For over 142 years, the Y has been the premier destination for aquatics. With a variety of programs to choose from, we encourage you and your family to get involved in water activities. It’s never too early to start—we begin our programs at just 6 months old, and there’s no age cap, so it’s never too late to make a splash!
We're also excited to introduce a new, family-friendly way to navigate our swim lesson progression. Our swim levels now incorporate animal-themed stages, making it easier and more engaging for children to learn and remember their level while helping parents better understand their child’s swimming journey and progress.
To register for any Swimming & Water Fitness classes, please visit our YMCA programs page.
Swim Levels
Starfish
Stage A: Water Discovery
Introduces infants and toddlers to the aquatic environment.
Guppy
Stage B: Water Discovery
Focuses on exploring body positions, blowing bubbles, and fundamental safety and aquatic skills.
Axolotl
Stage 1: Water Acclimation
Increases comfort with underwater exploration and introduces basic self-rescue skills performed with assistance.
Minnow
Stage 2: Water Movement
with underwater exploration and introduces basic self-rescue skills performed with assistance Encourages forward movement in water and basic self-rescue skills performed independently.
Stingray
Stage 3: Water Stamina
Develops intermediate self-rescue skills performed at longer distances than in previous stages.
Sea Turtle
Stage 4: Stroke Introduction
Introduces basic stroke technique in front crawl and back crawl and reinforces water safety through treading water and elementary backstroke.
Dolphin
Stage 5: Stroke Development
Introduces breaststroke and butterfly, and reinforces water safety through treading water and sidestroke.
Shark
Stage 6: Stroke Mechanics
Refines stroke technique on all major competitive strokes and encourages swimming as part of a healthy lifestyle.