CMAS clubs here in Italy, in several towns, offer pool activity (acquaticity courses) starting at 6 months.
We did bring our children to a club named Sesto Continente, in Reggio Emilia, starting at 8 months.
They had a special instructor, named Roberta, who was enabled to train parent-son couples in the range 6 to 36 months.
Free body submersion and underwater swimming up to 18 months, then she introduced floating sleeves, fins, mask and finally snorkel.
At 30 months a small air tank with a special subminiature regulator. The pool was just 80 cm deep.
At 36 months we moved to a deeper pool in Montecchio, around 140 cm deep. And my wife took over, as she is a CMAS instructor qualified for children above 3 years.
It was mostly playing with plastic animals, passing through a submerged play castle, including a 2m long pipe, and doing excercises such as alternate breathing with a single reg, removing and evacuating mask, etc.
Twice per week, one hour each time, for years.
My sons did enjoy this tremendously. It was pure fun!
It did take years, and hundredths of hours in the pool, and later in the sea, for building very slowly water confidence and self reliance.
One must never be in hurry with children, each has different times, and you never should force them. It must all be a game, fun time for them.
We did bring our children to a club named Sesto Continente, in Reggio Emilia, starting at 8 months.
They had a special instructor, named Roberta, who was enabled to train parent-son couples in the range 6 to 36 months.
Free body submersion and underwater swimming up to 18 months, then she introduced floating sleeves, fins, mask and finally snorkel.
At 30 months a small air tank with a special subminiature regulator. The pool was just 80 cm deep.
At 36 months we moved to a deeper pool in Montecchio, around 140 cm deep. And my wife took over, as she is a CMAS instructor qualified for children above 3 years.
It was mostly playing with plastic animals, passing through a submerged play castle, including a 2m long pipe, and doing excercises such as alternate breathing with a single reg, removing and evacuating mask, etc.
Twice per week, one hour each time, for years.
My sons did enjoy this tremendously. It was pure fun!
It did take years, and hundredths of hours in the pool, and later in the sea, for building very slowly water confidence and self reliance.
One must never be in hurry with children, each has different times, and you never should force them. It must all be a game, fun time for them.
