Friday, September 19, 2008

SWIM LESSONS IN JACKSONVILLE and CHARLOTTE COUNTY










 



SWIM LESSONS
in FLORIDA


YOUR CHILD CAN

LEARN TO SWIM SAFE


with Swim Instructor Lois of

the Learn2SwimSafe Program

Serving FLORIDA in

SURVIVAL FOCUSED SWIMMING LESSONS


for over 30 years.

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Water activities are prime for kids in S.W. Florida. It is extremely important that parents do what they can to protect their child and offer their children a fun and safe way to swim and play in the water.



Drowning is the second most common cause of death from injuries among kids under the age of 14. Drowning can happen so fast — sometimes in less than 2 minutes after a person's head goes under the water.


That leaves very little time for someone to help. Many drownings and near-drownings occur when a child accidentally falls into a swimming pool. But accidents can happen anywhere — at some one's home or even at your own house, and that's why you need to know how to be safe around water. No one is ever drown-proof. Just like wearing a seat belt or putting your child into a car seat doesn’t guarantee that you won’t get into a car accident, swim lessons do not drown proof your child. But we use seat belts and put our children into car seats as a protection, just like we give our children swim lessons as a protection. No one is ever drown proof, but there are things you can do to minimize the risk of drowning and make swimming and being around the pool more safe and more enjoyable for everyone. Here are some Water safety tips:
  • Learn to swim.
  • Learn to back float
  • Stop swimming or boating as soon as you see or hear a storm. Where there is thunder, there is lightning. Remember, lightning is electricity — electricity and water are a dangerous combination.
  • Use the buddy system. Don't swim alone, no matter how good swimmer you are.
  • Children: Always have an adult watch you when you are in the pool — even in your own backyard. Never go in the pool if there is no adult around.
  • Walk slowly in the pool area. Don't run.
  • Swim at a depth that is safe for you. If you're just learning to swim, stay in the shallow end.
  • Don't push or jump on others. You could accidentally hurt someone or yourself.
  • Toys to help you float come in many shapes and sizes (an inner tube, air mattress, or beach ball, for example). Although they are fun and can help you while you learn to swim, what they can't do is save a life. They can lose air or float away. “Swimmies” (floaties that wrap around the arm) add a false sense of security and should be used at a minimum. These can easily slip off. Also, they cause the child to “hang” in the water in an upright vertical position; your child needs to learn to swim in a horizontal prone position. It is more difficult to teach children to swim if they are accustomed to using “swimmies” than children that have never used them.
  • Don't chew gum or eat while you swim — you could choke.
  • If you're going out on a boat, always wear a Coast Guard approved life jacket.
  • A large percentage of drownings in children are caused by a child reaching into the pool to get something: a ball or toy floating in the pool. NEVER leave anything floating in a pool. This will entice a child to get it. The child reaches in to get the floating toy and falls in and usually panics and arms moving, goes out further away from the wall, from safety.
  • Solar blankets are great things to have to keep your pool water warm, especially in the winter, but they are a great hazard for little ones. PLEASE, if you have a solar blanket, pay close attention to your child. There have been drownings occur when toddlers fall into a pool that has a pool solar blanket and the child gets trapped under the blanket because it creates a vacuum not allowing the child to get his head above water for air. Even if it doesn't get a seal creating a vacuum, the blanket is too heavy for a little one to push up high enough for him to come up for air. This applies to older children as well. SO PLEASE... BE CAREFUL IF YOU HAVE A SOLAR BLANKET. A suggestion would be to cut the blanket into 4 pieces. It still will be heavy, but this may prevent such a strong vacumm and may allow your child to be able to push it up high enough for him to come up for air.
  • Use the layered effect. 3 layers of barriers of protection are recommended. The more barriers a child has to go through to get to the water, the more time you have to get to the child when you notice the child is missing. 
  • Recommended barriers are:
  • Locks on all doors leading to the pool.
  • Alarm system that alerts you when a door leading to the pool has been opened.
  • Fence surrounding pool.
  • Alarm for the pool. When something falls into the pool, an alarm will sound.
  • Constant supervision around any body of water.
•This is how the Learn2SwimSafe program works: A child is taught 2 main survival skills.

1.) To fall into the pool and immediately turn around and get the wall. An older child can safely climb out at that point; a younger toddler can hang on to the wall and call for help: “mommy” or “daddy”.
2.) To fall in the pool and come up back floating. This is a position that will allow the child free breathing and allow the child to be able to call for help. Through the Learn2SwimSafe program, a child is taught these skills and is allowed much practice by repetitive work on these skills so that the child can safely do these skills in a confident and relaxed manner. 

Lessons are available for children ages 6 months to 16 years in the Charlotte / Sarasota / Lee / and Duval County areas by Water Safety Instructor, Lois.
Lessons in other counties are available.
Lois Teaches:
* Private Survival Focused Swim lessons
* Competitive strokes
* Rescue skills
* Diving
* Snorkeling
*FREE in home pool and water safety evaluation and inspection - call for details).

Lois' Swim experience and background:
- Teaching children to swim since 1982.
- Certified W.S.I. (Water Safety Instructor), Red Cross.
- Certified Swim Instructor, YMCA.
- Water Safety and Boat Safety Master Certified Instructor for Girl Scouts of America, Charlotte County, Red Cross, 1994.
- Lifeguard and Swimming Event Supervisor, Special Olympics, Tampa, Florida, 1985.
- Swim Coach, Crossroads Swim Team, Lithia, Florida, 1984-1985.
- Aquatic Assistant Director and Swim Instructor, YMCA, Lakeland, Florida, 1994-1985.
- Swim Instructor / Swim Coach, The Florida Baptist Children's Home, Lakeland, Florida, 1984.
- Lifeguard, Hillsborough County, Florida, 1984.
- City Swim team, swimmer and diver, 1974.

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For more information about

The Learn2SwimSafe Program:

Call the below number or email:

Phone: (941) 204-2760 or
Email: Learn2SwimSafe@aol.com

It's on FaceBook:
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Pictured here is Lois' 33 year old son at 2 years old.
He mastered the technique...
-swim, flip, float, flip, swim, flip, float in 4 lessons.
He was on the Port Charlotte High school swim team when he was in the 10th grade.



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Pictured here is Lois' 31 year old son at 9 years old snorkeling in the Florida keys.





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Pictured below is Lois' 23 year old daughter, then 9 months old, as Lois teaches her the "Learn2SwimSafe" program.


















The process... Fall in - Turn around and swim to the wall - Climb out. She couldn't climb out yet, but she held on forever!

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Pictured below is Lois' 20 year old daughter, then just 5 months old, as Lois teaches her the "Learn2SwimSafe" program.


The process... -swim -flip -float -flip -swim -flip -float which she mastered in 3 months, at 8 months old. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



For more information about The

LEARN2SWIMSAFE Program,

contact Lois at:
phone: (941) 204-2760 email: Learn2SwimSafe@aol.com
It's on FaceBook:
at