Self-Rescue Lessons at Swim Gym

Self-Rescue Float (Infants 6 – 12 months)

Self-Rescue Lessons (Infants 6-12 months) will teach breath control, correct floating postures, and the skills to remain floating for varied periods of time, from various positions in the water. Infants then learn roll back to floating. We will guide your child in the water through simulated real-life possible situations, they will learn to flip themselves into a float.

Self-Rescue Swim-Float-Swim (Children 1+ years old)

Self-Rescue Lessons (Children 1 to 6 years) teach the swim-float-swim sequence. Children learn to hold their breath underwater, swim with their heads down, roll onto their backs to float, rest, and breathe and then roll back over to resume swimming until they reach the side of the pool to crawl out or be rescued. Students first perform these survival swimming skills in a swimsuit and then while fully clothed.

**Pricing does not include the $105 national registration fee.*

Our Self-Rescue lessons are formatted in 10 minute sessions taken consecutively Monday thru Friday for an average of 7 weeks.

National Registration
$105 per child

$105.00 per child paid to Infant Swimming Resource via link provided in your welcome email once a class is scheduled. The fee covers the cost of the screening process by ISR medical personnel for physical and developmental readiness of your child, supplies, and education programs for the general public and medical community.

Weekly Self Rescue Tuition
$140 per child*

$140 per child paid weekly on our recurring billing.

*Effective January 6th, 2024

Your journey to Self-Rescue at Swim Gym starts here. To begin, click schedule now and select your start date and time slot. Once you pay for the first week, you will receive a link to register with Infant Swimming Resource, our national certifying organization. Your registration opens the door to Self-Rescue at Swim Gym and is now only $40 a year to renew. Once you are registered, Self-Rescue instruction at Swim Gym begins! Lessons are $140.00 a week. Lessons are required 5 days a week, Monday through Friday, and are approximately 10 minutes in length to prevent muscle fatigue.

Lessons are taught at your child’s emotional and physical pace, averaging 6-7 weeks in length. Lessons can begin any month based on our availability and your scheduling needs. We recommend scheduling your class in advance to ensure you get the time you need and avoid your child being placed on a wait-list.

Please be aware that canceled classes are not refundable.

Schedule ISR Lessons

What To Know Before You Arrive

Infant Self-Rescue classes are different than regular swimming lessons. To ensure that you have everything you need prior to booking and arrival, take a look at the list of items so you can ensure you have everything you need. Should you have any questions before or after your booking, please call or email us.

Complete the Infant Self-Rescue Registration

Your child National Registration must be completed prior to the first day of lessons. Without it, your child will not be able to enter the pool. The fee of $105 per child and is not collected by Swim Gym of Lakewood Ranch.

Bring 3 Towels

Please bring 3 towels to every lesson. The towels will create a clean, dry surface for your child to lie on that will limit his or her exposure to the damp pool deck, which could potentially harbor germs.

Bring 2 Cloth Swim Diapers

Dress your child in 2 layered washable (non-disposable) swim diapers. These are required if your child has not been potty trained for more than 6 months. Remember that you can use the gift code that you’ll receive in your National Registration approval from ISR to order a swim diaper online at www.isrstore.com or can they can be purchased at Swim Gym of Lakewood Ranch.

Come on an Empty Stomach

Your child should not have anything to eat or drink for 2 hours prior to their scheduled lesson.

A Results-Oriented Staff with 30 Years of Experience.

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Infant Self-Rescue Frequently Asked Questions

What is ISR and how is it different from other swimming programs?

ISR is the product over 50 years of ongoing development in the area of aquatic survival instruction for infants and children. ISR’s primary focus is to teach your child to become a productive swimmer, or floater in any depth of water. The goal of ISR is that your child becomes an “aquatic problem solver.” ISR will greatly increase your child’s chance of surviving an aquatic accident, even when fully clothed!

Are swimming lessons for infants and young children safe?

YES! ISR is dedicated to safety and maintaining numerous safety protocols to promote safe lessons. Your child’s health and well-being are our highest priority and are closely monitored on a daily basis. In addition, your child’s medical and developmental history is a mandatory part of the ISR national registration process, all of which is held strictly confidential. All ISR instructors undergo an intensive and rigorous training that far exceeds any other training program of this kind.

Your education in the area of aquatic safety for your entire family is an integral part of your child’s lessons. You will receive access to the “Parent Resource Guide”, written by Dr. Harvey Barnett and JoAnn Barnett, which will inform you of every aspect of swimming for infants and children.

With research, you will find that ISR is the safest survival swimming program but also the most effective for teaching infants and young children.

Will my child learn to actually swim?

Yes. At ISR, we believe that part of survival for a child who can walk is swimming. Children learn the swim-float-swim sequence so that they could get themselves to safety. The difference in our program is that they will learn swimming AND survival skills and how to be an aquatic problem solver.

Will my child need additional lessons?

Based on our research, we know that refresher lessons are important because children change so much both cognitively and physically during the first 4-5 years of life. It is important that their water survival skills grow with their bodies.

Frequency depends on the child’s age, growth rate, skill level and confidence level. The goal of refresher lessons is to help your child adjust his/her new body size and weight to his/her existing skill level. Your instructor will work with your child to help fine-tune his or her aquatic experience to assist with building efficiency, which will result in self-confidence. This is especially important if your child has not been able to practice any appropriate aquatic skill between seasons.

What is the retention rate with ISR lessons?

ISR claims a retention rate of 94-100% up to one year following lessons. Having said this, children will explore and may pick up bad habits watching other children or with interference like floating in a bathtub or playing on the steps. As your child goes through lessons, you will begin to understand, through communication with your Instructor, what activities may interfere with his/her learned Self-Rescue skills. Contacting and/or returning to your instructor in a timely manner is imperative to maintaining effective habits.

Why do children have to swim in clothes?

Because 86% of children, who fall in the water, do so fully clothed, we want our students to have experience with such a situation. If a child has experienced the sensations of being in the water in clothing prior to an emergency situation, he/she is less likely to experience panic and be able to focus on the task at hand. If you have ever jumped in the water with clothes on, then you know that there is a significant difference in weight and feel with clothes as opposed to a bathing suit.

Why are lessons 5 days per week and for only 10 minutes?

The reason for this is multifaceted. First, repetition and consistency are crucial elements of learning for young children. Research shows that short, more frequent lessons result in higher retention.

Second, most children have fairly short attention spans and will not be able to focus on the task for longer and we want to take advantage of the best time for learning.

A third reason is that, though the pool temperature is maintained between 85-88 degrees, the temperature is still lower than your child’s body temperature. Lessons are work and therefore will also be loosing body heat. Instructors check students regularly for temperature fatigue since this is an indicator of physical fatigue.

Why should parents enroll their children in ISR lessons?

ISR parents are intelligent and enroll their children because they understand their children’s abilities and want to give them every opportunity to learn. They also feel it is important to teach their children how to help themselves should they find themselves alone in the water. Research shows that there are better times to learn certain things and swimming is best learned early in life. (Newsweek and Drowning Statistics)