Frequently asked questions

From 3 at a condo pool, if your child can follow a two-step instruction, tolerate water on the face and stay engaged for 45 minutes. Most children are clearly ready by 4. Under 3, we recommend an indoor heated pool because babies cannot regulate body temperature in cool outdoor water; see our babies page.

We do not recommend regular lessons for under-3s at unheated condo pools. A 2-year-old can learn water confidence in a heated pool with a parent, which Happy Fish Swim School, our sister swim school, offers. If your pool is heated, you can book a coach who marks themselves as experienced with babies, after ticking an acknowledgement at booking.

The SwimSafer programme recommends that children be at least 6 for Stage 1. Younger children can learn the same readiness skills and be assessed once they are old enough. Assessments are run by registered assessors at approved pools.

Follows simple instructions, is happy with water on the face in the bath, can be handled by a friendly adult, and can tell you when they are cold. If most of those are true, book a trial lesson. If not, six months of bath play is the best preparation.

Yes, from total beginners to stroke correction and fitness swimmers, 1-to-1 at your pool, and many coaches teach in the evening. Adult lessons.

Online, in about five minutes: enter your postal code, choose 1 to 4 learners and a trial or a 4 or 8-lesson package, pick a coach and a weekly slot, add learner details, and pay. How it works.

Each coach sets their own price per 45-minute lesson for 1, 2, 3 or 4 learners, and you see it before you pay. As a guide, most private condo lessons in Singapore are priced between about $50 and $100 per 45 minutes for one learner. A package costs the per-lesson price times 4 or 8. How prices work.

No. You pay exactly the coach's listed price. The site is paid by coaches, through a commission taken from their share.

Yes. A trial is one lesson at the coach's normal price, and each family can book one trial per coach. If it goes well, book 4 or 8 lessons in the same slot from your account.

The coach has 12 hours after you pay to decline, for example if the slot clashes. If they do, every lesson is refunded in full automatically and you are emailed a link to choose another coach.

Not to the site. Filter for a female coach when you search; each coach sets one price per group size, whoever they are.

Yes. PayNow and cards (through Stripe) are both accepted at the same price. Payment happens on the secure checkout page after you pick a slot.

Almost always. Condominiums in Singapore generally allow residents to bring a private coach as a guest. Some require a short written notice to management or charge a guest fee. Check your house rules for "external instructors" or ask the management office.

Usually you inform rather than apply: register the coach's name at the guardhouse and, if your by-laws say so, send a note to the managing agent. Our condo pool guide has the wording. A few developments have a formal instructor registration; do that once and it covers the whole package.

Some charge a small flat fee per visit, payable to the MCST; most charge nothing. It is not part of the coach's price and not collected by the site. Ask management before your first lesson.

Everyone out of the water. The coach marks the lesson rained off, nothing is deducted, a make-up lesson is added to the end of your package, and you are emailed at once. The coach can call it from 30 minutes before the start until 60 minutes after, which covers the usual afternoon storm.

If the NEA 24-hour PSI for your region is in the unhealthy range, the coach calls the lesson off in the same way as rain: nothing deducted, make-up added.

Usually not at the pool itself, which is one reason lessons are 45 minutes. Bring a towel and dry clothes to the pool and change in your unit straight after. This matters most for toddlers.

For a child's lesson, yes: a parent, grandparent or helper stays at the pool. Most MCSTs require a resident with a guest, and the coach is teaching, not supervising other children.

With a coach within arm's reach of a beginner, yes. Most condo pools are 1.2 to 1.5 metres; beginners work at the shallow end or on the steps. The bigger safety issue at condos is unsupervised access outside lessons, so keep gates and doors closed.

A 5 to 7-year-old beginner typically floats and glides after about 8 weekly lessons and swims a width of freestyle and backstroke after 16 to 24. Adults are similar: 8 to 12 lessons to float and glide, 16 to 24 to a full lap. Practice between lessons speeds it up considerably.

Once a week is the minimum for progress; twice a week roughly halves the calendar time and suits school holidays. To get two lessons a week, book a second package with the same coach on another weekday.

SwimSafer 2.0 is Singapore's national water-safety programme with six levels: Stages 1 to 3, then Bronze, Silver and Gold. Stage 1 covers pool entry, floating, gliding and basic movement over short distances. Many coaches on the site teach to this syllabus; check the profile. Assessments happen at approved pools. Read the guide.

Yes, if they are within about two years in age and at a similar level: book for 2 learners and they share the coach's 2-learner price. Three or four can share with coaches who take groups that size.

Swimwear, goggles, a towel, and a rash guard if the pool is in full sun. Sunscreen 20 minutes before. Most coaches bring kickboards and teaching aids.

After every lesson the coach adds a short note: what was worked on, what went well, what to practise.

Independent freelance swim coaches who list themselves on the site. They are not employed by us or by Happy Fish Swim School, our sister swim school, and they set their own prices and hours. Browse coaches.

A coach is listed only while their swim instructor, lifesaving and CPR certificates are on file and in date, their payouts are set up, and their availability has been confirmed in the last month. The certificates are uploaded by the coach and not inspected by a person, and we do not interview coaches or watch lessons. Read the profile and reviews and start with a trial lesson.

Reviews can only be left by families who booked and paid through the site, one per booking, after the trial or the second lesson. A coach whose average falls below 4 stars after 5 or more reviews is no longer listed.

Yes. You pick from the coaches who are free near you, and you can open any coach's profile first. Filter for a female or male coach if you prefer.

If the coach has not checked in within 3 hours of the start, and has not called it off for rain, the lesson is refunded to you automatically. Two missed lessons in 60 days and the coach is suspended, with every future lesson refunded.

Yes, if you hold a swim instructor certificate, a lifesaving certificate and a CPR certificate, all in date. Listing is free. For coaches.

Yes, once per lesson, up to 24 hours before it starts, to any free slot with the same coach in the next 4 weeks. Do it in your account.

Cancel 24 hours or more ahead and a make-up lesson is added. Less than 24 hours, or nobody at the pool, and it counts as taught, because the coach has held the slot and travelled.

Yes. Every lesson 24 hours or more away is refunded to your original payment method. Lessons inside 24 hours still go ahead.

A trial is valid for 2 weeks, 4 lessons for 8 weeks from the first lesson, and 8 lessons for 14 weeks. We remind you at 2 lessons left and hold your slot for 72 hours at the end so you can renew.

Tell us when you are asked to confirm the lesson. The coach's payment for it is held and a person reviews what happened, and can refund the lesson.

Under Singapore's PDPA. We collect what is needed to run lessons and payments, and nothing is sold or shared for marketing. Privacy policy.