Private swimming lessons spark interest for all ages

Private one-on-one swimming lessons are becoming more popular in Saskatchewan, and even adults are taking an interest in them.

This week is National Drowning Prevention Week, and adults like Aj Singh are taking advantage of private lessons.

Singh, 36, is learning to swim through private lessons from K&K Swim School in Saskatoon.

“It’s nice to have one-on-one time with an instructor who can help you and tell you exactly what you need to be doing,” said Singh.

Singh said he tried learning to swim before from a friend and from public group lessons, but when those didn’t work, he turned to private lessons.

As an avid traveller, Singh said he wanted to be able to experience more during his travels, especially when visiting tropical beaches.

“It’s never too late to do anything,” said Singh. “I think it’s human nature to always be improving (and) getting better.”

K&K Swim School was started in 2014 in Saskatoon by Kaylee Kennedy, who opened a private swim school after teaching her son how to swim.

Now it has expanded to the rest of Saskatchewan and Alberta, and is Western Canada’s biggest private swim school.

“There’s not a lot of adults who see learning to swim as an option or even possible once they’ve reached a certain age. Learning in a group setting is scary and intimidating and maybe even a little embarrassing,” said Kennedy.

“By taking private swimming lessons, it’s a lot easier for an adult to learn how to swim but it’s still a larger commitment because you still do need to practise.”

Kennedy said that although one-on-one lessons help swimmers focus on their own skills and development, K&K operates out of pools in public spaces so individuals can learn to swim while being surrounded with outside distractions, like they would at any public pool or lake.

Kennedy said the popularity of the program has increased in recent years, with wait lists being filled well in advance.

“We used to have families that waited for months and years before getting into our program,” said Kennedy. “There’s always going to be a large wait time because it’s an industry that’s undervalued and undertaught.”

She explained that families who sign up in the fall have the option to stay with the company for the whole school year.

Although the school is happy to have a diverse range of ages joining, its most-taught ages continue to be children between three and nine years old. Kennedy said swimming is a skill for everyone.

“Learning needs are different across all ages, levels and spectrums,” she said. “So when you’re talking about swimming where it’s such a foundational skill that improves the safety of life, it makes a huge difference when the instruction is one on one because it allows the individual to learn at their pace.”

According to the latest drowning statistics from the Saskatchewan Lifesaving Society, one of the leading causes of drowning cases in people 15 years and older is the consumption of alcohol while swimming. Nearly 75 per cent of young adults between 15 and 34 who have drowned in the province were consuming alcohol.

“Just like when a person is drinking and driving a vehicle, drinking and swimming or boating is also dangerous,” said Shelby Rushton, the CEO of the Lifesaving Society’s Saskatchewan branch.
“They might miss things because their reactions are slower than usual so they might not be able to swim as strong. And also we get colder faster.”

Although the official drowning report for 2022 isn’t finished, Rushton said between 15 and 20 people drowned in Saskatchewan last summer. Many of those were adults who had consumed alcohol.

Rushton said she’s happy people are taking private lessons, and that some adults are beginning to take an interest in the courses as well.

“Private lessons can be very beneficial to people because they get that one-on-one attention, they don’t feel intimidated by wearing a swimsuit beside a group of strangers and there’s not a lot of other kids or adults splashing around so it’s very focused,” said Rushton.

“If that’s what’s going to get people to learn to swim, then I think private lessons are great and I do know that a lot of people are taking advantage of private lessons.”