Portsmouth Recreation Department
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Swim Lesson
The Portsmouth Indoor Pool is proud to be a Gold Level Learn-to-Swim Provider with the American Red Cross. The Learn-to-Swim program takes an inclusive approach that emphasizes skill development in conjunction with water safety and drowning prevention education. By giving them the opportunity to master one element before moving on to the next, our kids' swim classes make it easy to build confidence in the water.

All instructors are certified American Red Cross Water Safety Instructors.

If unsure about your child's level, please contact the pool (603) 427-1546. During the first class, the instructor will assess all swimmers' skills. If necessary, the pool will move a swimmer to a more appropriate level. The pool can’t guarantee an available spot if swimmers are placed in the wrong level.

Registration
Group swim lesson registrations are made in person or online, on a first come, first served basis starting at 9:00am on the posted registration date.  Payment is due in full at the time of registration. Registration closes at the end of the first week of lessons. All classes have a minimum enrollment needed to run, cancellations will be made a week prior to the session start date.
Spring 1 - March 3 – April 12, 2025
Portsmouth Residents: Tuesday February 11, 2025
Non-Residents: Monday  February 24, 2024
Spring 2 - May 5 – June 14, 2025
Portsmouth Residents: Tuesday April 15, 2025
Non-Residents: Monday April 28, 2025
  • No Lessons May 24- 26, 2024
Summer - June 23 – August 2, 2025
Portsmouth Residents: Tuesday June 3, 2025
Non-Residents: Monday June16, 2025

Additional Forms and Files:
Level 1 – Introduction to Water Skills
In Level 1, children age 5 and older learn to enter and exit the water using ladder, steps or side, to blow bubbles through mouth and nose, to bob to open eyes under water and retrieve submerge objects. While learning front and back glides and float, recovery to vertical position and to roll from back to front and front to back, children begin to develop comfort in the water. Other skills include alternative and simultaneous leg action and arms action on front and back, treading water using arm and hand actions and combined arm and leg action on front and back. Minimum age is 5.
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Level 1 - Mondays 3:30pm 
5y - 12y N/A M  03/03/2025 - 04/07/2025
03:30 PM - 04:00 PM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res
 
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Level 1 - Tuesdays 4:00pm 
5y - 12y N/A Tu  03/04/2025 - 04/08/2025
04:00 PM - 04:30 PM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res
 
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Level 1 - Wednesdays 4:00pm 
5y - 12y N/A W  03/05/2025 - 04/09/2025
04:00 PM - 04:30 PM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res
 
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Level 1 - Thursdays 6:30pm 
5y - 12y N/A Th  03/06/2025 - 04/10/2025
06:30 PM - 07:00 PM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res
 
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Level 1 - Saturdays 8:00am 
5y - 12y N/A Sa  03/08/2025 - 04/12/2025
08:00 AM - 08:30 AM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res

Level 2 – Fundamental Aquatic Skills
In Level 2, children learn to enter and exit water by stepping or jumping from the side, fully submerge and hold breath, bob, open eyes under water and retrieve submerged objects. Children learn front jellyfish and tuck floats front and back glides and float, how to recover to a vertical position, change direction of travel while swimming on front or back and how to roll from front to back and back to front. Prerequisites for Level 2—Fundamental Aquatic Skills. Participants must be able do these skills: • Enter independently, using either the ramp, steps or side, travel at least 5 yards, bob 5 times, then safely exit the water. •Glide on front at least 2 body lengths, roll to a back float for 5 seconds and recover to a vertical position
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Level 2 - Mondays 3:30pm 
5y - 12y N/A M  03/03/2025 - 04/07/2025
03:30 PM - 04:00 PM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res
 
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Level 2 - Tuesdays 3:30pm 
5y - 12y N/A Tu  03/04/2025 - 04/08/2025
03:30 PM - 04:00 PM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res
 
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Level 2 - Tuesdays 5:00pm 
5y - 12y N/A Tu  03/04/2025 - 04/08/2025
05:00 PM - 05:30 PM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res
 
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Level 2 - Wednesdays 4:30pm 
5y - 12y N/A W  03/05/2025 - 04/09/2025
04:30 PM - 05:00 PM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res
 
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Level 2 - Wednesdays 5:00pm 
5y - 12y N/A W  03/05/2025 - 04/09/2025
05:00 PM - 05:30 PM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res
 
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Level 2 - Thursdays 5:30pm 
5y - 12y N/A Th  03/06/2025 - 04/03/2025
05:30 PM - 06:00 PM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res
 
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Level 2 - Thursdays 7:00pm 
5y - 12y N/A Th  03/06/2025 - 04/03/2025
07:00 PM - 07:30 PM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res
 
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Level 2 - Saturdays 8:30am 
5y - 12y N/A Sa  03/08/2025 - 04/12/2025
08:30 AM - 09:00 AM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res
 
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Level 2 - Saturdays 9:30am 
5y - 12y N/A Sa  03/08/2025 - 04/12/2025
09:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res

Level 3 – Stroke Development
Building on the skill introduced in level 2, through additional guided practice in deep water, children learn to enter water by jumping from side, back float, survival float, rotary breathing and headfirst entry into water from the side, sitting and kneeling position. Other skills include flutter, scissor, dolphin and breaststroke kicks on front will be introduced along with front crawl, elementary backstroke and treading water. Prerequisites for Level 3— Stroke Development. Participants must be able do these skills: • Step from side into chest-deep water, push off the bottom, move into a treading or floating position for at least 15 seconds, swim on front with face in water and back for 5 body lengths, then exit the water. • Move into a back float for 15 seconds, roll to front, then recover to a vertical position. • Push off and swim using combined arm and leg actions on front for 5 body lengths, roll to back, float for 15 seconds, roll to the front, then continue swimming for 5 body lengths.
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Level 3 - Mondays 4:00pm 
5y - 12y N/A M  03/03/2025 - 04/07/2025
04:00 PM - 04:30 PM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res
 
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Level 3 - Mondays 4:30pm 
5y - 12y N/A M  03/03/2025 - 04/07/2025
04:30 PM - 05:00 PM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res
 
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Level 3 - Tuesdays 4:00pm 
5y - 12y N/A Tu  03/04/2025 - 04/08/2025
04:00 PM - 04:30 PM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res
 
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Level 3 - Tuesdays 4:30pm 
5y - 12y N/A Tu  03/04/2025 - 04/08/2025
04:30 PM - 05:00 PM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res
 
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Level 3 - Thursdays 6:00pm 
5y - 12y N/A Th  03/06/2025 - 04/10/2025
06:00 PM - 06:30 PM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res
 
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Level 3 - Thursdays 6:30pm 
5y - 12y N/A Th  03/06/2025 - 04/10/2025
06:30 PM - 07:00 PM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res
 
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Level 3 - Saturdays 8:30am 
5y - 12y N/A Sa  03/08/2025 - 04/12/2025
08:30 AM - 09:00 AM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res

Level 4-Stroke Improvement
This is a big level with many skills to perfect. Most students take level 4 several times before passing all the necessary skills. In this level, children develop confidence in the skills learned and improve other aquatic skills including swimming under water, feet-first surface dives, survival swimming and headfirst entry into the water from the side in compact and stride positions. Other skills include front crawl and backstroke open turns, front and back crawl, elementary backstroke, breaststroke, sidestroke and butterfly, plus flutter and dolphin kicks on back. To advance, children also must be able to tread water using two different kicks. Prerequisites for Level 4 — Stroke Improvement. Participants must be able do these skills: • Jump into deep water from the side, recover to the surface, maintain position by treading or floating for 1 minute, rotate one full turn then turn as necessary to orient to the exit point, level off, swim front crawl and/or elementary backstroke for 25 yards, then exit the water. • Push off in a streamlined position then swim front crawl for 15 yards, change position and direction as necessary, swim elementary backstroke for 15 yards, then exit the water.
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Level 4 - Mondays 3:30pm 
5y - 12y N/A M  03/03/2025 - 04/07/2025
03:30 PM - 04:00 PM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res
 
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Level 4 - Mondays 4:30pm 
5y - 12y N/A M  03/03/2025 - 04/07/2025
04:30 PM - 05:00 PM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res
 
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Level 4 - Tuesday 5:00pm 
5y - 12y N/A Tu  03/04/2025 - 04/08/2025
05:00 PM - 05:30 PM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res
 
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Level 4 - Thursdays 7:00pm 
5y - 12y N/A Th  03/06/2025 - 04/10/2025
07:00 PM - 07:30 PM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res
 
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Level 4 - Saturdays 10:30am 
5y - 12y N/A Sa  03/08/2025 - 04/12/2025
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res

Leve 5 & 6
Children learn further coordination and refinement of strokes in level 5. We’ll cover shallow –angle dive from the slide then glide and begin front stroke, tuck and pike surface dives while submerging completely, front flip turn and backstroke flip turn while swimming, front and back crawl, elementary backstroke, breaststroke, sidestroke, and butterfly, plus sculling. Level 6 - Swimming and Skill Proficiency In this level, students refine the strokes to swim with ease, efficiency, power and smoothness over greater distances. Students learn to swim 500 yards continuously using any 3 strokes of choice, swimming at least 50 yards of each stroke. The class includes more complex safety skills, jumping into deep water and performing a survival float for 5 minutes, rolling onto back and performing a back float for 5 minutes, performing a surface dive retrieving an object from the bottom of the pool at a depth of 7-10 feet, returning to the surface and the starting point. Prerequisites for Level 5 — Stroke Refinement. Participants must be able do these skills: •Perform a feetfirst entry into deep water, swim front crawl for 25 meters, change direction and position as necessary and swim elementary backstroke for 25 meters. •Swim breaststroke for 15 meters, change direction and position as necessary and swim back crawl for 15 meters. •Submerge and swim a distance of 3 to 5 body lengths underwater without hyperventilating, return to the surface, then exit the water.
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Level 5/6 - Mondays 4:00pm 
5y - 12y N/A M  03/03/2025 - 04/07/2025
04:00 PM - 04:30 PM
Indoor Pool 		$120.00 Res, $150.00 Non-Res

* Adjustments and discounts will be applied during checkout if applicable. *

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