By Foss Swim School
It is never too late to learn to swim, and even for people who are confident swimmers, there’s always more you can learn and improve. That’s one of our favorite things about this life skill: You never have to be done learning if you don’t want to.
You might be surprised (or maybe you wouldn’t) to know how often we talk to parents who admit they lack strong swim skills, and that’s part of the reason they want to make sure their kids graduate from a strong learn-to-swim program like that at FOSS. Some people even say they wish there were classes for adults like there are for kids.
The good news is: There are! Foss Swim School also teaches adults. There are differences in our approach and schedules, of course, but if you are one of those people who wish you could go back to swim school, whether to learn properly or to improve your existing skills, you should talk to your local Foss Swim School.
Here are the five most common questions we are asked and some quick answers:
So, really, you teach adult swim classes?
Yes! If you come in the school with a student you may mostly see classes for kids, but we do teach adults, often at quieter times when we have more capacity at the pool (often in evenings).
Do you have scheduled classes I can sign up for?
No, we don’t have regular group classes for adults. These are private (for one student) or semi-private classes (for two students.) We find adults are at very different, unique places in their swimming journey, and would rarely have enough adults at the same level at one site to fill a class. Besides, with some adults wanting to fine-tune their crawl for a triathlon, and others who have never learned a single stroke, the varying levels tend to benefit from a custom curriculum.
Do these classes follow the same approach I see my child take?
No. First, adults learn differently than children – they can intellectualize and visualize things differently, and can handle multiple directions at once – so we of course adjust the pace and style of education. This blog by our co-founder Jon Foss explains the three major milestones in our adult swim classes. Second, with the very different goals adult swimmers have – one person may be looking to shave a few seconds off their lap time, while another may just want to overcome an ingrained fear of water – we customize the goals and milestones accordingly.
How much do adult swim classes cost?
The cost of adult swim lessons is our standard private or semi-private fee, which can vary by school; check with your local swim school for rates.
I already can swim. How will adult swim classes help me?
Most current swimmers who take adult lessons are either looking to add a stroke, add endurance, or get specialized direction for swimming in a race. We can help with all of these!
So how do I get started?
Availability for adult swim lessons can vary by location depending on pool availability and the capacity of instructors who teach adult students. So the best place to start is with your location manager. If you aren’t sure who that is, ask your student’s swim instructor or call the front desk. We look forward to helping you and are glad you are interested in pursuing the important skill, because it really is never too late to become a better swimmer!
