Learn to swim, kick, turn, and flip! Whether you’re looking to become a recreational lap swimmer or the next Michael Phelps, you’ll gain essential skills in our private and group lessons. Our instructors will help you develop your technique, endurance, and confidence in the pool. Private and group lessons are available for all Rec Well members.
Swim Lessons
We are now offering in-person private and group swim lessons at the Nicholas Recreation Center.
Register herePRIVATE LESSONS

Private lessons are built for swimmers looking for individualized attention and direction. Designed with the swimmer’s individual goals in mind, each package includes three 30-minute lessons.
$70/package
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Prerequisites:
- All fitness levels are welcome
Class components:
- Focus on the specific skills and techniques that will improve your swimming experience, regardless of your current ability
GROUP LESSONS

BEGINNER LEVEL
At the beginner level, you’ll be introduced to the basics of swimming and become comfortable in the water. With the help of an instructor, you’ll learn to float and glide, and swim freestyle and backstroke.
$70
Currently unavailable.
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Designed for:
- Swimmers with little or no swimming experience
Prerequisites:
- No experience required
Class components:
- Safe water entry and exit
- Basic breath control
- Body balance (float on your front and back)
- Glide on front and back
- Flutter kicking with a kickboard
- Introduction to front crawl (freestyle) and back crawl (backstroke)

ADVANCED BEGINNER LEVEL
At this level, you’ll expand your knowledge of what you learned in Beginner, further developing your freestyle technique and endurance while learning new skills. Increasing endurance, gaining confidence in deep water, and open turns are all skills that you’ll learn at this level.
$70
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Designed for:
- Swimmers who can comfortably swim freestyle independently in shallow water
- Swimmers who are comfortable in shallow water and have been introduced to deep water
Prerequisites:
- Pass Beginner Level Group Swim Lessons
- Float for 30 seconds on front and back
- Swim independently for 15 yards
- Demonstrate freestyle stroke technique
Class components:
- Improve technique and increase endurance for freestyle and backstroke
- Rotary breathing
- Open turns
- Treading water and deep water safety
- Introduction to breaststroke kick

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
At our highest level of group lessons, you’ll begin learning advanced strokes and lap swimming skills, including butterfly, sidestroke, streamline positioning, and flip turns. Upon completion of this level, you’ll be ready to move into our Swim for Fitness program, lap swim on your own, or work with one of our instructors in private lessons.
$70
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Designed for:
- Swimmers who have experience swimming freestyle, backstroke, and have been introduced to breaststroke
- Swimmers who are comfortable swimming in deep water
- Swimmers who are comfortable swimming the length of the pool
Prerequisites:
- Pass Advanced Beginner Level Group Swim Lessons
- Float on back for one minute in deep water
- Swim at least 25 yards of front crawl and back crawl
Class Components:
- Streamline positioning
- Flip turns
- Improve breaststroke technique
- Introduce butterfly and sidestroke

SWIM FOR FITNESS
In this program, You’ll build speed and endurance while gaining skills to be an expert lap swimmer. After this program, you’ll know how to navigate open rec lap swimming and create workouts for yourself.
$70
Currently unavailable.
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Designed for:
- Experienced swimmers who are comfortable in any water depth
- Swimmers interested in refining their stroke techniques
- Swimmers interested in improving endurance
Prerequisites:
- Tread water for five minutes
- Swim at least 50 yards of front crawl, back crawl, and breaststroke
Class components:
- Improve endurance for all strokes
- Open turns and flip turns
- Pool etiquette for lap swimming
- Learn principles of designing a fitness program
- Calculation of target heart rate
SWIM TESTS FOR STUDY ABROAD
Swim lesson instructors are able to facilitate swim tests for study abroad trips. Please fill out the swim test request form below and we will do our best to get your swim test scheduled with an instructor.