Summer is just around the corner and while most people think of sunshine, vacations, and picnics with the family, those of us in the aquatic education industry begin thinking about the more dangerous side of summer: the very realistic problem of drowning. Every year we hear about children drowning, typically during the summer months, and usually the cause behind the drowning is one of three things or a combination:

• Lack of supervision – Many drownings occur because children are not being supervised in a responsible manner. They are either left entirely unattended, left under the supervision of someone who is not capable of watching them or is not entirely dedicated to supervising, or find their way into an unsupervised/uncovered pool. 
• Lack of swimming skills – Many children either do not know how to swim or believe they can swim when they do not possess the necessary skills to swim independently.
• Lack of barriers – Many pools do not have proper barriers to ensure safety–four-sided fencing with a self-latching gate and a safety cover.

Our goal is to help children and families within our community enjoy water and make swimming a life-long activity that everyone can participate in and enjoy. However, we also believe that it is our responsibility to make people aware of the dangers associated with water. The safety of our students is our primary concern, and this extends beyond the times they are in lessons with us. We want to make sure that all our clients are aware of the signs of drowning, so that they are not caught off-guard and put into an emergency situation. 

Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

The new captain jumped from the deck, fully dressed, and sprinted through the water. A former lifeguard, he kept his eyes on his victim as he headed straight for the couple swimming between their anchored sport fisher and the beach. “I think he thinks you’re drowning,” the husband said to his wife. They had been splashing each other and she had screamed but now they were just standing, neck-deep on the sand bar. “We’re fine; what is he doing?” she asked, a little annoyed. “We’re fine!” the husband yelled, waving him off, but his captain kept swimming hard. ”Move!” he barked as he sprinted between the stunned owners. Directly behind them, not 10 feet away, their 9-year-old daughter was drowning. Safely above the surface in the arms of the captain, she burst into tears, “Daddy!”

How did this captain know—from 50 feet away—what the father couldn’t recognize from just 10? Drowning is not the violent, splashing call for help that most people expect. The captain was trained to recognize drowning by experts and years of experience. The father, on the other hand, had learned what drowning looks like by watching television. If you spend time on or near the water (hint: that’s all of us) then you should make sure that you and your crew know what to look for whenever people enter the water. Until she cried a tearful, “Daddy,” she hadn’t made a sound. As a former Coast Guard rescue swimmer, I wasn’t surprised at all by this story. Drowning is almost always a deceptively quiet event. The waving, splashing, and yelling that dramatic conditioning (television) prepares us to look for is rarely seen in real life.

The Instinctive Drowning Response—so named by Francesco A. Pia, Ph.D., is what people do to avoid actual or perceived suffocation in the water. And it does not look like most people expect. There is very little splashing, no waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind. To get an idea of just how quiet and under-dramatic from the surface drowning can be, consider this: It is the No. 2 cause of accidental death in children, ages 15 and under (just behind vehicle accidents)—of the approximately 750 children who will drown next year, about 375 of them will do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult. In some of those drownings, the adult will watch the child do it, having no idea it is happening. Drowning does not look like drowning—Dr. Pia, in an article in the Coast Guard’s “On Scene magazine, described the Instinctive Drowning Response like this:

Except in rare circumstances, drowning people are physiologically unable to call out for help. The respiratory system was designed for breathing. Speech is the secondary or overlaid function. Breathing must be fulfilled before speech occurs. Drowning people’s mouths alternately sink below and reappear above the surface of the water. The mouths of drowning people are not above the surface of the water long enough for them to exhale, inhale, and call out for help. When the drowning people’s mouths are above the surface, they exhale and inhale quickly as their mouths start to sink below the surface of the water. Drowning people cannot wave for help. Nature instinctively forces them to extend their arms laterally and press down on the water’s surface. Pressing down on the surface of the water permits drowning people to leverage their bodies so they can lift their mouths out of the water to breathe. Throughout the Instinctive Drowning Response, drowning people cannot voluntarily control their arm movements. Physiologically, drowning people who are struggling on the surface of the water cannot stop drowning and perform voluntary movements such as waving for help, moving toward a rescuer, or reaching out for a piece of rescue equipment. From beginning to end of the Instinctive Drowning Response people’s bodies remain upright in the water, with no evidence of a supporting kick. Unless rescued by a trained lifeguard, these drowning people can only struggle on the surface of the water for 20 to 60 seconds before submersion occurs.

This doesn’t mean that a person yelling for help and thrashing isn’t in real trouble—they are experiencing aquatic distress. Aquatic distress doesn’t last long—but unlike true drowning, these victims can still assist in their own rescue. They can grab lifelines, throw rings, etc.

Look for these other signs of drowning when persons are in the water:

• Head low in the water, mouth at water level
• Head tilted back with mouth open
• Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus
• Eyes closed
• Not using legs—vertical
• Hyperventilating or gasping
• Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway
• Trying to roll over on the back
• Appear to be climbing an invisible ladder

Sometimes the most common indication that someone is drowning is that they don’t look like they’re drowning. They may just look like they are treading water and looking up at the deck. One way to be sure, ask them, “Are you all right?” If they can answer at all—they probably are. If they return a blank stare, you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them. And parents—children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why.¹

Drowning Facts and Statistics²

• Drowning can be fatal or nonfatal.
• Every year in the United States there are over 4,000 unintentional drowning deaths and 8,000 nonfatal drownings, which is an average of 11 drowning deaths per day and 22 nonfatal drownings per day.
• More children ages 1-4 die from drowning than any other cause of death.
• Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 5-14.
• Nonfatal drowning can result in long-term health problems and costly hospital stays.
• People of different ages drown in different locations. For example, most children ages 1-4 drown in home swimming pools. The percentage of drownings in natural water settings, including lakes, rivers and oceans, increases with age. More than half of fatal and nonfatal drownings among those 15 years and older (57% and 57% respectively) occurred in natural water settings.

What factors influence drowning risk and how can you reduce these risks?³

While we can never guarantee that a child is “drown proof” we hope that by providing information and resources, we can help families within our community be prepared this summer.

Have you ever considered becoming a lifeguard? Are you 15 or older and looking for a great summer job? Having an American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification is a great place to start!

Being a certified lifeguard opens the doors for summer job opportunities, as well as providing a way to help protect those around you!

We offer Red Cross Certification courses throughout the year. Red Cross Lifeguarding Certification and Recertification classes are offered in May. We also offer CPR classes during the year. Our staff can do CPR classes on site for businesses throughout Hamilton County and surrounding counties. Please contact us to schedule a class. If you do not see a class that works for you, please submit a Class Request and we will contact you to try and schedule something.

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Swimming isn’t just a fun after-school activity—it’s a life skill that pays off in so many ways. When it comes to learning how to swim, parents often face a common question: Is it better to take weekly swimming lessons or enroll in a daily intensive program? While both options have their benefits, the best fit for each swimmer really depends on their current skill level and goals. 

Weekly Swimming Lessons

Weekly swimming lessons tend to offer longer-lasting benefits for most learners. Enrolling your child in weekly swimming lessons creates consistent progress, builds confidence, and supports both physical and mental development. There are specific benefits to enrolling in weekly lessons.

Consistency Builds Real Skills

Weekly lessons allow children to practice and reinforce skills regularly over an extended period of time. That steady rhythm helps skills “stick” and leads to faster, more confident progress in the water.

Boosts Water Safety and Confidence

Regular exposure to the pool helps children feel comfortable and safe around water. Over time, they learn how to float, tread water, and react calmly—skills that can be lifesaving. Weekly lessons reduce fear and replace it with confidence, awareness, and respect for water.

Long-Term Benefits That Last a Lifetime

Swimming is a skill children can enjoy for life, whether for fitness, recreation, or competition. Weekly lessons lay a strong foundation that opens the door to swim teams, water sports, and lifelong confidence in aquatic environments.

Daily Swimming Lessons

Daily intensive swimming lessons—where swimmers practice every day over a short period of time—offer unique advantages that weekly lessons often can’t match. Whether for young beginners or swimmers looking to improve quickly, this approach can lead to faster progress, stronger confidence, and safer swimmers overall.

Faster Skill Development

Daily lessons allow swimmers to build on skills before they forget them. Instead of waiting a full week between lessons, students return to the pool the next day ready to reinforce what they just learned. This repetition helps muscle memory develop more quickly, making skills like floating, breathing, and stroke technique feel natural sooner.

Better Focus and Fewer Setbacks

With weekly lessons, swimmers sometimes spend valuable time relearning skills they’ve forgotten. Intensive programs minimize this problem. Each lesson builds directly on the last, allowing instructors to maintain momentum and focus on progress instead of review.

Efficient Use of Time

For busy families, daily lessons can be more convenient. Instead of committing to months of weekly lessons, swimmers can make significant progress in just two weeks. This makes daily programs ideal for busy families during the summer.

General Benefits of Swimming Lessons

Swimming lessons are often seen as a childhood rite of passage, but the truth is they offer powerful benefits for people of all ages. From safety and physical fitness to confidence and lifelong wellness, learning how to swim can have a lasting impact far beyond the pool.

Builds Social Skills

Group lessons give kids a chance to interact with peers, take turns, cheer each other on, and learn teamwork. These social moments—both in and out of the pool—help children build friendships and communication skills.

Water Safety and Drowning Prevention

One of the most important benefits of swimming lessons is safety. Knowing how to float, tread water, and move confidently in the pool can significantly reduce the risk of drowning. Swimming lessons teach essential survival skills, helping children and adults stay calm and react effectively in unexpected water situations. For families, this peace of mind alone makes lessons incredibly valuable.

Encourages Lifelong Healthy Habits

Swimming is a skill you can enjoy at any age. Taking lessons early—or even later in life—opens the door to a lifetime of physical activity, whether that’s recreational swimming, water fitness classes, or competitive sports. It also encourages an active lifestyle that can be maintained well into adulthood.

Final Splash

Daily intensive swimming lessons offer a focused, effective way to learn and grow in the water. With faster skill development, increased confidence, and consistent safety reinforcement, this approach can set swimmers up for long-term success. Weekly swimming lessons aren’t just about learning strokes—they’re about safety, confidence, health, and growth. With consistent practice and supportive instruction, children gain skills that extend far beyond the pool. One lesson a week can make waves that last a lifetime. It’s all about what is the best fit for your family!  🏊‍♂️💙

Do you need help finding the right level for your swimmer?

We have the perfect tool to help you find the right level for your child. Visit our Swim Level Finder is easy to use and can help you get started. Answer a few questions about your child and their swimming skills and we will narrow down the levels to find the best fit. Children under the age of 2 years old go into our infant/toddler classes where parents are in the water.

Not sure of the answer to some of the questions? Feel free to contact us for more help. We are happy to help you find the perfect class for your swimmer!

Are you looking for a new swim school? We’ve got just what you are looking for at Aquatic Abilities! Instructors with 20+ years of combined experience teaching swimming in Hamilton County, unique curriculum developed to meet the needs of children, classes for all ages & abilities, and more! Come swim with us and get a 10% discount on the first month of lessons. Use promo code NEWENROLL when registering.

For correct level information, visit our Swimming Levels page.

When summer draws to a close, some children say goodbye to their swim instructors and new friends to begin sports and music lessons or focus on school work. Parents do not think twice about pulling their child out of swimming lessons in order to start a new activity. Yet when summer rolls around again the following year, they are startled to find their child in the same class as the previous year or slow to improve.

Retention is the key to forward progression when fine-tuning or learning any new skill. Year-round lessons allow children to build upon their summer-learned foundation and continue to improve their skills. Consistency is important for children to learn to swim and for parents, it allows swimmers to retain their skills on a more permanent basis.

Many parents enroll students in swimming lessons at a young age to teach water safety and how to react in an emergency situation. These are definitely critical skills to learn; however, parents must also remember that drowning does not only happen during the summer and children can be around water even in cooler months, such as ponds, lakes, hot tubs, bathtubs, and even a backyard with an uncovered pool. Having a swimmer who takes lessons year-round provides a more robust education and higher success for knowing how to react in an emergency. Parents should also remember, swimming is one of, if not the only sport a child can learn that can literally save their lives. In fact, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death among children ages 1-4 years old in the United States, claiming over 3400 lives annually, according to Stop Drowning Now.

At Aquatic Abilities, we practice safety on a regular basis in addition to teaching kids to swim. This in turn provides swimmers with valuable life-saving skills and a broad aquatic knowledge base. In order to ensure children’s skills are retained and not just memorized for the short-term, students must continue to swim beyond the summer months. The longer a child is away from swimming, the longer it takes him or her to work back to their initial skill level. Unfortunately, swimmers can forget these crucial life-saving and safety skills during a winter break and panic or react in a way that is counterproductive should they find themselves in a life-threatening emergency. Although every child will react differently, chances are, if the skills are ingrained in their psyche, they will respond accordingly.

Parents are also frustrated financially when they find themselves paying to bring their swimmer up to speed from a previous swim season or round of lessons. Just as with any new skill, it takes practice to improve and chances are, you would need a refresher after a long hiatus from a new sport or activity. With year-round lessons, children build upon their foundation with scaffold learning, which allows them to not only practice and retain their skills, but also regularly improve and add new skills.

The other question we get from parents is, “What about colds and viruses in cooler months?” Contrary to popular belief, your child will not be more susceptible to colds in the winter months by continuing swimming lessons. Our comfortable, 88-degree temperature waters will ensure children’s body temperatures are safe no matter what month or season. Also, keep in mind, exercise is especially beneficial for strengthening immune systems and keeping adults and children safe from illness.

Year-round swimming lessons provide several benefits to parents and children alike. They not only offer a greater overall value to your student and wallet, but they provide critical skills and opportunities for students to learn in the most quick and efficient manner.