FAQ’s
Here are our customers’ top questions. Check the dropdown headings for more questions and answers!
Preparing for lessons FAQs
What do I need to do before my first lesson?
Just 3 things: agree to our policies & waiver on the customer portal, finalize your enrollments, and arrive a little early to your first lesson!
Once you have agreed to the policies/waiver (required before your 1st lesson), you’ll be able to complete your swim enrollments online, and we will send you an email confirmation with a summary of your enrollments, our location, and how to contact us.
If you have trouble logging into the customer portal after enrolling in lessons, please text us at 801-691-7946. Plan to arrive about 5 minutes early for your first lesson to check in with the office, and receive a quick tour of the facilities.
Do I need to sign a waiver before lessons?
Yes! This is required.
Each family must agree to our policies & waiver on the customer portal before students are allowed to swim (our kids explain it really well in this video). To review the policies at any time after logging in, just click on “More” in the top navigation bar, and then select “Family Policies”.
What do I need to bring to my lessons?
Does my child need to wear a diaper during swim lessons?
We require all children under three, those not yet toilet trained, and those lacking bowel control to wear two layers of swim diapers in the pool (per state law).
These diapers must fit snugly all the way around the waist and legs. At least one of these diapers must be a reusable swim diaper. Disposable diapers must be swim diapers. No regular diapers are allowed in the pool. Reusable and disposable swim diapers are available for purchase at each of our year-round locations.
What if my child is a crier? How long until he/she doesn’t cry in lessons?
We train our instructors to overcome children’s initial anxiety (especially children under 5 and children scared of water, for whom it’s completely normal to cry for the first 3-5 lessons).
We’ve seen parents succeed in helping their children overcome anxiety with these good practices:
Financials & Costs FAQs
Will I be charged for SwimKids closures?
You will NOT be charged for holidays or other listed dates on our holiday calendar.
SwimKids closures do not necessarily correspond with school or government holidays. In the event that SwimKids is required to close due to health or weather concerns you will receive a credit on your SwimKids account equal to the cost paid for any missed lessons. Weather closures for indoor locations will only occur if school is canceled by the school district covering the SwimKids facility.
How much do lessons themselves cost?
How much is the annual registration fee?
$35 per student
The annual registration fee of $35 is required for all lessons on a per-student basis. This non-transferable registration is valid for 12-months from the time of payment and covers all lessons scheduled with SwimKids.
What other fees can be incurred by accounts?
Our fees are fairly standard for most industries and are detailed completely in our online waivers/policies
For some quick examples of the fees to offset business costs: we have an automatically renewing $35 annual registration fee for all students enrolled in a class or classes; most make-ups require a $5 rescheduling fee (unless 14-day absence notice is given for the missed lesson or 24-hour sick notice is given for the missed lesson); declined credit cards & returned checks receive a charge of $25 per occurrence, and there is a collection fee of $50 if an account is assigned to a collection agency. For more details, just log into our customer portal and navigate to our family policies.
What is your refund policy?
All sales are final. We may credit a customer’s SwimKids account if funds need to be reallocated, but we do not offer refunds. We do our best to provide students and parents with the classes they need, at the time they prefer but offer no guarantee of availability. SwimKids recommends cancelling no later than 2 days before your next billing cycle. Lessons are charged on the 1st of every month (3-5 days for processing) and are not refundable.
How are recurring lessons billed?
Since recurring lessons are ongoing, lessons are billed automatically on the 1st business day of every month.
This way you don’t have to re-choose lesson times each month, and continuing is easy!
All students in recurring lessons are required to have a valid Visa or Mastercard on file. We will charge all accounts with outstanding balances using the card on file on the 1st business day of every month. Please keep us informed of any changes to your card (e.g. expiration dates, replacement of canceled cards, etc.), as any declined charges will be assessed a $25 fee. When you’re ready to take a break from lessons, we require a 4-lesson drop request (A confirmation email will be sent once your drop request is processed).
Do I have to pay at the time of booking, or can I pay for lessons when I arrive?
Payment for lessons is required at the time of booking lessons
Payment for a one-time lesson or a session of Fast Track lessons is taken care of when enrolling into the class. Recurring monthly lessons are billed for the first prorated month when enrolling, and then on the 1st business day of every month afterward. New lesson bookings are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis via phone, text, or in-person (whichever works best for you!)
Scheduling Lessons & Make-ups FAQs
How many lessons will it take for my child to swim?
The length of time will vary by student. Since each individual child is so different, the time it takes to learn varies. We seek to help each child progress at their own rate, balancing skill and confidence. We strive for your child to make progress at every lesson. Many parents are amazed at the progress their children make in just one Fast Track session, so we recommend starting your scheduling journey there!
How often do your Fast Track sessions run?
Sessions are offered year-round!
You can start lessons at any available time on our year-round locations’ schedules! Your child can attend once a week, or multiple times per week. Check individual location schedules here: Holladay, Pleasant Grove, & Syracuse. (Links to recurring lesson options are at the bottom of those pages)
When can my child start group lessons?
Students can join a group class once they are level 7 or higher.
Once a child can independently swim 20 feet on his own, he/she can join a group class! We require an instructor recommendation and a group chemistry assessment to join a group class. After meeting these requirements, children benefit from more social interaction, healthy competition, increased endurance! For more on groups, click here.
What if we can’t make a lesson? How do make-ups work?
You can schedule an absence for a lesson through our online customer portal, or by texting/calling us at 801-691-7946. Make-ups are eligible for any lesson canceled in advance.
Lessons eligible for make-ups: All customers that provide advanced notice for canceling their original lesson are eligible for a make-up lesson (please contact us as soon as possible if you will be missing a lesson). “No-Shows” (not canceling/notifying SwimKids before the scheduled lesson time) are not eligible for make-up lessons. Make-up lessons do not get their own make-up lessons.
Make-up Costs: Make-ups cost $5 for each canceled and rescheduled private and group lesson (make-ups for Parent-Tot lessons are free). The $5 cost would apply to each 15-minute private increment if the family has 2+ back-to-back 15-minute private lessons for their child(ren). The make-up cost may be waived for two reasons: 14-day advance notice, or 24-hour sick notice
Make-up Scheduling Details: Make-ups can be scheduled, at most 7 calendar days out. Make-ups expire 30 days after the originally scheduled lesson. Make-ups cannot be canceled or rescheduled for any reason.
How can I make up a missed lesson?
Make-up lessons can be scheduled through our online customer portal or by texting/calling us at 801-691-7946
See the previous FAQ question for more details on how make-ups work.
Are substitute/replacement teachers good for my child?
Our program’s strongest swimmers are the children who’ve worked with multiple instructors.
Substitutes and instructor changes are great opportunities for kids to practice their “adaptive swimming skills”, by swimming in slightly different conditions. The different focuses of different instructors help kids develop a more complete set of swimming skills, enabling them to adapt to unknown and unexpected situations.
SwimKids makes every effort to ensure lesson quality, especially when instructor changes occur. When instructor changes are necessary, SwimKids will provide another high-quality instructor that makes full use of our unique and proven teaching methods. Refunds are NOT issued when such substitutes/replacements occur.
How do I cancel lessons?
To cancel a single day’s lesson: This can be done through our online customer portal, or by texting/calling us at 801-691-7946.
To permanently cancel a lesson: Call/Text us at 801-691-7946. SwimKids recommends cancelling no later than 2 days before your next billing cycle. Lessons are charged on the 1st of every month (3-5 days for processing) and are not refundable.
General FAQs
What is SwimKids’ leveling system/curriculum?
When is SwimKids closed this year?
Click here to view our Holiday Calendar! Remember: you will NOT be charged for lessons on SwimKids holiday closures.
Why do you offer private lessons?
Private lessons are the safest and most efficient way for tutoring beginning swimmers. During a private lesson, your child has the instructor’s undivided attention. This focused learning helps the child to quickly gain necessary swim skills. Private lessons allow the instructor to focus the curriculum on the skills the student is ready for at an appropriate pace for the individual student. Offering group classes for beginners poses safety concerns, as the instructor can only work with one child at a time while lifeguarding the other children in the class.
Why are your private lessons only 15-minutes long?
Through decades of testing with thousands of students, we have found that 15-minute lessons are the perfect length for beginners in private lessons… In a private lesson at SwimKids your child will be actively learning/moving the entire 15-minutes. Our instructors are trained to keep things moving at a quick pace to maximize both the time in the pool and the child’s attention span and energy. Their time in the pool will be similar to a 30-minute workout at 80% effort for an adult. Young children learning to swim simply don’t have the physical and emotional stamina to be productive for more than 15 minutes in this type of intensive learning environment.
This is a very different experience and approach than a 30-minute beginner group class offered by some other programs. Your child won’t be sitting on the side waiting for a turn or taking breaks throughout the lesson. For older children with a longer attention span and greater stamina, you may consider doing two back-to-back lessons or requesting a group class assessment.
What can I do while my child is taking his/her lesson?
Sit poolside and watch!
Your attention and encouragement will help your child feel your support. It is ok to bring other children who will not be swimming, but it is your responsibility to watch them and keep them safe at all times.
Can I get into the water with my child during his/her lesson?
Depends on the lesson type… Parent-tot classes? Absolutely! Private lessons? It’s not recommended.
While parent-tot classes are designed to have one-parent-per-child, private lessons are designed to be one-on-one between the child and the instructor.
We’ve found that it’s much easier for the student to focus on the instruction they are receiving if their parent/caregiver is not in the water. We train our instructors to overcome children’s initial anxiety (especially children under 5 and children scared of water, for whom it’s completely normal to cry for the first 3-5 lessons). Then we recommend a minimum of 8 lessons for achieving a basic comfort level for all of the activities done in lessons (whether private lessons, stroke groups or parent-tot classes).
Request to Drop Enrollment
We’d be sorry to see you go! To streamline the process of permanently cancelling/stopping/dropping a class,
Click the button below to text us or call us at 801-691-7946!