Manta Shark Aquatics
Beginner to Stroke Refinement
Manta Shark Aquatics
The best place to build strong swimming skills.
Manta Shark Aquatics strive to ensure students are taught optimal skills and practice proper form to build a strong foundation for a variety of aquatic activities, including leisure swimming, competitive swimming, water polo, junior lifeguard, and more. Manta Shark Aquatics lessons are enjoyable, engaging, and effective; the Manta Shark Aquatics curriculum is specifically designed to equip students with a strong swimming foundation.
Level One
Level One is suitable for beginner students who have zero to little experience with water. Students usually range between 3-5, but older students who have not yet had the chance to learn swimming also fit into this level category. Level One is the beginning of understanding and familiarizing with water; students will start with learning the basics: how to get into the water, walk in the water, splash the water, put their faces in the water, blow bubbles with their mouth and nose, hold their breath in the water, submerge into the water, glide with assistance, and float with assistance.
Level One Skill Checklist:
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Blow bubbles with mouth and nose
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Starfish with assistance
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Airplane with assistance
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Pick up underwater toys with assistance
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Glide for 3-5 seconds
Level Two
Level Two is suitable for swimmers who have a little bit of experience with water, who is not afraid of the water, or has a minimal amount of swim lessons previously. Most students range between 4-6 years old, but older students who had not yet had much exposure to water also fit in this level category. Level Two focuses on water movement that will connect to future swimming skills: freestyle kick with assistance, backstroke kick with assistance, combinations of breathing and blowing bubbles, underwater movements, glide, and float.
Level Two Skill Checklist:
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Freestyle kick with assistance
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Backstroke kick with assistance
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Head bobs plus breathing
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Airplane-Starfish Transition with assistance
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Intermediate underwater movements
Level Three
Level Three is suitable for students who have basic skills of swimming with assistance but are not yet water safe. Many students are at this level, and a large range of ages are suitable for starting at this level category. Level Three focuses on the basic and fundamental skills of swimming to prepare for future swimming success and water safety: freestyle kick, backstroke kick, body position, streamline, “BBQ swim,” breathing with assistance, breathing without assistance, floating, and swim for 5-8 yards. Many students will need practice hours and a certain amount of lessons to be proficient at this level; as students progress from non-swimmer to swimmer, Level Three is considered a big step for our students.
*Group Lessons Avaliable*
Level Three Skill Checklist:
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Proper form freestyle kick
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"BBQ" swim with assistance
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Breathing and swimming with assistance
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Starfish
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Pick up deep underwater toys
Level Four
Level Four is suitable for students who are almost water-safe but are not yet proficient; students can range from any age. Coaches will focus on strengthening all skills included from Level One to Level Three: build stamina, refine and practice fundamental skills (kicking, breathing, floating, underwater swimming), and teach basic freestyle techniques. Level Four focuses on accomplishing water safety skills, including swimming and breathing without assistance, strong freestyle and backstroke kicking skills, water familiarity, underwater swimming, and beginner freestyle technique.
At Level Four, students will demonstrate water-safe proficiency through the “Manta Shark Aquatics Water Safe Test” conducted and examined by Manta Shark Aquatics coaches during a swim lesson. Students will receive a certificate of achievement upon successful completion of the test. Most students will need a certain amount of practice hours and lessons to build their proficiency at this level; as the “Manta Shark Aquatics Water Safe Test” is demanding and rigorous, students will need enough practice to confidently pass the assessment.
*Group Lessons Available*
Level Four Skill Checklist:
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Freestyle kick long distance with streamline-form
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"BBQ" Swim
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Breathing and swimming for 20+ yards
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Starfish-airplane transition
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Combination of multiple skills
Level Five
Level Five is suitable for swimmers who have passed the Manta Shark Aquatics Water Safe Test, demonstrate a strong foundation assessed by Manta Shark Aquatics coaches, and are learning freestyle techniques. Coaches will continue to reinforce kicking and body alignment skills that were taught previously; further, coaches will teach fundamental freestyle skills adapted from competitive-level swimming, including side breathing, side kicking, shoulder rotation, straight arm freestyle technique, beginner freestyle drills, streamline backstroke kick, beginners backstroke swim, and more.
*Small Group Training Available*
Level Five Skill Checklist:
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Side breathe
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Freestyle with shoulder rotation
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Freestyle with straight-arm technique
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Freestyle with introductory high elbow
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Backstroke kick with streamline
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Beginner backstroke
Level Six
Level Six is suitable for swimmers who are able to demonstrate proper freestyle and backstroke technique and are ready to move on to intermediate levels. Coaches will build on skills from Level Five and introduce more complex and demanding skills, including advanced freestyle drills, freestyle speed training, freestyle distance swimming, backstroke, butterfly kick, butterfly drills, flip-turns, and more.
*Small Group Training Available*
Level Six Skill Checklist:
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High elbow freestyle with speed and distance
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Backstroke
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Butterfly kick
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Beginner butterfly
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Flip-turns
Level Seven
Level Seven is suitable for swimmers who are able to swim freestyle, backstroke, and beginner butterfly stroke with ideal form examined by Manta Shark Aquatics coaches. At Level Seven, coaches will continue to help students with freestyle and backstroke while formally teaching proper butterfly and breaststroke; some skills that will be focused on are butterfly drills, breaststroke drills, and open-turns. Students will be able to perform the individual medley with ideal freestyle and backstroke techniques and proficient butterfly and breaststroke swimming. Coaches may also teach beginner lifesaving skills and water polo skills at this level; students may be able to pass swim team tryouts at Level Seven.
*Small Group Training Available*
Level Seven Skill Checklist:
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Butterfly
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Breaststroke
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Individual Medley (all four strokes)
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Open-turns
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Lifesaving skills and water polo skills
Level Eight
Level Eight is the highest level in our learn-to-swim program. Students who are able to swim all four strokes but need to practice their technique and build stamina are suitable for this level category. At Level Eight, coaches will teach advanced swim skills that are similar to professional and competitive levels in swimming; Manta Shark Aquatics will ensure students meet their needs, whether it is swimming for fun, improving fitness levels, or preparing for future aquatics activities such as swimming team, junior lifeguard, water polo, triathlon, surfing, or more. This is the Manta Shark Aquatics milestone of what “knowing how to swim” means, as students not only can demonstrate proper form and technique but are also strong enough to perform a variety of aquatic activities. Students are strongly encouraged to meet Level Eight for aquatics proficiency and fitness.
*Small Group Training Available*
Level Zero Skill Checklist:
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Blow bubbles with mouth and nose
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Starfish with assistance
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Airplane with assistance
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Pick up underwater toys with assistance
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Glide for 3-5 seconds