How to choose a kids' swim teacher in San Diego
How to Choose a Kids' Swim Teacher in San Diego: what should San Diego readers know?
A checklist you can use on a call or at a trial lesson.
1. Credentials
- Instructor certification: American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor (WSI) is the most common. ISR and Infant Aquatics instructors have their own certifications. Ask for the expiration date.
- CPR and First Aid: must be current. Ask to see the card.
- Lifeguard on deck at facilities with group classes.
2. Background check
Ask what kind and when. A fingerprint-based California check (Live Scan, or the TrustLine registry for in-home caregivers) is stronger than a name-only search. For in-home lessons, you can check TrustLine status by calling 1-800-822-8490.
3. Ratios and class size
For young beginners, small is better. Several San Diego schools publish a 4:1 student-to-teacher ratio for group classes. Private means 1:1.
4. Water temperature and setting
Babies and toddlers get cold fast. Ask whether the pool is heated and to what temperature. Indoor heated pools keep lessons going year-round.
5. Ages and parent-and-me
The AAP says lessons can start after age 1. Under 1, parent-and-child classes are about comfort, not drowning prevention. The Red Cross's Parent and Child Aquatics covers about 6 months to 3 years.
6. Method and progress
Ask which method they use (see methods compared), how they report progress, and what your child should be able to do after 8 lessons.
7. Policies
Make-ups, refunds (the city pools give none), sibling discounts and whether you can watch.
Red flags
- Says lessons make a child "drown-proof"
- Won't show certifications or background-check proof
- No adult watching the water during group lessons
- Forced dunking of a frightened child
Sources: AAP / HealthyChildren, American Red Cross levels, CA TrustLine, Aqua-Tots (ratio)