General Guidelines

Facility Access

A University Recreation (UREC) membership is required to access University Recreation facilities. All members must present their Action Card for entry to the Welcome Desk. 

Parking

Patron parking passes are available through Transportation Services; please visit their Permit Information page for more parking information. A pay-to-park option is available at the Aquatic Center. 

Attendance, Parent Presence and Locker Rooms

Participants who are late or miss a scheduled class are not permitted to attend other classes to make-up for the missed lesson. Parents are required to remain in the pool area for the duration of each lesson. To limit the use of locker rooms we strongly encourage participants to arrive ready to swim. 

Reasonable Accommodations

Please inform University Recreation in writing of any special circumstances that require reasonable accommodation for participation in accordance with ADA. 

Cancellation of Classes

University Recreation may cancel classes due to insufficient enrollment, severe weather, or facility issues. Please note, on days of inclement weather, a water safety lesson will take place inside and will count as a normal lesson. If inclement weather occurs more than once per session, classes will be subject to a Friday make-up, at the regular class time. There is a 24-hour cancellation policy for private swim lessons. If notification is not received 24 hours in advance, you will forfeit your scheduled class time. If you need to cancel a private lesson, email Aquatic Programs at urecswim@ua.edu or call 205-348-0217. 

Withdrawal from Class/Refund

A written request must be submitted at least one week prior to the program start date. Payments made via credit card will be credited back to that card. 

Policy Exceptions

These policies may not provide guidance for every possible situation. University Recreation reserves the right to make changes and exceptions to program policies when warranted. 

Location

Swim lessons will take place at the Aquatic Center Outdoor Pool.

Questions

For questions regarding Bama Swim School, please email urecswim@ua.edu . 

For questions regarding UREC memberships please contact Membership Services at memberpa@ua.edu or call 205-348-5140.

Skill Level Benchmarks Guide

The Learn-to-Swim Program provides an increased emphasis in the areas of drowning prevention and water safety and an inclusive approach to swimming and water safety. Please review the following benchmarks guide carefully to predict the participant’s skill level placement. 

Basic Swim Levels 1 through 3

These levels are for students aged 3 years and older. Participants are engaged in activities that promote learning personal water safety and basic water competencies such as entering and exiting the pool independently, rolling from face-down to face-up, using combined arm and leg movements to reach pool side. 

Swim Stroke Levels 4 through 6

These levels are for students aged 6 years and older. After mastering the fundamentals, participants build upon previously learned skills by engaging in activities to promote learning additional water safety skills, improve stroke technique, and develop skills that increase well-being, and foster a lifetime of physical activity.