Stage #1 The Set Up:
Place your child or student in the SST. We will set up the SST when we send it to you based on the weight and height you provide, so please make sure you are accurate, when providing that information. This is the most important step, so if you have any questions or concerns, please contact us before moving forward. The initial set up is also based on previous data; however every child is different anatomically, so you may need to make a few adjustments; however the following will always apply: You should always have more buoyancy in the upper quadrant of the suit, and you should always have more buoyancy in the front of the suit, so if your child or student leans in one direction, it will be backwards, and not forward, thus keeping their face further from the water.
Stage #2 Achieving buoyancy:
You goal is to have the child float effortlessly in a vertical position in the water. The key to this is having your child or student allow the water to reach just above their chin, while relaxing in the water. If they are unable to keep their nose above the surface of the water, you will need to add one buoyancy pad at a time until they can float in that position. Please refer to the Pad Removal chart when adding buoyancy. The order and location to double pads are a follows. 9, 10, 11, 12, 7, 8. If your suit came already set up with double pads in any of those pockets, just skip that number and move on to the next pocket that only has one pad. Then have your child or student lien their head back, with their ears below the surface of the water. This will naturally lead to your child or student floating on their back. Help support them in this position, ask them to separate their legs and extend their arms outward, while breathing naturally. Gradually reduce any assistance that you are providing tem to float on their back, until they are able to float completely in their own. In this position they should have to do very little to remain buoyant with their arms and legs.
Stage #3, Floating in an upright position:
After leaning back and floating on their back in the prior step, now, help them balance in the water, in an upright position, keeping the water level below their bottom lip. You can do this by either standing behind them with one hand under each armpit, or standing in front of them lightly holding each hand and supporting them in a level upright position. When the child adjusts to this position, they will now need to tread water and breathe to remain balanced and buoyant. Instruct them to relax, kick their feet, move their arms and keep their nose above the water.
Stage #4 Treading water and propelling forward:
Repeat step 3 with your child or student adding a forward motion to the exercise. Set the student 5 ft from the side wall and let them try to make it to the wall. It’s ok to give them a little push if necessary. Next lead them around the pool with them treading water and propelling themselves forward with a doggy paddle type of motion. The best results will come with a slow and steady approach. Let your child or student get very comfortable with the suit and the water. Once you feel your child or student is comfortable in the water, able to float in an upright position, able to float on their back, treading water, and being able to propel themselves forward, you can soon begin removing the buoyancy pads one at a time.
Stage #5 Getting comfortable with putting your face in the water:
One of the most attractive aspects of the method followed while learning to swim with the SST, is that our method does not require dunking, or allowing your child’s head to submerge below the surface of the water until the point in which your child has already acquired most of the skills needed to swim on their own, eliminating the fear factor associated with most other methods used to teach swimming. However, tough not deliberate or part of our training method, your child or student may from time to time need to have their face in the water during some of the exercises. For this reason it is important to get your child or student comfortable with putting their face in the water, prior to the exercises. A great place to do this is on the steps of the pool, were they will feel comfortable and safe standing with their feet firmly on the pool step. If the pool or body of water you are using does not have an area like this, then the next best way is with you holding them firmly in your arms, and leaning them over. Start by asking them to blow bubbles with their face just slightly in the water. After they are comfortable doing that, ask them to put their face in the water and hold their breath. Start with just a few seconds and then try to increase the amount of time they can keep their face in the water.
Stage #6 Repeating the exercises while removing 1 pad at a time:
Each time you remove a buoyancy pad, your child or student will need to work a little harder to keep their head and nose above the water. The 3 key instructions you need to constantly remind your child or student to perform are, kick your feet, move your arms and keep your head and nose above the water. Follow the following pad removal order, or refer to your pad removal chart, or the instructional video outlining our step by step method. As they progress have them start making their way to the wall or side of the pool in a treading water doggy paddle motion. Get a little further from the wall as they progress.
Pad Removal Order
1. Remove the non dominant leg hip pad and repeat the exercises.
2. Remove the remaining hip pad and repeat the exercises.
3. Remove one of the bottom pads on the back and repeat the exercises.
4. Remove the remaining bottom pad on the back and repeat the exercises.
5. Remove one of the pads on the lower front.
6. Remove the remaining pad on the lower front
7. Remove the dominant arm shoulder pad
8. Remove the remaining shoulder pad
9. Remove one of the pads on the upper back.
10. Remove the remaining pad on the upper back.
11. Remove the top chest pad on the dominant arm side.
12. Remove the final chest pad
After your child or student has completed the process of reaching the wall with the water at above their chin, put the 2 chest pads #5 and #6 back in the SST then situate yourself about 5 feet from the pool wall, and with your child or student in horizontal position propel them towards the side allowing their face to be slightly submerged while they reach for the side wall or another person. Continue this exercise until your child or student is comfortable with their face being slightly under the water, and they understand the technique of raising their head above the surface of the water after being partially submerged.
At this point, you will want to remove the SST and put your child or student in the lightest bathing suit you can find. Because of the construction of the SST with all the extra pockets and material, the SST is heavier than your average bathing suit.
For the girls, a one piece without legs or arms or a tight fitting two-piece would be ideal, and for the boys a very streamline swimsuit would be best, nothing bulky or baggy because the extra weight, especially when wet, will make it more difficult for them to adjust.
Stay away from cotton suits with a lot of liner, pleated wait bands, and suits with long legs and extra material. The long legs almost down to the knees, the baggy construction, the extra liner, and even the cotton or nylon waist tie, will weigh your child down, and create a lot of drag in the water.
For the boys, the best suit to transition to after the SST would be a very light nylon or Lycra brief style swim suit. I can’t emphasize enough how important this transition is. Even though they are kind of out of style and used mostly in competitive competitions, it would be beneficial to get at least one lightweight swim brief to finalize the learning process after your child has transitioned out of the SST.
Continue to supervise your child or student while swimming. There are many factors that are present while in or around the water that could be a danger even to young children that know how to swim.
“ Be safe in the water”
To download or print this manual, refer to the PDF linked below:
To view the video version of this manual, please refer to the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPko9SJBRaw
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