Ages 1–3 · with a parent
Parent & me
9:00–9:30 am · Mon–Thu, Sept 14–24Bubbles, back-floats in your arms, and learning that faces can go in the water.
3 of 8 spots left
Coach Maren Whitlock · Red Cross WSI
$180 / 8 lessons
Book Parent & meSwim lessons · Bayou Park pool · Santa Rosa Beach
Water-safe in eight lessons.
Small groups, the same Red Cross-certified coach every day, and two weeks that end with a kid who can float, breathe and get to the wall on their own.
- Next session Sept 14–24
- Max 8 per class · 4 per coach
- $180 for 8 lessons
Session B · Mon–Thu, Sept 14 – 24
Four levels. Eight lessons. One very proud kid.
Every level meets Monday to Thursday for two weeks, 30 minutes a day. Classes cap at 8 swimmers with two coaches in the water, so nobody waits on the wall for long.
Ages 3–5
Beginner
4:00–4:30 pm · Mon–Thu, Sept 14–24Floats, breathing, kicking and getting to the wall alone. The water-safe class.
5 of 8 spots left
Coach Maren Whitlock · Red Cross WSI
$180 / 8 lessons
Book BeginnerAges 6–9
Stroke school
5:00–5:30 pm · Mon–Thu, Sept 14–24Freestyle and backstroke with real breathing, plus a 25-yard swim on day eight.
2 of 8 spots left
Coach Deshawn Pryor · Red Cross WSI
$180 / 8 lessons
Book Stroke schoolAges 18+
Adult basics
7:00–7:40 pm · Mon–Thu, Sept 14–24For grown-ups who never learned, or who’d rather not panic on a paddleboard. No judgment, ever.
6 of 8 spots left
Coach Deshawn Pryor · Red Cross WSI, Lifeguard
$180 / 8 lessons
Book Adult basicsSession C runs Oct 5 – 15 at the same times. Not sure which level? Book Beginner: the first lesson doubles as an assessment and we’ll move swimmers if another level fits better, no charge.
How lessons work
Same coach, same four kids, every single day.
- 1
Book a level online
Pick the level, sign the waiver, pay. We text a confirmation and a what-to-bring list the same day.
- 2
Eight lessons over two weeks
Monday to Thursday, 30 minutes a day. Daily repetition is why kids get water-safe here in two weeks instead of two summers.
- 3
Report card on day eight
What they can do now, what to practice at the beach, and which level is next. Plus a photo of the proudest kid in the pool.
What to bring
Pack light. We have the noodles.
- Swimsuit
- Towel
- Swim diaper (under 3)
- Goggles (optional)
- Sunscreen
- Water bottle
- Dry clothes
- A snack for after
Leave floaties and puddle jumpers at home; we teach without them. Long hair goes in a cap or a tight braid, please.
Your coaches
Certified, background-checked, extremely patient.
Maren Whitlock
Head instructor · Parent & me, Beginner · Red Cross WSI, Lifeguard/CPR
Eleven summers teaching on the Emerald Coast, most of them in this exact pool. Has never met a toddler she couldn’t get to blow bubbles by day two.
Deshawn Pryor
Stroke school, Adult basics · Red Cross WSI · swam the 200 fly in college
Fixes breathing and turns for a living and is famously gentle with nervous adults. Less gentle about kicking from the hips.
Questions
The ones every parent asks.
Anything else, ask the assistant in the corner, text (850) 555-0167 or email hello@ecrecleague.com.
What if my child cries on the first day?
Most do, a little. Coaches let nervous swimmers sit on the step and watch first, and nobody is ever pulled into the water. By lesson three almost every kid is in. If after two lessons it’s clearly not the moment, we refund the rest and try again next session.
Are make-up lessons offered?
Lightning cancellations are made up the Friday of that week. For personal absences we offer one make-up per session, subject to space in another class at the same level.
How warm is the pool?
Heated to 84°F. Sessions run April through October; the pool closes for lessons November to March, which is when the Santa Shuffle happens instead.
Do parents get in the water?
Only for Parent & me. For every other level, parents watch from the deck. We encourage staying for the first lesson and sneaking off for coffee after that.
My kid is 5 and already floats. Beginner or Stroke school?
Book Beginner. The first lesson is an assessment, and if your swimmer can float on their front and back and get to the wall alone, we move them to Stroke school that day at no charge.
Session B starts Monday, Sept 14.
Four levels, small groups, two weeks. Book in about three minutes: waiver and payment happen online, and we confirm by text.
Book a session