How private swim lessons help adults overcome their fear of water?

“I’m a pretty old dog to be learning this new trick.” Earl peered at me over the tops of his Ray-Ban sunglasses. Sitting next to me near the edge of the pool, he continued, “I’m scared.” 

Earl, in his mid-forties, was the head of security for a NFL team in the Bay Area. He was six-foot-three, and two hundred and eighty pounds of pure muscle. I found it hard to believe he was scared of anything. But sure enough, Earl had a paralyzing fear of water and had never been in a pool. Not once. 

Notwithstanding, there he was, at my swim school, having just signed up for two weeks of private adult swim lessons. On day one, I asked Earl why he had signed up. He laughed as he told me he had recently acquired a shiny new rowboat in a friendly bet and wanted to take it out on the lake by his house. The only problem? He didn’t know how to swim and told me, “I only know how to sink. Fast.” 

Earl had a goal; he wanted to know how to swim well enough so that if he fell out of his rowboat, he could make it to safety. But I sensed there was an overarching goal, a higher one, something more important than the actual swimming: Earl wanted to conquer a fear he had carried his entire life. 

On the first day, Earl was so scared of the water that it took us about 30 minutes for him just to wade into the three-foot deep water in the shallow end of the pool. So imagine his joy (and mine) two weeks later when he was swimming the full length of the 25 yard pool multiple times using a variety of strokes. 

Private lessons offered Earl the perfect opportunity to meet his goal and beat his fear. I was delighted he had come to me. 

Benefits of Private Swim Lessons over Group Swim Lessons for Adults: 

The goal of any swim class or lesson is to make the student comfortable in and around water. For adults with a fear of water who want to beat that fear, private swim lessons offer significant advantages over group classes. I’d like to share a few of those with you.

1) Your Needs and Goals Learning to Swim as an Adult: 

In a swim class of three or four adult learners, every student is going to have different needs. This means an instructor must plan and structure a class with all those needs in mind. The exercises will reflect that, and some portions of the class may be less than helpful for your specific needs. 

However, in private lessons, every minute of class is tailored to you. You get a custom-made plan specific to you and your abilities, needs, and goals. That’s a recipe for success. Earl would not have been swimming at the end two weeks in a group class. Having customized lessons for you makes the process more effective and more enjoyable. 

2) Private Swim Classes offer Adults Undivided Attention: 

In a private lesson, you have a qualified professional instructor whose undivided attention is placed 100% on you. When Earl struggled to put his face in the water, I dedicated all my attention to helping him. When he couldn’t figure out the right way to kick, I focused my lesson on kicks for as long as it took. Such attention is not possible in a group lesson. Simple math shows that in a class of four adult learners, you will likely only get a quarter of the instructor’s time and attention. 

3) Learn to Swim at Your Own Pace: 

Earl’s experience is a perfect example of how you get to move at your own pace in private lessons. This is important because every learner is different. Different people require differing amounts of time to learn a new skill. In a private swim lesson, you don’t need to worry about those differences. If you’re having a hard time picking up a new skill in a private lesson, just relax! We won’t move on until you’re ready. 

4) Feel Comfortable in a Stress-free environment: 

Learning to swim can be difficult. Some adults may feel embarrassed they don’t know how to swim. And having to learn a new skill in front of your peers can be daunting and stressful. Private lessons remove that pressure from the equation. No one else is watching, no one else is waiting on you to figure out what’s being taught. This creates a low-pressure stress-free environment for you to take your time, learn your stuff, and conquer your fear. 

5) Make your own schedule: 

Another advantage unique to private swim lessons is the ability to make your own schedule. When you’re in a group class, either you can make it to the scheduled class or you can’t. You have to adjust your life around that schedule. 

In private lessons, it’s the reverse. Your lessons revolve around your schedule. For example, because of his work, Earl needed to schedule lessons on Mondays and Wednesdays at 4pm, but could only meet on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 6pm. No problem. He made our schedule and we stuck to it. 

Any adult withaquaphobia is going to find that private swim lessons offer a safe and effective way to conquer that fear. While group classes can be useful once somebody already has a fundamental grasp of swimming, private lessons are the best way for any adult to beat a fear of water. So if you’re in that boat, find a private instructor near you, remember Earl, and jump in with both feet!