Seeking opinions on when to start swim lessons

My girls turned 3 June 11th. On vacation last week, we let them play in the swimming pool with 'water wings' - the air filled tubes that go around the arms.
My girls both LOVED the water.

My question - should I enroll them in swim lessons this fall? Or hold off to next spring? Lessons are $220 for a sesson of 12 lessons (times 2!). I want to capitalize on their current love of water, yet I hate to spend the big bucks for them to play in the water if they are too young to truly 'learn' to swim.

Any thoughts?

 

I would definitely start them now. I don't think they are too young at all. Can you ask for a twin discount? Most places will give you one. We started lessons at six months, but that was really to get them confortable with the water and it worked. They love it.

 

Mine started a few weeks ago at 3.5 years old. It was perfect for them. There's a lady in town who has taught swimming for 35 years in a pool in her backyard and that's who is teaching mine. She's $50 per kid for 8 lessons. My 2 are picking up on it really fast.

Marissa

 

With my oldest she took swimming lessons at our neighborhood pool the year she was 3, our pool won't let you do it before you are 3. I say now is a good time.

 

Our pedi recommended to get them in water at 6 months. We hadn't- and Syd is terrified now. I wish we would have done it sooner- and for those who haven't- I'd try to start now.

 

We started swim lessons this summer (boys are now 3.5yrs) at the YMCA. It's 10-12 weeks? and about half the price you quoted per child. The class size is only 5 children. The instructor takes one child in at a time (parent does not need to get in) and they do a lap together while the others sit on the side. Each child gets to practice about 5 back and forth laps with the instructor doing different techniques.

Since our neighbor (and the boy's best friend) have an inground pool next door, we spent all last summer in the pool as well as now. The boys all float around independently with a swim vest and water wings since last summer (2.5yrs) and feel very at ease in a pool. Now that they have started lessons, I have seen a rapid improvement. They jump from the side into the pool (head goes under). They have already learned to float on their backs solo.

I think its a great time to start lessons. Really the sooner the better. The kids in their class who started at 2yrs are really advanced. Some are already doing free style stroke the width of the pool.. alone!

 

We started at 3 1/2--but mostly because I needed to get something else worked out too, and didn't want a schedule conflict.

The place we go to uses the Red Cross method, and won't start kids before 3, and parents don't go in. They love it and are doing great!