Going Underwater in Swimming Lessons: Why We Follow a Child’s Lead

Going underwater is an important part of learning to swim, but every child approaches it differently. Some are happy to explore straight away, while others need more time to feel comfortable with water around their face and head.

We believe children learn best when they feel safe, supported and confident enough to try something new.

We never force a child underwater or treat a cue as automatic permission to submerge them. Instead, we introduce activities through play, encourage children to explore and give them time to respond.

Our role is to help children develop the skills and confidence to swim while respecting their individual needs.

What is submersion?

Submersion means going beneath the water's surface, including putting the face underwater. It doesn’t have to mean an adult taking a child underwater.

There are lots of ways to introduce children to the feeling of water around their face. Gentle splashes, sprinkle pots, cheek dips and bubbles all provide opportunities to explore.

Children might start by watching an activity, reaching for a toy or enjoying the feeling of water on their head. As they become more comfortable, they may choose to bring their face closer to the water or try putting it in themselves. Every experience gives us an opportunity to help children learn.

Some children will be keen to try straight away. Others will prefer to watch, have a little encouragement or take smaller steps. We adapt our teaching to the child in front of us, helping them work towards new skills without rushing the process.

Why we avoid forced submersions

Learning to swim involves much more than physical skills. Children need opportunities to build confidence, understand what’s happening around them and develop trust in the people supporting them. That’s why we pay attention to how children respond during our lessons.

A child might turn their head away, pull back, become tense or start to cry. These responses tell us we may need to pause, offer reassurance or approach the activity differently.

The Swimming Teachers’ Association (STA) addresses this in its Baby Swimming Policy, which states that forced submersion is contrary to best practice. The policy emphasises the importance of recognising a child’s readiness and active involvement, and says that submersion should stop if a child shows signs of distress or unhappiness.  ⁠⁠

Source: STA Baby Swimming Policy →

Swim England’s Duckling 2 award includes submerging the face with confidence and without force, under adult supervision. This reflects the importance of introducing the skill in a way that supports a child’s developing water confidence.
Source: ⁠Swim England Duckling Awards →

At Tiny Swimming, hesitation is a reason to pause, offer support or adapt the activity. We want children to know that their communication matters. We introduce skills, encourage children to have a go and provide opportunities to practise, but we don’t ignore their responses to achieve a particular outcome.

If a child isn’t ready to put their face underwater, we find another way to keep learning. We want children to develop swimming skills alongside confidence, trust and enjoyment in the water.

Does taking a child underwater help them learn faster?

Learning to swim takes time, practice and confidence. Putting their face in the water and learning to blow bubbles are important skills, but there’s no need to rush children through these experiences.

Babies and young children are still developing their understanding of what’s happening around them. They may not always anticipate what is about to happen or be able to communicate clearly how they feel. A lack of resistance doesn’t, by itself, tell us that a child is ready to participate.

At Tiny Swimming, we introduce new skills through play, encouragement and supported practice. We give children opportunities to explore the water, become familiar with new activities and gradually build their confidence.

Some children will be eager to put their face in the water. Others will need more time, reassurance or a different approach. We pay attention to their expressions, movements and engagement to help us decide how to support them.

We are not aware of established evidence that submerging a child before they are ready or actively participating helps them learn to swim faster. At Tiny Swimming, we focus on gradual, supported exploration, giving children opportunities to develop their skills at a pace that works for them.

What about conditioned submersions?

You may have seen swimming lessons where a teacher uses a familiar phrase, signal or countdown before a child goes underwater.

This is sometimes described as a conditioned submersion. The cue is repeated alongside the activity to help the child anticipate what happens next.

Familiar cues can be useful. They can make activities more predictable and help children become familiar with what’s coming. However, recognising a cue doesn’t automatically mean a child is ready to go underwater at that moment.

At Tiny Swimming, we use communication to invite children to participate, rather than treating a cue as automatic permission.

We give children time to understand what’s being asked, respond and show us how they’re feeling. If they hesitate or turn away, we adapt the activity.

A countdown can help a child anticipate what’s next, but it doesn’t replace the need to pay attention to the child and their responses.

How do we encourage children to explore underwater?

We demonstrate playful activities and help parents feel confident supporting their children through cheek dips, bubbles, sprinkle pots and supported jumps. We give children time to watch and join in at their own pace.

We encourage parents to notice their child’s responses before, during and after each activity. Are they curious, engaged and enjoying the experience? Are they hesitant, turning away or showing discomfort?

Together, parents and teachers use those responses to guide what happens next. We may continue, offer a smaller step, change the activity or pause.

For a supported jump, we might open our arms and invite the child to come towards us. They may join in, need reassurance or choose to watch first. Coming towards us is not automatically permission to take them underwater.

For babies, we help parents notice expressions, movements and engagement. For older children, we also listen to their words and offer choices.

Our teachers provide structure, gentle challenges and encouragement. Being comfortable with an activity last week doesn’t mean a child will feel ready for it today.

Will my child miss out if they don’t go underwater?

No. Children can make meaningful progress in swimming lessons without going underwater in every session.

Learning to swim involves developing a range of skills. Children need opportunities to become familiar with the water, practise movement, develop balance and coordination, and learn about safety.

They can also learn by watching, reaching for toys, exploring the water with their hands and face, and becoming comfortable with new activities. These experiences can help children build towards future skills, including putting their face underwater voluntarily.

We continue to introduce challenges and work towards swimming milestones. Our approach simply allows us to adapt the steps to each child, rather than expecting everyone to achieve the same thing at the same time.

Child-led doesn’t mean avoiding new challenges. It means introducing them in manageable steps, recognising when a child is ready to progress and adapting our approach when they need more time.

Our small classes give teachers more opportunity to notice individual responses, support parents and help children build on what they’re comfortable doing.

Progress isn’t measured by how many times a child goes underwater. It’s about the skills, confidence and understanding they develop along the way.

Helping your child become a confident swimmer

Every child has their own swimming journey. Some will be eager to explore the water from their first lesson. Others will need more time to become comfortable, build trust and try unfamiliar activities. Both can make progress.

At Tiny Swimming, we introduce and develop skills while respecting each child’s individual needs. Our small classes give teachers time to notice individual responses and provide support as children work towards new milestones.

We want children to develop swimming skills alongside trust and enjoyment in the water.

We invite, we listen, and we progress together.

If you’re looking for swimming lessons in Telford or Shropshire, we’d love to help you find the right class for your child’s swimming journey.