Learn to Swim

The Learn to Swim Program at Harold Holt Swim Centre offers swimming lessons for infants, preschool and school-aged children, right through to adults.

Our program encourages swimmers of all ages and abilities to build confidence and enjoyment of the water.

We take pride in creating a fun, safe and professional learning environment that caters to each student's needs.

All teachers are AUSTSWIM, Swim Australia or Life Saving Victoria qualified, with some licensed to teach multiple disciplines, including:

  • infants
  • adults
  • access all abilities classes.

Our lessons run over 4 quarters per year. To see when we are running our lessons through the year, see our program dates.

Children’s lessons 

Teaching your child to swim is an important life decision.

Our Learn to Swim Program offers children's swimming lessons for infants, through to school-aged children. 

We provide a professional, safe and fun learning environment for children of all ages and abilities to build confidence and an enjoyment of water. 

Swim lesson levels

Swim lessons are available for:

  • infants - aged 6 months to 3 years
  • preschoolers - aged 3 to 5 years (no swimming experience needed)
  • school kids - aged 5 years and up (no swimming experience needed)

Infants

Infant lessons are perfect for introducing your child to the water.

Lessons focus on:

  • submersion
  • floatation
  • movement
  • fundamental water safety skills, and
  • parent/child bonding in the water.

We develop their skills with fun activities, games and songs – so warm up those voices!

Infant lessons are for these age groups:

Level Ratio Location
Angelfish (6 to 12 months) 1:8 Warm Water Pool
Rainbowfish (1 to 2 years) 1:8 Warm Water Pool
Clownfish (2 to 3 years) 1:8 Warm Water Pool

Pool location for lessons may change due to pool closures.

Preschool

Children aged 3 years and older have lessons without a parent in the water.

Each Learn to Swim level includes competitive swimming strokes and essential water safety skills.

Level Ratio Location
Starfish 1:4 Learn to Swim Pool
Jellyfish 1:4 Learn to Swim Pool
Crab 1:5 Learn to Swim Pool
Seal 1:5 Learn to Swim Pool

Pool location for lessons may change due to pool closures.

School-aged

Lessons for school-aged children focus on:

  • confidence and skill in the four competitive strokes, and
  • vital water safety skills.

Children progress through the following levels as their skills grow.

Class sizes and location vary depending on the level:

Level Ratio Location
Seahorse 1:5 Learn to Swim Pool
Squid 1:5 Learn to Swim Pool
Turtle 1:6 25m Pool
Frog 1:6 25m Pool
Penguin 1:6 25m Pool
Stingray 1:6 25m Pool
Snapper 1:8 25m Pool

Pool location for lessons may change due to pool closures.

Adult lessons 

It's never too late to learn how to swim. 

We provide lessons for adults who want more confidence in the water or for those wishing to work on their techniques.

Swim lesson levels

We offer 3 levels of classes, for first-timers through to competent swimmers: 

  • Beginner: no experience or limited swimming experience or confidence. Introduction to freestyle and backstroke up to 12 m.
  • Intermediate: can swim at least 12 m of freestyle and backstroke, and wish to work on technique.
  • Advanced: can swim at least 50 m of freestyle and backstroke, and wish to work on stroke development.

Adult swimming lessons are held in the indoor 25 m pool, heated to 30 degrees and are 30 minutes in duration. 

Pool location for lessons may change due to pool closures.

Each class has a maximum of 6 adults.

How to enrol

Children lessons

Enrol your child

To enrol your child in swimming lessons, call us on 03 8290 1678 or visit us in person at the Centre.

If you're enrolling your child in preschool or school-aged lessons, we will perform a quick questionnaire first, to determine your child’s swim level.

Enrolments will be based on class availability.

Pay your membership fees

If you enrol over the phone, you will need to pay the pro rata fee of your membership on the first day of lessons. 

If you enrol in person, you will need to make your first payment at the Centre when enrolling.  

Assess and monitor your child’s progress

We perform a quarterly performance review of all students to track their progress and update their swimming levels to meet their learning needs.

Once we have completed an assessment, we will speak to you about their progress and assist you in finding another class if your child has progressed to the next level.

Adult lessons

Enrol over the phone or in person

Once you have determined your desired class level, call us on 03 8290 1678. We will enrol you over the phone, based on class availability.

Alternatively, you can visit us at Harold Holt Swim Centre to enrol in person.

Pay your membership fees

If you have enrolled over the phone, you will pay the first fortnightly direct debit payment of your membership on the first day of lessons.

If you enrolled in person, you will pay the first payment in person at the time of enrolment.

Learn to Swim membership and fees

The cost of the Learn to Swim program is $23.60 per lesson, your nominated account will be debited on a fortnightly basis.

We debit on every second Monday, except for public holidays, where it will be debited on Tuesdays. For exact direct debit dates, download our Learn to Swim calendar(PDF, 154KB).

You will only be debited for the lessons we conduct in that fortnightly direct debit period. If you miss a lesson, or the lesson isn’t running due to our school holiday breaks, public holidays or centre closure, you will not be charged.

Your Learn to Swim membership includes:

  • one lesson a week per student
  • unlimited access to Harold Holt Swim Centre and Prahran Aquatic Centre aquatic areas per student to practice their swimming skills. This includes one accompanying parent or guardian for children under the age of ten. This excludes warm water pool, sauna, spa and steam room
  • six make up lessons per financial year for when the student is unable to attend a class
  • 10 per cent discount on swimwear
  • 10 per cent discount for the third and more family members
  • 5 per cent discount on the second lesson when the student attends two lessons each week.

Make-up lessons

Through your membership you’re eligible for 6 make-up lessons per financial year.

If you are unable to attend a lesson, call us on 03 8290 1678 as soon as you are aware of the potential missed lesson, and we can enrol you in a makeup class on another day based on our class availability that week.

Cancellation of membership

You can cancel your membership anytime. To cancel your Learn to Swim membership, fill out our membership cancellation form and we will cancel your membership after your final lesson in the debit period.

Alternatively, you can cancel your membership in person at the Harold Holt Swim Centre.