The question of submersion

Babies, with proper nurturing and care when in the water, have a spontaneous and relaxed relationship with water.

Small babies have a natural reflex (the "gag" reflex) which closes their throat when they go under the water. Older babies can be taught to hold their breath and toddlers can be taught to either hold their breath or exhale under the water.

At Puddle Ducks, we get asked numerous questions about submersion, such as:

Is it safe to submerge my baby?
Should I submerge my baby even if he isn't happy?
Can my baby swim underwater on her own?

A Natural Process

Our priority is a happy, confident child at all times. Swimming underwater is a natural part of learning to swim, as much as learning to blow bubbles or jumping in from the side. We teach babies to swim in a relaxed, natural and non-stressful way, in tune with their cognitive, physical and emotional development.

We ALWAYS respect the child's wishes:

Babies under the age of one usually do enjoy the freedom of swimming underwater. We always make sure the parent is comfortable and prepared for any submersion activity. We use the same signalling to give the baby plenty of opportunity to prepare for the submersion, and equally importantly to tell their teacher or parent if they do not want to be taken under the water.
Over the age of one, babies often do not like to be fully submerged by an adult. We encourage parents to allow their children to dip right under the water when they jump in and teach the children to put their faces in the water as they swim, but we do not incorporate underwater swims, unless they are still enjoying this. Clear signalling continues to be important for communication.
From the age of two, through carefully selected songs and games, Puddle Ducks usually return to swimming happily with their face in the water and we progress to teaching them to surface dive independently and to blow bubbles whilst swimming.
Between the ages of three and four, many of our children can swim between five and ten metres UNAIDED, exhaling whilst swimming, and lifting their head for a breath when needed. These children also love diving for sinking toys.

Love Swimming for Life

If there are not yet any Puddle Ducks classes in your area, you may want to look at the submersion policy of the swim school you are considering, as these vary significantly. Some swim schools do not practise submersion techniques at all. We consider this a shame as the freedom and exhileration a baby can feel in the water would be totally missed. Other swim schools follow a strict programme focussed on swimming underwater, even if the child is upset. We would NEVER distress a child who is going through a phase of preferring not to be submerged.

Our aim is for all our children, from a few weeks old to several years old, to be happy, confident and competent in the water. We want them to eventually swim in a graceful, fluid way on the SURFACE of the water. In each class we understand what the most appropriate teaching methods are, based on the age and competence and experience of the child, to achieve this. We always listen to each individual child.

By giving our children the choice, in every lesson, they will love swimming for life!

Playing underwater

Enjoying a little swim to Mummy