Swimming
An adult beginner course at a city pool and a pair of goggles. The first weeks are about floating on the front and back, breathing in rhythm and the first lengths of front crawl.
What it is like
You can learn to swim as an adult. City and park district pools run adult beginner courses that start where you are, often with nothing more than floating on the front and back, and build to freestyle, rhythmic breathing and backstroke.
The skills come in a clear order. Floating comes first, then breathing out steadily under water, then a kick, then the arm stroke with the head turning to the side for air. Backstroke, with the face out of the water, usually comes next in a beginner class.
After a course or two, lap swimming at an adult session is the usual next step, and from there masters groups, stroke clinics and, for confident swimmers with a buddy, open water.
The CDC’s advice frames the whole hobby: formal lessons can reduce the risk of drowning, weaker swimmers can wear a life jacket around water, natural water hides currents and changing weather, and alcohol and swimming do not mix.
- A session
- A 45-minute lesson, or half an hour of lengths.
- A week
- Two sessions a week during a course.
- Season
- All year at indoor pools; summer at outdoor ones.
Indoors or out · Solo, A club, With kids
Kinds and styles
A group course for beginners, often in small groups by level.
Lengths in a lane for fitness, at your own pace.
Classes for swimmers who can manage a length and want better technique.
Coached group training for adults.
Lakes and the sea, for confident swimmers with a buddy.
Is it for you?
You will probably love it if
- You never learned to swim, or never felt safe in the water
- You want exercise you can do in the water
- There is a public pool with adult lessons near you
Maybe not, if
- Chlorine bothers your skin or eyes badly
- You cannot get to a pool regularly
- A health condition makes exercise in water a worry; ask a doctor first
What to buy first
- 01Adult beginner swim courseA certified instructor, floats, rhythmic breathing and the first strokes$68
- 02Swimming gogglesClear vision underwater makes breathing practice easierFind it on Amazon$20
- Everything you need to beginAbout $40 a month after that$88
Typical US prices for entry-level gear, rounded. Last checked October 2026. How we get the numbers
The Amazon links open a search for that type of item, not a product chosen for us, and the prices in the list are our typical figures, or the listing of the shop a line names, not Amazon's price for any listing. If you buy through one we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you; as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
What to buy next
- 01A swim capKeeps hair out of the faceFind it on Amazon First month
- 02KickboardMany pools lend them tooFind it on Amazon For kick practice
- 03A second swimsuitOne to dry while you use the otherFind it on Amazon Once you swim twice a week
- 04Anti-fog spray for gogglesA clear view of the wallFind it on Amazon If they fog
No prices here on purpose: these are later buys, and what to spend depends on how far the hobby has taken you. The Amazon links work like the ones above: a search for the type of item, and a possible commission for us at no extra cost to you.
From the first float to a length of front crawl, step by step
Swimming appears in Stone Age paintings and has been in every modern Olympics since 1896 (Wikipedia), and adults learn it every year in city pool courses. This guide goes from choosing a course through floating, breathing, kicking and the first lengths of front crawl and backstroke to lap swimming, with the CDC's drowning prevention advice.
Warning: Before you start The CDC says formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning. Learn in a pool with lifeguards, and stay in water where you can stand until you are confident. Weaker swimmers of any age can use a life jacket around natural water and pools. Lakes, rivers and the sea have hidden hazards such as currents, waves, rocks, plants and poor visibility, and the weather can change quickly, so swim there only with a buddy and once you are a confident swimmer. Do not drink alcohol before or during swimming. Learning CPR, offered by the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association, could save a life before paramedics arrive. We do not give medical advice.
Atlanta's Washington Park Aquatic Center charges non-residents $80 for an October beginner course; the Round Lake Area Park District, Illinois, charged $57 for its adult class.
Front and back floats come first in a beginner class.
Breathe out under water and in when your face turns out.
The basics of freestyle with a flutter kick, then backstroke.
Slowly, with stops at the wall when you need them.
Front crawl from the side
From the side: a swimmer lying face down on the surface of a pool, one arm stretched forward under the water to catch, the other coming forward over the surface with the elbow high, the legs doing a flutter kick, and a dashed line along the surface.
- A Recovery Over the water Elbow high. Step 6 →
- B Face down Look at the bottom Turn to breathe. Step 6 →
- C Catch Arm forward Start the pull. Step 6 →
- D Flutter kick Small, steady From the hips. Step 5 →
Steps 1-2Before the pool
- Step 1 of 8 · Before the pool
Choose a course
Look for adult beginner lessons at a public pool; Atlanta's Washington Park Aquatic Center charged non-residents $80 for an October course, and the Round Lake Area Park District $57 for its adult class.
Most people: a group course (most beginners).
Start here A group courseBest forMost beginners
Instructors and other adult beginners.
Private lessonsBest forStrong fear of water
One-to-one, at your pace.
- Step 2 of 8 · Before the pool
Get goggles
A basic pair is enough; Speedo's Futura Classic costs $15 and the Biofuse 2.0 $25.
Steps 3-7In the pool
- Step 3 of 8 · In the pool
Float
Warning: WARNING Stay where you can stand until you are confident, and only swim where lifeguards are on duty.
Learn the front float and the back float in water where you can stand; floating comes before swimming.
- Step 4 of 8 · In the pool
Breathe
Breathe out steadily under water and in when your face turns out, on a set number of strokes.
- Step 5 of 8 · In the pool
Kick
A flutter kick with fairly straight legs, holding a kickboard or the wall.
- Step 6 of 8 · In the pool
Front crawl
Face down, one arm reaching forward to catch the water while the other comes forward over the surface, turning the head to the side to breathe.
Goes wrong: Lifting the head to breathe. Turn it to the side instead.
- Step 7 of 8 · In the pool
Backstroke
On the back, alternating arms, a steady kick and your face out of the water.
Step 8Keep going
- Step 8 of 8 · Keep going
Keep going
Warning: CAUTION In lakes, rivers or the sea, swim with a buddy and only as a confident swimmer; natural water has currents, waves and poor visibility (CDC).
Swim lengths twice a week, then take a stroke course or join an adult lap swim.
Most people: lap swimming (fitness).
Start here Lap swimmingBest forFitness
Lengths at your own pace.
Masters swimmingBest forA coach and a group
Structured adult training.
In shortIf it goes wrong
- Lifting the head to breathe.
- Step 6 · Front crawl
How you get better
- First courseFloats and breathing
Front and back floats, breathing out under water, the first kicks.
- Second courseFreestyle and backstroke
Lengths of both strokes with stops at the wall.
- First monthsLap swimming
Regular lengths at an adult lap swim.
- After thatYour own direction
Stroke clinics, masters swimming, or open water with a group.
- Front and back floats
- Rhythmic breathing
- Flutter kick
- Front crawl
- Backstroke
- Pushing off the wall
- Treading water
- Lane etiquette
Small things that help
- Breathe out under water, not all at once at the surface.
- Look down, not forward, when swimming front crawl.
- Rest at the wall whenever you need to.
- Swim with others, at pools with lifeguards.
- Skip alcohol before swimming (CDC).
Beginner mistakes
- 01Holding your breathBreathe out steadily under water so there is room to breathe in.
- 02Lifting the head to breatheTurn it to the side instead, as front crawl swimmers do.
- 03Going into open water too soonNatural water has currents, waves and poor visibility (CDC).
- 04Swimming aloneUse the buddy system, especially in natural water (CDC).
- 05Skipping lessonsFormal lessons can reduce the risk of drowning (CDC).
The four strokes and the basics
From Wikipedia's articles on swimming and the front crawl, and what adult beginner classes teach.
| Item | What it means |
|---|---|
| Front float | Lying face down, still, on the surface |
| Back float | Lying face up, still, on the surface |
| Front crawl | Usually regarded as the fastest stroke; face down, alternating arms, a flutter kick |
| Backstroke | On the back, alternating arms |
| Breaststroke | Face forward, arms and legs moving together, with an underwater recovery |
| Butterfly | Both arms over the water together, with a dolphin-like kick |
| Rhythmic breathing | Breathing out under water and in on a set stroke, often turning the head to the side |
Why people quit
- 01Fear of the waterStay in the shallow end, keep a hand on the wall, and tell the instructor; Denver's adult lessons, for example, are planned around each student.
- 02Out of breath after a few strokesBreathe out under water every time; breathing in rhythm takes practice.
- 03Hard to fit inLook for adult lap swim times at your pool.
Words you will meet
- Length
- One trip from one end of the pool to the other.
- Lap
- Often used for a length, sometimes for there and back.
- Freestyle
- Any stroke in competition; in practice, the front crawl.
- Flutter kick
- Alternating up-and-down kicks with straight legs.
- Recovery
- The part of the stroke when the arm comes forward over the water.
- Catch
- The moment the hand starts pulling water.
Questions people ask
Is it too late to learn as an adult?
No. City pools run adult beginner courses for ages 15 and up, teaching floats, freestyle, rhythmic breathing and backstroke.
What does a course cost?
Atlanta charges $65 for residents and $80 for others for an October 2026 beginner course; the Round Lake Area Park District in Illinois charged $50 and $57.
What do I need?
A swimsuit, a towel and goggles; Speedo's Futura Classic is $15 and the Biofuse 2.0 $25.
Does learning to swim make me safe?
It helps: the CDC says formal lessons can reduce the risk of drowning. It also advises life jackets for weaker swimmers, a buddy in natural water and no alcohol.
Which stroke first?
Round Lake's adult class, for example, teaches front and back floats first, then the basics of freestyle, rhythmic breathing and backstroke.
Where to go next
- 01SnorkelingOnce you are a confident swimmer in the sea, with a buddy. $23 to start
- 02KayakingTime on the water with a life jacket. $707 to start
How it compares
| Swimming | Snorkeling | Kayaking | Stand-up paddleboarding | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start cost | $88 | $23 | $707 | $471 |
| Each month | $40 | $25 | $10 | $10 |
| Space | A public pool | Calm, clear water by a guarded beach | A garage wall and a lake | A calm lake or bay |
| Noise | Low | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet |
| First result | Floating in the first lesson, lengths after a course | Fish on the first morning in clear water | 1 afternoon | 1 afternoon to stand up |
| Mess | A wet towel and swimsuit | Rinse the gear in fresh water | Wet gear | A wet board to dry |
Where to learn more
- 01CDC: Preventing drowningLessons, life jackets, natural water, alcohol and CPR.
- 02Wikipedia: Front crawlHow the stroke works.
Sources: CDC: Preventing drowning · Active.com: Washington Beginner Adult Swim Lessons, Atlanta, October 2026 · Jeff Ellis Management: Adult swim class, Round Lake Area Park District pool · Speedo: Futura Classic and Biofuse 2.0 goggles · Wikipedia, Swimming; Front crawl
Researched and written by the Fjords Team.