Published Tue, 12 May 2026
Continuing lessons through the cooler months helps children stay confident, capable and progressing.
Like any essential life skill, swimming benefits from consistency. When lessons pause for extended periods, children can lose technique, strength and water awareness - particularly when it comes to vital safety and survival skills.
In a city like Sydney, where beaches, pools and waterways are part of everyday life, building confidence in and around the water is one of the most valuable skills a child can have.
As City of Sydney Aquatics Manager and a mum of three, Steph Barnes reinforces the importance of treating swimming as a regular, year-round routine:
I understand how busy family life can be, but I also know how critical it is that swimming isn't treated as a seasonal activity. Like any life skill, swimming needs regular practice. Pausing lessons can quickly set children back in confidence and technique.
Recent data reinforces the importance of consistency, with some concerning statistics from Royal Life Saving Australia:
357 drowning deaths were reported in 2024-25, the highest level on record.
Around one in two children still do not meet the national benchmark of swimming 50 metres and demonstrating basic survival skills by age 12.
These figures highlight why continuity in swimming lessons is so important for children's safety and confidence in and around water.
Steph sums it up simply:
In Sydney, surrounded by water, swimming is an essential life skill. Year-round participation is what builds real confidence, resilience and the ability to stay safe wherever children encounter water.
Ready to enrol? Our Learn to Swim program runs 48 weeks of the year – so your little ones can build their swimming skills no matter the season.
Click below to send an enquiry and give your child the chance to keep developing their skills through winter and beyond.
