Town of Westlock

During these lessons, children learn how to enter, exit and move in shallow water safely, to put their face in water blowing bubbles, to wear a lifejacket and to be comfortable with floats and back glides.

During these lessons, children will wear a lifejacket or other buoyant aid as they jump into chest deep water, practice front and back glides and flutter kick. They also learn to submerge and exhale underwater.

During these lessons, children perform a sideways entry into deep water wearing a lifejacket and recover objects from the bottom in waist-deep water. They will master independent front and back floats, lateral rollovers, front and back glides and flutter kick on front and back.

During these lessons, preschoolers will demonstrate they can support themselves in deep water for 10-secondes using the sculling action and supportive kick. Wearing a lifejacket, they will practice a forward roll entry into deep water. They will be introduced to whip kick, crawl, and interval training. Preschool 5 graduates will be prepared to enter Swimmer 2 at 6 years of age.

This level provides the foundation for swimming skill development. These beginners will become comfortable jumping into the water with and without a lifejacket, learn to open their eyes, exhale, and hold their breath underwater. They will work on floats, glides and kicking through the water on their front and back.

This level advances beginners with jumping into deeper water and learning to be comfortable falling sideways into the water wearing a lifejacket. They will be able to support themselves at the surface without an aid, learn whip kick, swim 10 metres on their front and back and be introduced to flutter kick interval training of 4 x 5 metres.

These junior swimmers will dive and complete in-water front somersaults and handstands. They will work on 15-metre front crawl, back crawl and 10-metre whip kick. Flutter kick interval training increases to 4 x 15 metres.

These intermediate swimmers will swim 5 metres underwater and lengths of front and back crawl, whip kick, and breaststroke arms with breathing. This level includes the completion of the Canadian Swim to Survive standards, front crawl sprints over 25 metres and 4 x 25 metres front or back crawl interval training.

This level introduces the breaststroke, foot first surface dives and rescue entries. Swimmers will master shallow dives, cannonball entries, eggbeater kicks, and in-water backward somersaults. They will refine their front and back crawl over 50 metres swims of each and breaststroke over 25 metres. Swimmers will pick up the pace in 25-metre sprints and 2 interval training bouts; 4 x 50-metre front or back crawl and 4 x 15-metre breaststroke. They will learn about the dangers of open water.

During these sessions, swimmers will develop individual fitness levels to meet a times 100-metre swim and a 350-metre workout. Water proficiency skills include swimming with clothes on, ready position, foot-first and head-first surface dives. This program also includes First Aid skills of demonstrating the ability to conduct a primary assessment and initiating EMS, victim recognition and throwing assists. Ranger Patrol features development of front crawl, back crawl, and breaststroke over 75 metres each, a 100-metre lifesaving medley, and timed 200 metre swims.