Float First TX - Frequently Asked Questions

General

Approximately 6 months and older

Our minimum requirements for starting Guppy Bootcamp is that your child can: (1) sit-up unassisted and (2) crawl or scoot

Please see our Program Information & Skill Breakdown [PDF] 

If your child is 6 years old or older, they can enroll directly into Level 1.

We still recommend Bootcamp for ages 6+ if they have extreme fear/anxiety about being in the water. 

Absolutely! We teach children to have a healthy respect for the water. With the one-on-one instruction, we create a positive, aquatic environment that ensures their individual success. We do not move students out of our private classes until they are strong swimmers. 

We have two types of Instructors:

  • Infant Instructors: Our Guppy instructors that teach children under 5 have either completed an intensive infant survival certification program, or they have had several years of experience teaching older kids AND have shadowed several sessions with 4 and unders. 
  • Stroke Instructors: Our Guppy instructors that teach the four strokes: freestyle, backstroke, butterfly, and breaststroke, have shadowed several sessions of Guppy Level 1 and 2 and have participated in competitive swimming at an elite level (junior nationals & collegiate teams). 

Cost & Cancellations

Classes are priced based on length of the class and private vs. group class. Classes are scheduled by session, and we typically have 10 classes in a session for 2 day/week programs or 20 classes in a session for Guppy Bootcamp. Some sessions may have fewer or more classes depending on holidays & what makes the most sense on the calendar. Sessions will be prorated accordingly, based on these rates: 

  • Guppy Bootcamp: $30/class; 12-15 minute private classes
  • Guppy Level I: $30/class; 12-15 minute private classes
  • Guppy Level II: $40/class; 20 minute private classes
  • Grouper Level I: $30/class; 40 minute group classes (max 4 swimmers)
  • Grouper Level II: $20/class; 55 minute group classes (max 10 swimmers)
  • Adult Privates: $60/class; 30 minute private classes (ask about semi-private option)

Scheduling

We open our scheduling in 2 waves. 

  1. Priority Scheduling Group – opens at noon on the Monday ~4 weeks before the start of the season. Open to all clients, both current and new.
  2. Open Enrollment – opens at noon, 1-week after Priority Scheduling opens. There will likely not be a large amount of openings by the time this goes live. Spring and Summer are our highest demand months, so please plan accordingly.

Our Priority Scheduling Group gets you access to our session schedule 1-week before Open Enrollment begins. You will be sent an email with a link to a Google Form. You’ll have 60 hours to submit the form for every child you wish to enroll in that session. You’ll give a one hour window of time that works best for you, and you will receive confirmation of when you have been scheduled on that Friday. 

Joining our Priority Scheduling Group is the way to get consistent scheduling session to session. It is also extremely useful if you are registering siblings or if you have a rigid schedule. It is mandatory if you are registering for our Grouper Classes.

A Priority Scheduling membership costs $100/child (or $200/family) for the calendar year. 

Please fill out the sign-up form here: https://forms.gle/7gBsUyi7GSdtDZPN8

After filling out the form, you can make your payment via Venmo. If you requested an invoice via PayPal, one of our team members will send you that invoice within 48 hours (72 on weekends).  

**Venmos with no contact information in the description will be refunded (less transaction fees) after 48 hours. You have that long to text or email us that you forgot to include your contact information. 

Super Priority Scheduling allows you to claim the exact time you want now. Skip the wait and enroll in any sessions we have announced for the year. You must be a member of the base level of Priority Scheduling to upgrade to Super Priority.

Super Priority Scheduling costs $50/child/session for a 2 day/week class. Guppy Bootcamp meets 4 days/week, and thus costs $100/child/session. 

**Not available for Grouper classes

Yes, the total cost is capped. Super Priority fees are added on top of your base level Priority Scheduling membership. 

Fees are capped at +$200 for an individual membership (+$150 for Benchwood), and +$300 for a family membership. 

Individual Example: You enroll your child in Guppy Bootcamp for Winter I, and Level I for Spring I and Summer I (skipping Spring II). Summer II, Fall I, Fall II and the Holiday session are now available to schedule Super Priority for no additional charge. Total Cost: ($100 individual membership) + ($100 Super Priority Bootcamp) + ($100 for 2 sessions of Super Priority Level I) = $300 total cost

Family Example: You enroll 3 children in Guppy Bootcamp using Super Priority Scheduling, you unlock Super Priority for every additional session in the year, at no additional charge. Total Cost: ($200 family membership) + ($300 for 3 sessions of Super Priority Bootcamp) = $500 total cost

No.

First Day

Please see our location information for addresses. 

Ideally, you will arrive 5 min before swim time. Please arrive earlier if you need time for using the bathroom, change clothes, etc. so that you are ready for your child to swim at their assigned lesson time.

DO NOT purchase goggles until they have moved up to Guppy Level II.

If your child were to fall into a body of water it is highly unlikely that they will be wearing goggles.

Level II swimmers know how to do freestyle with side-breathing. These students are very strong (very safe) swimmers, and it is at this point we introduce goggles. 

Our foundational survival swimming skills are breath control, core control, and kicking. Many students who use their hands to swim take significantly longer to develop this foundation, and holding onto a pair of shorts is a very easy way to remove hands from the learn-to-swim equation. We add arms back into their swimming in the late stages of our Guppy Level I skill progression. 

During Lessons

Parents may get in the water after their child has completed their basic survival skills: 1) the Roll-Back-to-Float and 2) the Swim-Float-Swim.

We strongly encourage parents to get in the water to learn how to swim with their young children that have just learned their swim-float-swim skill. 

  • Your child is learning a new skill and sometimes crying is their main form of communication when experiencing something new and uncomfortable. 
  • Separation from you and meeting a new person can be challenging for them. Create opportunities for them to be independent from you before and after lessons, such as: watching/cheering during other lessons, and walking to the water independently when it’s their turn.
  • Your child will look to you for cues on how they should react to the new environment while driving to lessons, before, during and after lessons- so be positive! If you have nothing inspirational to say to them, just smile and cheer.
  • Remember- these lessons are for your child’s safety.
  • Breath control is the first thing established in lessons, without it we won’t move on. 
  • Small amounts of swallowed water are recognized as generally harmless by the medical community.

After Lessons

Our transition to swim team begins in Guppy Level II. 

Students that are more advanced than the skills offered in Grouper Level II may take our Adult Private classes.

  • Guppy Level II: If your child is 5+, and has done at least 2 sessions of Level II, we strongly encourage you to try out for your local summer-league swim teams. Some of these start practice mid-May, while some don’t start until school is out. They are great for socializing and endurance work. Guppy lessons pack maximum technique into short periods of time, so summer leagues are a great compliment to Guppies and will save you money! Just be mindful of the poor technique you may notice your child developing (chiefly: head-up breathing on their freestyle). Come back for a session in the Fall to smooth out bad habits!
  • Grouper Level I: If you need to move on from Float First TX for any reason, your child is skilled enough to join the novice level of a competitive swim team (this would be Yellow Group with Alamo Area Aquatic Association at NEISD). 
  • Grouper Level II: If you need to move on from Float First TX for any reason, your child is skilled enough to join the novice level of a competitive swim team (this would be Yellow Group with Alamo Area Aquatic Association at NEISD).