Find Your Element. Find Your Y.
Water is everywhere in the Pacific Northwest, especially with Whatcom County being home to many lakes, rivers, bays, and creeks. The Y is here to help you develop the swim skills you need to be safe, confident, and at home wherever you encounter water!
Knowing how to swim and be water-safe is a crucial life skill everyone should have. Swim lessons help kids, teens, and adults of all ages and abilities find joy in swimming and develop a lifelong love of water with a healthy appreciation for water safety.
Swim lessons at the Y are conducted under the careful supervision of certified lifeguards, ensuring the safety of every participant. Moreover, our highly trained swim instructors hold national certifications in instruction, CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation), AED (Automated External Defibrillator), and First Aid, ensuring they are well-equipped to handle any situation.
Swim Lesson Stages
Stage A/B | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage 4 | Stage 5 | Stage 6 | Teen & Adult
Stage A: Water Discovery / Stage B: Water Exploration
This stage introduces infants and toddlers to the aquatic environment through exploring body positions, blowing bubbles, and fundamental safety and aquatic skills.
Stage A/B
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Stage 1: Water Acclimation
This stage increases students’ comfort with underwater exploration and introduces basic self-rescue skills performed with assistance.
Stage 1 (Preschool)
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Stage 1 (School Age)
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Stage 2: Water Movement
In this stage, students focus on forward movement in water and basic self-rescue skills performed independently.
Stage 2 (Preschool)
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Stage 2 (School Age)
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Stage 3: Water Stamina
This stage develops intermediate self-rescue skills performed at longer distances than in previous stages.
Stage 3 (Preschool)
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Stage 3 (School Age)
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Stage 4: Stroke Introduction
This stage introduces basic stroke technique in front crawl and back crawl and reinforces water safety through treading water and elementary backstroke.
Stage 4 (Preschool)
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Stage 4 (School Age)
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Stage 5: Stroke Development
This stage introduces breaststroke and butterfly and reinforces water safety through treading water and sidestroke.
Stage 5 (School Age)
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Stage 6: Stroke Mechanics
This stage refines stroke technique on all major competitive strokes and encourages swimming as part of a healthy lifestyle.
Stage 6 (School Age)
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Teen & Adult
General classes for anyone over the age of 13.
Teen & Adult Swim Lessons
Bellingham YMCA