Frequently asked questions

To enrol your child or someone who you are a guardian for:

1. Create a responsible person / guest account
   • Visit the online customer portal
   • Select 'Join or book now!'
   • Select 'Swimming Lessons /  Fitness Programs'
   • Select 'Next'
   • Select 'Create Parent / Guardian Account'
   • Select 'Next'
   • Complete your (the responsible parent / guardian) details
   • Select 'Create account'
2. Add a student
   • Once you have completed the above steps, select 'Enrol a student / go to your portal'
   • Complete the student details
   • Select 'Create account'
3. Determine your level (students must complete a level assessment to enrol in a day and time)
   • Select the 'Swimming Lessons' category to start the self-assessment 
   • Answer questions
   • Your level will be assigned
   • Select 'Next' to receive confirmation that you student account has been created
   • Select 'Select day and time' to be taken to the swimming lessons timetable for your allocated level
4. Enrol into your class day and time
   • Search and select your class day and time (these will be filtered to your allocated level)
   • Select 'Enrol now'
   • In the pop-up window, select 'enrol now' for the student you wish to enrol in this class
5. Make payment
   • Select your payment plan
   • Complete the agreement of terms and conditions
   • Select your preferred payment method (bank details or credit card / debit card) for your contract and select 'Next')

Payment methods

Please note, these details you enter will be linked to your contract for all future payments. You can change your payment details in the future using your online customer portal.

Bank details

• Enter your bank details
• You will be taken to the payment gateway to make your initial payment which will need to be made by a credit / debit card
• Make payment

Credit / debit card

• Enter your credit / debit card details
• Make payment
• Contract confirmation 

• You must register your absence, via the online customer portal, before the lesson has started.
• You must not have exceeded the number of available make-up lessons per student (eight annually).
• If your regular lesson falls on a public holiday or Easter Sunday, classes will not be delivered and you will have a make-up lesson applied automatically.
• Make-up lessons have an expiry of 90 days from the absent class. Make-up lessons not claimed within 90 days will be forfeited.
• Absences can be registered seven days in advance.
• Private and Access classes are not eligible for make-up lessons. Please contact us for the alternative option.

We offer eight make-up lessons per year for each member plus a no-cost medical suspension.

We do not offer suspensions over the 48 week program. 

Suspensions during the four non-program weeks (Christmas / New Year / summer holidays) are optional. If you would like to suspend your membership during this time, you must do this via the online customer portal.

Membership benefits are still active during non-program weeks if you do not suspend.

Medical suspensions are available at no charge for students who are unable to attend two or more consecutive lessons. Medical suspensions can be backdated up to one month and must be arranged in person or email to the centre and be accompanied by a supporting medical certificate. You will not pay any fees during a medical suspension.

Whilst the YMCA understand the capturing of your magic moments is important, the privacy of others must be respected.

For this reason we do not allow photos or videos to be taken on pool deck or in the change room areas.

The students have unlimited access to the pools to practice their newly learnt skills or to just have fun in the water with family and friends.

Infants are required to wear aqua nappies that are tight fitting around the thighs if they wear a standard nappy when not swimming. Standard nappies are not permitted in the pool. Aqua nappies are available for purchase at Customer Service.

If your child is under three years old and / or enrolled into one of our infant classes (Starfish, Periwinkle, Minnow) then a parent/guardian must be in the water for the lesson.

Lessons are not conducted on gazetted public holidays. If you miss a lesson due to a public holiday you can arrange a make-up lesson as per our make-up lesson procedure.
             
Lessons are conducted seven days a week. Some families choose to enrol on a day that are less impacted by public holidays.

Goggles are not a compulsory part of our program, however we highly recommend children gain experience both with and without goggles.

They may appear insignificant but they can make a large difference to a child’s learning journey as they progress through swimming lessons. Most children who do not wear goggles close their eyes as they swim. This can lead to them becoming disorientated or preoccupied which makes them unable to focus on their stroke technique. We offer a great range of affordable youth goggles. Just ask Customer Service for assistance.

Swimming lesson memberships are perpetual direct debit agreements with no “lock in” period or cancellation fees; we simply need 14 days written notice of cancellation.

Convenient fortnightly direct debit payments encourage continual skill development with no re-enrolment process. Every second Thursday the agreed debit amount is withdrawn from your nominated bank account or credit card.

The debit pays for the day of the debit and the following thirteen days.

If a debit has failed, you will be notified via text and/or email on the debit date. A $10.00 fee is charged for any rejected debit.

Every child progresses at a different rate. There is no one answer and we strongly encourage parents to not make comparisons with other children. Some children will progress quickly, others will take considerably longer. Variables that can influence learning include (but not limited to) overcoming a fear, natural aptitude and the amount of practice that occurs outside lessons.

Progression occurs within a level. Not reaching the next level does not indicate a lack of skill acquisition. Children improve within levels. It is also important for them to learn a skill rather than perform it once before they move to another class.

All students in our program are continually assessed by the teacher for improvement and readiness for upgrading to the next level. Once they feel that a swimmer is ready they will notify the teacher in charge for a formal assessment.

The teacher in charge's decision is final and they will discuss the outcome with the swimmer / parent either face-to-face or via an email progress report.

Yes, all of our pools are heated.

Swimwear, towel, goggles and dry clothes to change into after their session.

Medical suspensions are available at no charge for students who are unable to attend two or more consecutive lessons. Medical suspensions can be backdated for one month and must be arranged in person or email and be accompanied by a supporting medical certificate.

Please be aware that it is not uncommon for young children to require a period of time to adjust to swimming lessons. Most children will settle within a few weeks; however we do encourage parents of preschool aged children to bring bathers along during the first couple of weeks in case your child requires additional support.

Children under five must be accompanied in the water and remain within arm’s reach of an adult.

Children under 10 must be accompanied and constantly supervised by an adult.

In swimming lessons, students enrolled in infant (Starfish, Periwinkle, Minnow) classes require their parents to be in the water with them.

To provide the safest possible environment at all times, in other swimming lesson classes, parents are required to abide by Watch Around Water with constant supervision of their children under 10.

http://www.watcharoundwater.org.au/

Our teachers and teachers in charge hold nationally accredited Teacher of Swimming & Water Safety certificates, a current CPR and a first aid certificate. They all hold Working with Children Checks and have undergone a Criminal History Record screen and Safeguarding Children and Young People training.

All teachers that teach infant lessons hold an additional specialised qualification.

Each student is issued with a membership card which must be scanned by Customer Service at every lesson to gain entry to the pool.