay close to the body throughout the stroke.
Must have a rudimentary scissors kick.
Water Safety Topics
Reach or Throw, Don’t Go – Demonstrate reaching and throwing assists.
Discuss Recreational Water Illness
Think So You Don’t Sink – Demonstrate
Look Before You Leap
Exit Skill I
Students must perform a feet-first entry into deep water, swim front crawl 25 yards and swim elementary backstroke for 25 yards.
Exit Skill II
Students must swim breaststroke 15 yards and swim back crawl for 15 yards.
