Babies as young as three months and adults will both be able to learn to swim at a special new swim school opening this month.

The reasons why many adults don’t have basic swim skills are varied but the danger is certainly there, with Royal Life Saving Australia research showing one in four adults are unable to swim well. The most recent 2022 Royal Life Saving National Drowning Report also showed the 25 – 34 and 35 – 44 age brackets are now among the most common for drownings with significant increases compared to the ten-year average.

Much like lessons for children, the adult program aims to introduce adults to the water in a safe and gradual way with small class sizes.

The owner of JUMP! Swim Schools Melton South, Paul Nemer, said offering classes to adults made sense and he was very excited about bringing this special service to the local community.

“I am excited about offering adult swim lessons as well as our kids’ lessons,” said Paul, who has also runs Genesis Health + Fitness Melton for the past seven years.

“I know it can be very daunting for adults who have not learned to swim to take the first steps, especially in large and busy public pool environments. We will provide a comfortable and safe environment for adults and show that learning to swim doesn’t have an age barrier.

“It made sense to extend our program to adults – we have the boutique facilities and the highly skilled teachers to be able to help – and so we are.”

Paul said he was also very motivated to ensure local children were ready to tackle any dangerous situation in the water.

“The number of kids we lose each year to drowning is still far too many,” said Paul.

“I have two daughters, aged 6 and 4, and swim safety is a big driver for opening JUMP! Swim Melton South. It is a fear that I have always had since being a dad. You always hear about incidents occurring on the news, whether it’s at a pool or beach.

“I want to ensure I give children the best opportunity to deal with any dangerous situation in the water and give parents and guardians that peace of mind.

“I’m looking forward to welcoming new members from the local community and my two daughters will also take classes at the centre.” For more information visit: https://jumpswimschools.com.au