Village of Horseheads Parks & Recreation
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Red Cross Swim Level Requirements


WATER BABIES - Ages 6 months -3 years.
Discuss water safety between instructor, parent, and child.
Explore getting wet, kicking, playing with toys in water.
With support from parent, child will explore floating on front and back, gliding on front and back, blowing bubbles, submerging face, leg action, arm stroke, jumping into water, entering/exiting the pool.

LEVEL 1 - Introductions to Water Skills. Children must be at least 3 feet tall to be in Level 1.
Blow bubbles through mouth and nose, bobbing, entering and exiting water using ladder or side, open eyes underwater, retrieve submerged objects.
Front/ back glide, front/ back float, changing position during glide.
Treading water (arm and hand action), swim on front and back.
Discuss and demonstrate water safety.

LEVEL 2 - Fundamental Aquatic Skills.
Front/ back float, front/ back glide, changing position during glide.
Treading water (arm and leg actions), swim on front/back
Discuss/ demonstrate water safety

LEVEL 3 - Stroke Development.
Bobbing while moving, rotary breathing, survival float/ back float.
Tread water (at least 30 seconds in deep water)
Streamline front and back, elementary backstroke, scissor kick
Swim on front/ back using streamline push off
Discuss/demonstrate water safety
Begin headfirst entry teaching (diving while kneeling)

LEVEL 4 - Stroke Impovement.
Swim underwater (at least 3-5 body lengths)
Feet first surface dive
Treading water (at least 2 minutes)
Front crawl open turn, backstroke open turn
Breaststroke, butterfly, elementary backstroke, back crawl, side stroke (at least 15 yards for all, front crawl 25 yards)
Push off in streamline position for all strokes
Discuss/demonstrate water safety

LEVEL 5 - Stroke Refinement.
Shallow angle dive and glide and proceed into stroke
Front flip turn, back flip turn while swimming
Front crawl, breaststroke, butterfly, backstroke, back crawl, sidestroke (at least 25 yards for all, front crawl 50 yards)
Sculling for 30 seconds
Discuss/demonstrate water safety

LEVEL 6 - Swimming and Skill Proficiency.
Front crawl and elementary backstroke (at least 100 yards)
Back crawl, breaststroke, sidestroke, butterfly (at least 50 yards)
Front crawl open turn, backstroke open turn, front flip turn, back flip turn, sidestroke turn, butterfly turn, breaststroke turn
Treading water (at least 2 minutes in deep water)
Surface dive and retrieve object from the bottom
Back float, survival float (at least 5 minutes)
Discuss/demonstrate water safety