FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
Learn to swim
Questions and answers
Yes, our pool is indoor and heated with electric pumps, even on rainy cold days we keep the water temp +/-32 degrees.
- Learn to swim (LTS) 3:1 (20Min sessions) 4:1 (30 min sessions)
- Stroke correction 4:1
- Aqua sensory classes (baby) 5:1
- LTS (3 years and older) have the options of 1x20min/2x20min/1x30min lessons.
- Aqua sensory classes (babies) 1x30min class per week.
Unfortunately, not. The next class might be full, not on your child’s level or it is the instructor’s break. Your child will only swim for the time that is left of his/her session.
OUT FEES ARE BASED ON A TERM FEE STRUCTURE: The fees are calculated over an entire swimming season (12 months) including Public Holidays, December and our short break in July.
TERM STRUCTURE | |
TERM 1 | January – March |
TERM 2 | April – June |
TERM 3 | July – September |
TERM 4 | October – December |
Alternatively, refer to our fee structure if you prefer to pay monthly.
- Term fees: UPFRONT within the 7th day of the 1st month of the term
Term fees cannot be paid monthly or at the end of the term. - Monthly fees: by the 7th of every month upfront.
Yes, full payment is required, the fee structure has been calculated over an entire swimming season (12 months) including December and our short break in July.
You are paying for the timeslot allocated to you irrespective of whether you attend.
MISSED LESSON POLICY
Questions and answers
- Make-up lessons are available if your child cannot attend the usual lesson due to illness (not for holidays and other social events).
- A maximum of 2 make-up lessons are available p/swimmer p/term and must be used within the current term.
- To be considered for a make-up lesson, we require notification of absence at least 24h prior to the lesson via WhatsApp, email, or a phone call and your fees must be paid up.
- The onus is on the parent to arrange the make-up lesson.
- Please note the make-up lesson might not be with your child’s regular instructor.
The make-up lesson will be scheduled by taking the currently booked swimmers in that
timeslot into consideration.
- Make-up lessons booked and not attended are deemed to be used.
- Dolphin Swim School DOES NOT owe any missed lessons except if we cancell. It is a goodwill gesture from Dolphin Swim School to offer a make-up lesson.
- Missed lessons cannot be used as credit towards fees for the next month; carried over in the month after you already cancelled your lessons OR for the following year if you cannot fit a make-up lesson in.
- Yes, we currently charge a R170 registration fee per child when you join. Thereafter, an annual admin fee of R120 will be added to your 1st account of every new year.
- If you discontinue your child’s lessons at any point during the year and re-join later within the same calendar year the full registration fee will be payable again.
- Yes, for hygienic reasons and to keep long hear out of their faces.
- We sell silicone and material caps @R70 per cap.
- We also sell special caps (Swimma Caps) for children with braids or thick hair @ R190.
- Girls: a full costume (not a bikini) including cap and towel.
- Boys: Swimming costume (full suit, speedo, or jammer) including a swimming cap and towel.
- We prefer to postpone the use of swimming goggles until the child is water safe for them to be able to open their eyes to see if they fall in by accident.
From the age of 3 years your child will swim in a learn to swim group with 1 instructor and 3 swimmers. If you child is under 3 years old, please request our Aqua Sensory classes information as a parent/grandparent/au pair must still swim with your child.
- No, we do not offer private lessons. The value of the social aspect of learning in a group far outweighs the experience from a 1:1 approach. Group learning is a natural path for children to learn from each other.
- If your child is the only one in the class at the time of enrolment, it will most likely change as we are constantly receiving new booking requests. (Refer to point 2)
- We are not closed during school holidays.
- We are closed for a short winter break in June/July (TBC) and our Christmas break is usually around the +/-15th of December up until +/- 7th of January. These dates are dependent on the day it falls within that week.
- We are closed on public holidays and the lesson cannot be made up as it has been calculated into the fees.
- The agreement between yourself and Dolphin Swim School is ongoing until you give notice.
- One full calendar month’s paid notice is required.
- Notice will not be accepted to terminate your agreement at the end of November.
- No unfortunately not, it is a safety risk, and it distracts the instructor’s attention.
- Unfortunately, no, the visitor child might not be on the same level as the other children, and it can disrupt the lesson for the rest of the class.
THE SAFETY OF THE CHILDREN AND INSTRUCTORS COMES 1ST.
- We monitor the lightning on an app.
- Once the lightning is nearby, we let the children and instructors out of the pool.
- If the situation improves, we will continue with the lesson otherwise the lesson is cancelled.
Unfortunately, we cannot make up lessons cancelled due to lightning.
- It is a safety risk for us because you are not under supervision, please do not enter the swimming area un till you lesson time and the instructor is in the pool.
- The warm water tires the children out and if you are in the water longer than the lesson your child will not co-operate during the lesson.
- Please do not send you child to the instructor before the start of their scheduled class it will disrupt the next class’s routine and it could possibly the instructor’s break.
What are the benefits of swimming?
OVERCOME FEAR
Swimming is a wonderful confidence booster. One of the most powerful lessons children learn at swim school it that they CAN do it and that fear is conquerable. For the children who are a little more fearful than others, this lesson will help them be braver throughout their life.
KNOW WHEN TO TAKE THE PLUNGE AND WHEN NOT TO
Pacing yourself, knowing your abilities and limitations and when to push the boundaries of your comfort zone to progress is paramount to learning to swim. And this life lesson teaches children when it is safe to take risks in life and when to hold back.
DISCOVER THERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO GO FORWARD
We teach many strokes and ways for swimmers to move. They discover there are many ways to do something and there are many ways to achieve a goal.
RECOGNISE THEIR OWN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
When it comes to swimming, everyone will be better at one method or stroke over another. Children learn where they shine and where they need improvement. Swimming teaches children to recognise what to focus on and develop.
MASTER SELF-DISCIPLINE AND STAMINA
We encourage our students to try and try again until eventually, they succeed in whatever it is they were struggling with. Persisting, despite setbacks, requires stamina and discipline – which are both built over time through practice.
LEARN TO BREATH
A fundamental lesson in water is when and how to breathe. Deep breaths keep you calm in stressful situations and help you to proceed clearly.
DISCOVER HOW TO TRUST
Learning to swim requires your child to learn about trust and bonding. Your child will learn how to trust their instincts in water, to trust their coach to guide them and to bond with swimming partners such as parents, siblings, and friends.
HAVE FUN
Swimming is an essential life skill, but our aim as Swim School teachers is to make it an enjoyable experience. Children learn it’s possible to do something important and challenging while having fun doing it.
