Miracle Swimming School for Adults was founded May 1, 1983 in Berkeley, California. Our goal has always been that all adults are happy and competent in deep water. Adults who are fearful in water are the people we want to work with!

In the early 80s, two thinkers on the west coast of the U.S. in the unborn industry of adult swimming lessons realized that adults were struggling with little success. Both were competitive swimmers asking themselves how they could help. The non-swimmers all said the same thing: their lessons didn’t address their fear. And when it was addressed, it was addressed like this: “Don’t be afraid.” “Do it anyway.” Eventually, this caused people to quit. People don’t want to manage their fear: they want to heal it.

The two thinkers opened adult swim schools. They didn’t know about each other. One used “the physical laws of a body in a weightless environment.” The other used the laws of learning (the 5 Circles). Both thinkers knew that something had to be learned before “arms and legs.” The two received decades of national media coverage for their work. They met for a “summit” in 1996 in Mexico to hammer out a way to combine efforts. Neither could be convinced that the other’s approach was as good as theirs! They called themselves the “engineer and the minister.” Neither was either.

In 2006, the “engineer” closed his business. Though he was very successful, he gave up trying to convince the traditional lessons agencies that they were teaching what both thinkers felt was backward: efficiency before comfort and safety.

In 2020, Miracle Swimming is still going. Adults have come from 50 states and 17 countries to take the “granddaddy” of adult swimming lessons, Miracle Swimming. State-of-the-art. There are half a dozen licensed instructors around the U.S. We have amassed a body of knowledge which is changing the way swimming is taught to adults and kids. An adult is not safe in water until he or she is confident in deep water. For adults, this does not come from learning strokes. Safety must come first. All else can follow.

Traditional lessons that started in Canada and the U.S. in the early 1900s were “exported” all over the world. They are a good fit for adults who are already calm in water over their head.

In 2010 we became a non-profit organization to bring swimming to the underserved populations in Sarasota, Florida. In 2020 we returned to being a standard business without the pressures and ups and downs of fundraising. As we retool to optimize our effectiveness in our region, state, and nation,  we are building once again from the second floor up, writing books, and creating a strategy for Miracle Swimming to resume its instructor training program, find investors, and set our new plan to run.

To become a Licensed Miracle Swimming Instructor, read our book, see our DVD, understand this website, and submit an application, available soon.

We welcome your feedback and suggestions. Use our Contact Us page to tell us your thoughts.