Course Content

COURSE RESULTS & BENEFITS MOVE TO NEXT LEVEL BY BEING ABLE TO:

ESSENTIALS 1 SLOMO — “SloMo”

Understand what keeps you safe

Experience a guaranteed, fool-proof way to learn

Become happy to:

  • put face in water any time
  • float freely in very shallow
  • float freely in shallow
  • move from here to there from floating

Front float

Back float

Vertical float (to go to Essentials 2)

Recover to standing from floats

Roll front to back and back to front (to go to Essentials 2)

Reversal (to go to Essentials 2)

Understand the 5 Circles

Stay in 1st Circle in shallow water doing these skills

Accept your feet on the bottom if they go there naturally

You may repeat this course

ESSENTIALS 1 — “E1”

Everything in SloMo plus:

  • feel deep water hold you up
  • let go in deep water
  • vertical float, front and back floats in deep water at the side on tether and off if ready
  • jump in
  • jump into deep water
  • se of tether, play

Front float

Back float

Vertical float

Recover to standing from floats

Roll front to back and back to front

Reversal

Understand the 5 Circles

Stay in 1st Circle in shallow water doing these skills

No longer fight having your feet on the bottom if they go there naturally

You may repeat this course

ESSENTIALS 2 — “E2”

Everything in E1 plus:

  • Begin to notice the formula for learning so you can use it
  • Front and back floats in deep water, use of tether
  • Reversals in deep water
  • moving from here to there in deep water
  • Getting air when you want it
  • Independence in deep water
  • Resting in deep water
  • Happy in deep water

Jump into the deep

Rest, change positions, and move around in deep water for 10 minutes, stopping because you’re ready to do something else, not because you’re tired or afraid

When people can rest in deep water for 10 minutes calmly, they tell us, “I can swim!”

You may repeat this course

DEEP WATER PLAY SNAX: APPETIZER

  • To take this course, you will have taken Essentials 2 but not embodied these two skills which this Snax teaches to those who are ready:
  • Jumping into the deep end 5 times with complete ease
  • Comfort in deep water for 10 minutes

Jump calmly into deep water

Rest, float, and "roll around" for 10 minutes calmly in the middle of the deep end

If you can do the above, you'll be eligible for the ensuing Deep Water Play course. Go slowly, stay in the 1st Circle, and be unattached to the outcome!

DEEP WATER PLAY — “DWP”

Everything in E2 plus:

  • Swim under water
  • Retrieve things from the bottom
  • Able to maneuver in any direction
  • Confirm ability to get air anytime you need it
  • Demystify the bottom and get to know it
  • Goodbye to the nose clip
  • Dive into deep water
  • Go off diving boards
  • Fully understand your buoyancy
  • Begin learning to tread

Note: You must be able to meet the Deep Water Play prerequisites listed in Essentials 2 above in the first 10 minutes of the Deep Water Play course. If you're not ready, repeat Essentials 2 or take Deep Water Play SwimSnax.


This is our highest ‘water-independence’ course. When you have mastered the skills of DWP, you will be more competent in water than most people. Then you can learn strokes with ease.

Surface dive and go to the bottom to retrieve your keys

Swim along the bottom in the deep

Change direction under water and swim over there

Be upside down under water

Go off the diving boards, 1 meter and 3 meter

Dive into the deep end

Play on toys: air mattress, inner tube, noodle, hoop in shallow and deep


There is so much to learn in this course that people take it several times.

JUMP OFF THE BOAT — “JOB”

Confidence jumping off the side of the pool and boat

Full presence for the whole jump

Familiarity and comfort with being in salt water over your head

Treading water if you've taken Deep Water Play

As with any of our courses, it’s recommended that you “stay wet” and play with the material in the course until you own it. You may repeat the course.

Freestyle & Turns — “FS”

Basics of a calm, sustainable freestyle

  • Start calm, practice calm, end calm
  • Drills to build the stroke from start to finish
  • Video feedback daily
  • Flip turns and Open turns
  • Do the stroke by the end of the week or know exactly what to do at home to evolve the last step or two
  • How to create workouts to achieve your fitness goals

Freestyle can be taken anytime after Essentials 2 but you will learn it more easily if you’ve taken DWP first

You may repeat this course

Two Strokes — “2S”

Breaststroke and Backstroke

  • Or Breaststroke and Butterfly
  • Start calm, practice calm, end calm
  • Drills to build the strokes from start to finish
  • Video feedback daily
  • Turns
  • Do the strokes by the end of the week or know the drills to evolve to the last step
  • How to create workouts to achieve your fitness goals

Two Strokes can be taken anytime after Essentials 2 but you will learn more easily in one week if you’ve taken DWP first

You may repeat this course
flow chart of courses in the Miracle Swimming series from new students to learning strokes and scuba diving
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