Relies heavily on buoyancy aids

Unwilling to try anything without armbands, noodles or floats.

Activities that help

• Armband Countdown – A planned, gradual reduction in buoyancy aids so swimmers discover they can float with less support.
• Backwards Noodle Ride – Swimmers lie back with a noodle under their arms and kick backwards – early back kick and back position.
• Distance Ladder – Swimmers climb a ladder of distances without buoyancy aids – 3, 5, 7 and 10 metres – building stamina and independence.
• Fingertip Float – A structured way to fade support in a back float: whole hand, two fingers, one fingertip, then none.
• Float Countdown – Swimmers set a personal best for how long they can float, front and back – floating is both a skill and a way to rest.
• Front Starfish – Wide, stable front float in a star shape – the easiest front float to balance.
• Noodle Crawl – A noodle under the chest keeps the body high so swimmers can focus on front crawl arms and breathing.
• Noodle Horse Race – Swimmers 'ride' a noodle and gallop or kick forwards – a fun way to get feet off the floor.
• Puppy Paddle – A simple alternating paddle under the water that gives swimmers their first independent arm propulsion on the front.
• Sink or Float Experiments – Swimmers test which body shapes and breathing make them float or sink – learning how breath and shape affect buoyancy.
• Stay Upright Challenge – In water just too deep to stand, swimmers stay upright using sculling hands and cycling legs – an early step towards treading water.
• Swim to Me – The teacher backs away as the swimmer swims towards them, gently stretching the distance they swim without stopping.