Peirce Island Outdoor Pool Private Lessons

The availability of private lessons is uncertain at this time based on our limited number of instructors. Below is information on the private lesson program when we are able to offer them again.

The best use of an instructor’s expertise and your investment is teaching your child the fundamentals of swimming and basic water safety. Our instructors are at their best when your child is receiving instruction in swimming technique. Although instructors are fully capable of working with a young swimmer who may be apprehensive about the water, we recommend that this type of swimmer should not participate in private one-on-one lessons. That is, for those young swimmers struggling to put their face in or have never had a lesson before, we believe that the best way for them to become acclimated to the water, get over a fear of the water, or need to learn elementary skills is through our group public swim lessons (preschool classes or Level 1 and possibly Level 2 in our Learn-to-Swim program). These lessons are free for City of Portsmouth residents and cost $60 for eight (8) lessons for non-residents.

These group lessons will teach young swimmers how to acclimate themselves to the water by encouraging them to put their face in the water through blowing bubbles, bobbing up and down to emphasize breath control, teaching body position and floating, demonstrating the skills necessary to regain buoyancy from a submerged state, and recovering from an accidental fall into a body of water. These lessons are taught from 0930 to 1200 Monday through Friday. Private lessons can be taught to young children (three to five years old), if they are ready to learn to swim.

We believe that when you are paying for a private lesson, you should get good value for the investment. To that end, all of our instructors are American Red Cross Water Safety Instructors typically having three to six years of experience in the field of swimming instruction. Our instructors teach well over fifty swimmers per summer in their group lessons; some instructors teach during the school year as well at various pool including the Portsmouth Indoor Pool. Additionally, some of our instructors have experience swimming on local club swim teams or high school teams, where they received stroke technique instruction for many years.

All of our instructors teach four days per week in the morning, typically having one half hour off, which would be available for them to teach a private lesson. Due to their teaching schedule, they have one morning per week available for private instruction. Also, they work three afternoons per week, which frees them to teach lessons on the two afternoons that they have off. We are open two evenings per week, but instructors work one of those evenings, which leaves one evening per week for lessons. Lessons for children cannot be taught during adult lap time (1200 – 1300). As you can see, availability is somewhat limited, but instructors do an excellent job of matching your schedule with theirs. NOTE: Requests for lessons are filled as received, therefore requests for specific instructor may not be possible.

To register, download the Registration Form below and return it to the Recreation Department or the Outdoor Pool.