Swim Lesson FAQs

That's okay! Use the guidelines below to help determine which class may be the best starting point. These are general guidelines, and your swimmer's final level will be determined by our instructors during the first day assessment, so if you get it wrong, we can fix it!

Beginner – Ages 3–5 or 6–12
For swimmers with little or no swimming experience. A swimmer may be able to enter the water, submerge, blow bubbles, or walk in the water but is still learning basic swimming skills.

Intermediate – Ages 5–12
For swimmers who can independently float on their front and back and can move through the water using coordinated arm and leg movements.

Advanced – Ages 6–17
For swimmers who can swim one lap of front crawl (freestyle), one lap of back crawl (backstroke), and tread water.

Private Lessons
Private lessons are available for all ages and are always an option for swimmers who need more individual attention.

If a class is full, you can register for the waitlist. Being on the waitlist does not guarantee a spot in the class.

If a spot becomes available, Recreation Staff will contact you directly. Openings are generally offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and sometimes we do not know if a spot will become available until after the first day of the session.

If you are offered a spot, Recreation Staff will contact you with instructions for completing registration and payment. If you do not hear from us by the second day of the session, there were no openings available and you were not placed into that session.

Our swim lesson program has three main categories:

• Beginner: Levels 1–2
• Intermediate: Levels 3–4
• Advanced: Levels 5–6

It is completely normal for a swimmer to remain at the same level for multiple sessions. Swimming skills develop at different rates for every swimmer, and moving to the next level should happen when the swimmer is ready.

If your swimmer passes the final level in a category, you will need to register for the next category. For example, a swimmer who passes Beginner Level 2 should move into Intermediate, and a swimmer who passes Intermediate Level 4 should move into Advanced.

We will use the phone number and email address listed on your Recreation account. You may receive a reminder by phone call, text message, or email approximately one week before your session begins.

Please make sure your contact information is current, so you do not miss important information about your swimming lessons.

Please speak with your Swim Instructor or a Senior Lifeguard as soon as possible if you have a concern about your swimmer's placement. If additional assistance is needed, the Pool Manager can work with the aquatics staff to determine whether a different placement is appropriate.

After the second day, instructor, level, and schedule changes generally cannot be made.

Your Swim Instructor is your first point of contact for questions about your swimmer's lesson. Senior Lifeguards are also available on the pool deck to help with questions or concerns.

If you need additional assistance, please speak with the Pool Manager, who is typically located in the Aquatics Office near the entrance. We encourage you to bring questions or concerns to us early so we can work with you to get the most out of your lesson experience.

No. Participants should plan to attend all scheduled lessons. There is no make-up for missed swim lessons. Unless the activity is cancelled by the City of Dixon.

Instructors, class times, and levels are assigned by Aquatic Management based on staffing, class size, and swimmer needs. Families cannot choose a specific instructor even for Private Lessons.

We understand that swimmers may connect especially well with a particular instructor. All our instructors are certified and bring their own teaching style and strengths to the program.

Swimmers should arrive in a swimsuit and bring a towel. Swim diapers are required for children who are not toilet trained.

Goggles are allowed during swim lessons; Instructors may occasionally ask swimmers to remove their goggles when practicing certain skills.

No. Photos and videos are not permitted during swimming lessons, including private lessons. This helps protect the privacy and safety of all swimmers and families participating in the program.

Plan to arrive with enough time to park, get your swimmer ready, and check in at the Front Desk before the start of class.  All swimmers should check in at the Aquatic Center Front Desk before each lesson.

The first day is Assessment Day. After checking in at the Front Desk, you will be directed to where your swimmer should wait. During the first 10 minutes of the lesson, instructors will assess each swimmer's current skills and determine which level within their registered class is the best fit.

Our class names represent a skill category and age range, but each category contains multiple levels. For example, Beginner Ages 3–5 includes Level 1 and Level 2. The assessment allows our instructors to place swimmers with others who have similar abilities so they can work on skills that are appropriate for their current level.

If multiple instructors are teaching the same class, swimmers may be divided into smaller groups based on their skills. For example, some swimmers may be placed in Level 1 while others are placed in Level 2. Once the groups are established, the instructor your swimmer is assigned to will be their instructor for the remainder of the session.

After the first days Assessment, at check-in on the second day, staff will tell you which color group your swimmer belongs to and the name of their instructor. Your swimmer will remain with that instructor and group for the remainder of the session.

On the last day, your swimmer will receive a Lesson Report Card from their instructor. The Lesson Report Card is a way for our instructors to communicate your swimmer's progress. It will indicate whether your swimmer is ready to move to the next level or should continue working at their current level.