Want to learn to swim but aren’t sure how long it would take? We break down many possibilities below so you can receive the most accurate estimate. As teachers, one of the most frequently asked questions is, “How long does it take to learn to swim?” – We always respond with the brief (and quite disappointing) answer: it depends. Because, in reality, every aspiring swimmer learns at a different pace. For example, if you’re athletic and can commit a couple of hours each week to training, you’ll be swimming laps in no time. If you’re not comfortable in the water and can only handle a few sessions each month, your development will be visibly slower. But it isn’t the solution you were looking for. You want accurate estimates. Don’t worry; in this post, we’ll provide recommendations and estimations to assist you determine “How long does it take to learn to swim”.
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How long does it take to learn to swim?
Learning to swim, like learning to play the piano or speak French, requires solid training, time, effort, patience, and a lot of practice. As previously stated, it is difficult to provide precise time estimates for learning to swim. Nonetheless, based on our years of expertise, here are some best estimates:
How Long Does it Take to Learn to Swim For Children?

You’re undoubtedly eager for your youngster to learn to swim if you’re a parent. It is not only a healthful pastime, but it is also a vital safety skill that might save their lives. These are some examples of usual guides:
- Babies (12 months to 18 months) who receive 30 minutes of private instruction per week generally learn to swim competently in approximately a year and a half. Unfortunately, acquiring formal strokes is often out of reach due to their underdeveloped motor abilities.
- Little children aged 2-3 who get private training for 30 minutes each week can usually swim confidently by 12 months.
- Youngsters aged 3+ years who take private lessons for 30 minutes each week should expect to be able to swim in 6 months, or 20-30 hours.
These estimations are based on the assumption that your youngster will be able to swim 25m without stopping by the end of the time limit. It might take up to 2-3 years of regular lessons for youngsters to become strong swimmers, i.e. swim 100m without stopping. It also goes without saying that taking group classes rather than solo sessions will often lengthen the learning process.
How Long Does it Take to Learn to Swim For Adults?
Learning to swim as an adult may be a difficult, frightening, joyful, and gratifying experience. Here’s what to expect in terms of timing:
- Those who learn at a regular pace and have no fear of water generally need roughly 20-25 hours of private training to develop basic swimming abilities. It equates to one 30-minute class every week for a year.
- If you’re very unfit, overweight, or fearful of getting in the water, the procedure may take considerably longer.
Everyone is different when it comes to adult learners. Some people enjoy being in the water, while others find it frightening. There is no predetermined timescale, but with enough practice, determination, and positive attitude, any adult can learn to swim.
What’s The Maximum Age You Can Learn Swimming?
When it comes to swimming, many individuals believe they are over it. They believe that swimming is something that must be learned as a child or else you will never be able to accomplish it. Nothing could be further from the truth in actuality. There is no upper age limit for beginning to learn to swim and reaping the benefits that come with it. It doesn’t matter if you’re three or 93.
Swimming, in fact, is an excellent kind of exercise for us as we age. The low-impact aspect of the workout, along with the extra resistance of the water, keeps our bodies strong, flexible, and slim. And, interestingly, because adults have more patience and are better at absorbing feedback, they generally learn quicker than children!
What Are The Steps of Learning to Swim?
You don’t suddenly go from not being able to float to doing laps for time while learning to swim. It’s more of a spectrum with three major stages. They are as follows:
- Developing Water Confidence: Not everyone feels at ease in the water. It’s normal to be afraid of getting into the pool during the first few weeks. A skilled coach will be able to help you through this stage gently and instill confidence in you to continue on to the next phase.
- Laying the Groundwork: This is where you’ll learn the fundamentals that may be applied to any stroke. You’ll learn how to float, manipulate your body in the water, streamline, kick on your front and back, and much more.
- Dialling in Technique: The final stage of swimming instruction. You’ll learn how to swim full strokes like front crawl and rear crawl here. You’ll also master more advanced techniques like tumble turns and dives.
The amount of time you’ll spend at each level varies substantially depending on various things, which we’ll go through now.

Factors Affecting How Long It Takes to Learn to Swim
- Water phobia
Many first-time swimmers are terrified about entering into the water. Acclimating to the water might take time, which adds to the learning process.
- Consistency
Consistency is required for learning new things. Swimming is no exception. Consistent pool trips and sessions will greatly expedite the learning process as abilities build on top of one other.
- Frequency
The more classes you take, the better your results will be. If you can take two classes each week, you will naturally improve far faster than someone who just takes one per week.
- Motor Abilities
If you’re physically active, you’ll probably acquire up abilities faster than someone who isn’t. Because older children and adults have more developed motor abilities, they will normally learn quicker than younger ones.
- Instructional quality
By their expertise, education, and teaching methods, a superb swimming teacher may assist accelerate the learning process?

How Long Does it Take to Get Good At Swimming?
Mastering the fundamentals is one thing; becoming a formidable swimmer is quite another. The good news is that once you’ve mastered the fundamentals, your development will accelerate.
How to Learn to Swim in Less Time?
Now that you know about how long it takes to learn to swim, you’re undoubtedly asking, “Is there anything I can do to speed up the process?” – Of course there is! These are our top recommendations to help you obtain faster results.
- Create a Goal
Setting clear, quantifiable, time-bound objectives is an excellent method to ensure consistency and concentration on your swimming journey. Rather than stating, “I want to learn to swim soon,” say, “By the 15th of July, I’ll be able to swim 25m front crawl without stopping.” A skilled instructor can assist you in setting realistic objectives and guiding you toward their achievement, which takes us neatly to our next topic.
- Choose an Excellent Teacher
Nothing beats a competent instructor for accelerating your learning. A good teacher will have amassed a plethora of experience, knowledge, and abilities from teaching 1,000 pupils to swim. It’s essential to choose an instructor that specializes in what you want. Choose an instructor who caters to adult learners, for example, if you are an adult. Finding the greatest instructor in your neighbourhood is essential.
- Increase Your Water Time
The more time you spend in the pool, the quicker you will swim. Most individuals can fit one class per week into their schedule, but if you can increase that to two (or even three), you’ll attain your objectives faster and burn more calories in the process.
- Purchase a Good Pair of Goggles
Yeah, this one may come across as a little goofy. But, you’d be shocked at how many beginner swimmers buy inexpensive goggles and then have to deal with leaking water and hurting eyes. Learning to swim is difficult enough without having to deal with eye strain, so invest in a good set of goggles. The Speedo Biofuse Flexiseal Goggle is a good choice for beginners.
Conclusion
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