swim safari jacksonville florida

COVID-19: Things To Do, Virtual Classes, and Resources to Stay Safe and Informed

• Advertise with Us

• School & Activities

Permalink: https://www.jax4kids.com/school-activities/view/swimming-safari-swim-school1

• Charter Schools
• Magnet Schools
• Private Schools
• Public Schools
• Home School
• Fundraising
• Learn on the Web
• Educational Resources
• Arts & Crafts
• Animal Encounters
• Health & Safety
• Just for Fun
• History, Cultural & Civics
• Outdoors & Nature
• College Prep
• Swimming Classes
• Acting & Modeling
• After School
• Baby & Child Development
• Babysitting
• Culinary Arts
• Health & Fitness
• Horseback Riding
• Voice & Chorus
• Parent & Me
• Baseball & T-Ball
• Cheerleading
• Football & Flag Football
• Martial Arts
• Special Needs Sports
• Track & Field
• Water Sports
• Clay County
• Downtown/San Marco
• Intracoastal
• Riverside/Ortega
• St. Augustine
• South Georgia

Swimming Safari Swim School

Short description.

At Swimming Safari, they welcome all students from babies at least 6 months old to adults! Their heated indoor saltwater pool makes it ideal for swimming year round.

Tags & Categories

• Infants & Toddlers 0-5
• Elementary 5-10
• Tweens 10-13

Full Description

At Swimming Safari they use specialized teaching techniques, with a strong emphasis on safety, to help each child learn how to swim and respect the water through fun rather than fear. 

Each instructor is trained for over 30 hours in and out of the water, including written exams, in-pool exams, and is American Red Cross CPR and First Aid certified. Class sizes are limited to three to four students(depending on the age) per instructor to help ensure that each child is getting the individual attention needed whether they are just learning to love the water or getting ready for swim team.

At Swimming Safari, they welcome all students from babies at least 6 months old to adults! The heated indoor saltwater pool makes it ideal for swimming year round. 

4775 Windsor Commons Court Jacksonville, FL 32224

Contact Info

904-260-1836

www.swimmingsafari.com

Creeks Outlaws Football & Cheer

‘not your typical’ performing arts summer series, creative craft lounge summer camp.

• Amusement & Water Parks
• Farmers & Arts Markets
• Indoor Play
• Kids Eat Free
• Nature & Outdoors
• Ongoing Events
• Spring Camps
• Summer Camps
• Winter Camps
• Things to Do
• This Month's Events
• Today's Events
• Explore All Categories

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

• Take Our Level Quiz
• Baby Swim Lessons
• Toddler Swim Lessons
• Kids Swim Lessons
• Adult (13+) Swim Lessons
• Special Abilities Program
• Private Swim Lessons
• Class Schedule
• Homework Tips
• Parent Account Login
• Request Make-Up
• Request Cancellation
• Our Facility
• Why Choose Swimming Safari
• The Swimming Safari Difference
• Our Instructors
• History & Press
• We're Hiring!
• New Families
• Hope Floats Partnership

Private Swimming Lessons

Private lessons (2-12 years old).

At Swimming Safari, we believe in offering lesson options that cater to the unique needs of every swimmer. Our private lessons deliver the same comprehensive curriculum found in our group classes but in a more personalized setting. Private classes can be designed for swimmers ages 2 years and up and are for all different skill levels.

Benefits of Private Lessons:

• One-on-One Attention: Each private lesson consists of one instructor and one student, ensuring dedicated, individualized attention.
• Customized Drills: Our instructors tailor drills to match the skill level of your child, optimizing their learning experience.
• Personalized Learning Environment: Discipline challenges can be customized to meet your child’s specific requirements, creating an ideal learning environment.
• Personal Goals: Private lessons can align with the personal goals of both your child and you, whether it’s water orientation, safety skills, or competition swimming proficiency.

Program Details:

• Class Length: 20 minutes
• Pricing: 1x per week: $211.00 per month, 2x per week: $422.00 per month
• Makeup Lessons: Makeup lessons will be provided in a group class due to the limited number of private lessons. For more details on our makeup policy, please refer to our FAQ page.

Ready to Enroll?

View our Private Class Schedule and reserve your spot today.

Would your child benefit from working with one of our Special Abilities-trained teachers? Check out our Excellent Elephants Private Classes .

Have More Questions?

Visit our contact us page and a Safari Guide will be happy to help.

All instructors were absolutely fantastic. Ryan

• 904-775-9400
• Parent Portal Login
• [email protected]
• Parent Portal

• BIRTHDAY PARTY
• Swim Programs
• Parent & Baby Classes
• Special Needs
• Jump-Start Swim Clinics
• Summer Camps
• St. Johns Bluff
• St. Augustine
• Orange City
• Fleming Island
• Ponte Vedra
• LA Fitness – Colonial
• LA Fitness – Metro West

Swim Lessons in Northeast Florida Led by a two-time Olympian

AQUAfin Swim School is Northeast Florida’s premier choice for swimming lessons for all ages. At AQUAfin Swim School, you get more than “just” swim lessons, you become a part of the AQUAfin family. We provide you with many options to ensure that your needs are met; whether is it private swim lessons, adult swimming lessons, or child, toddler, and infant swim lessons. Continue reading to see why AQUAfin Swim School is the top choice for all your swim needs.

Trained Swim Instructors

Your child's teacher will have gone through 40 hours of in-house training. Our proven curriculum revolves around your child's skill level and advancing them based on progress.

Flexible Scheduling

We're open 7 days a week with all classes for all levels happening every 30 minutes. Even if your children are in different levels, we work with your schedule to optimize when they are in the water!

Fun Facilities

It's been proven that more learning happens in a fun environment. From our brightly-colored facilities, playful curriculum and energetic staff, we make sure the environment is comfortable and positive!

Why AQUAfin?

Teaching all levels and ages starting at 2 months old!

Year-round swim lessons, heated indoor pools & state of the art filtration systems, our highly decorated staff has experience up to the olympic level, 8 level progression based curriculum, we offer group lessons, private lessons, baby lessons and adults.

we love them

What our members are saying.

Sign up for a FREE assessment and we’ll place them for you!

Northeast Florida’s premier swim school dedicated to sharing our knowledge and passion for swimming. We emphasize safety and fun while providing a WOW experience for our members.

• Swim Program
• 2024 Calendar
• Birthday Parties
• Summer Camp 2024
• Our Policies
• Make Up Form
• Become a Franchisee!
• Diaper Policy

2024 UF Athletic Hall of Fame Class includes former Florida football, Florida basketball greats

Former Florida basketball point guard and SEC Player of the Year Scottie Wilbekin and former national championship winning Florida Gators soccer coach Becky Burleigh are among inductees for this year's 2024 UF Athletic Hall of Fame class.

The F Club and Gator Boosters announced the inductees on Wednesday, which include eight Gator Greats and one Honorary Letterwinner.

Gator Greats are Letterwinners who brought recognition and prominence to the UF and themselves by their athletic accomplishments as a student-athlete. Honorary Letterwinners are coaches or athletic officials (after retirement) who were not letterwinners at UF yet rendered outstanding service to the program through personal time, effort, interest and through many years of continued service.

In addition to Wilbekin and Burleigh, the other inductees include former Florida softball standouts Francesca Enea and Hannah Rogers, former Florida baseball standout Preston Tucker, former Florida football punter Chas Henry, former Florida women's swimming standout Elizabeth Beisel, former men's swimming standout Marcin Cieslack and former women's track and field standout Genevieve LeCaze.

The Hall of Fame Banquet will occur at the F Club on Friday, Oct. 18, prior to UF's homecoming football game against Kentucky.

Here's more information on each of the inductees:

Scottie Wilbekin, Florida basketball, 2010-14

Wilbekin earned SEC Player of the Year, SEC Tournament MVP and NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player in 2013-14, helping lead Florida to a 36-3 record and its fifth Final Four appearance in school history. He's the only Florida basketball to win all three awards in the same season.

After playing high school basketball at the Rock School in Gainesville, Wilbekin enrolled at UF early as a 17-year-old in 2010. He became UF's starting point as a junior during the 2012-13 season and totaled 953 points over his UF career.

As a senior, Wilbekin averaged a career-best 13.1 points per game, including a 15.3 scoring average on .444 3-point shooting over the UF's seven postseason wins in 2014. He's currently playing pro basketball overseas in Turkey.

Becky Burleigh, Florida women's soccer, 1995-2021

Burleigh led Florida women's soccer to 22 NCAA Tournament trips in 26 season and in 1998 led the Gators to a national title. The 1998 team featured Danielle Fotopoulos, Heather Mitts and future U.S. women's team soccer star Abby Wambach, who was just a freshman at the time.

Under Burleigh, Florida also won 14 SEC titles and 12 SEC Tournament titles.

Chas Henry, Florida football, 2007-10

Henry was UF's starting punter for all four of his seasons, including on Florida's BCS national title team in 2008. In 2010, Henry earned the Ray Guy Award, given to college football's best punter. He set a UF single-season record at the time of 45.1 yards per punt in 2010, with 16 of his 50 punts going 50 yards or longer.

After Florida, Henry punted for one season in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles, averaging 44 yards per punt.

Preston Tucker, Florida baseball, 2009-12

Tucker, an outfielder/first baseman, owns Florida baseball records for hits (341), at bats (1,035), doubles (70), RBI (258) and total bases (596).

Florida baseball advanced to the College World Series in each of Tucker's final three seasons (2010-12) and won two SEC championships (2010, 2011) with Tucker in the lineup. After Florida, Tucker was drafted in the seventh round of the MLB Draft and appeared in parts of three MLB seasons with the Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds. He's posted 23 career home runs and 38 doubles in 243 big-league games.

Hannah Rogers, Florida Softball, 2011-14

Rogers was a legend in the circle for the Florida softball program as she was the first four-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American pitcher in program history.

She holds UF's single season record for saves (5) and finished inside the Top 10 in in 13 different categories. In the career categories she finished in the Top 10 in 13 different spaces and in the Top 5 in opponent batting average (.198 – 5th), walks allowed per seven innings (2.08 – 5th), wins (127 – 2nd), win percentage (.804 – 5th), save (14 – 2nd), appearances (191 – 2nd), starts (146 - 2nd), innings pitched (988.0 – 2nd) and strikeouts (833 – 2nd).

Rogers was part of Florida softball teams that reached the Women's College World Series in 2011 and 2013 and won the school's first national title in 2014.

Francesca Enea, Florida Softball, 2007-10

 Enea was tabbed a three-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American in 2008, 2009 and 2010 in addition to being a two-time All-SEC selection in 2009 and 2010.

A slugging outfielder, Enea also was a two-time All-SEC selection in 2009 and 2010. She holds UF records for career home runs (61), career RBIs (221), single season home runs (20), single-season RBIs (70), single-season sac flies (6-tied) and single-season hit by pitch (15).

With Enea in the lineup, Florida softball reached the Women's College World Series in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Elizabeth Beisel, Florida Women's Swimming, 2010-14

Beisel claimed nine SEC Championships from 2011-14 in events such as the 200 IM, 400 IM and 200 back on top of a 2012 NCAA Championship in the 200 Back and a 2013 NCAA Championship in the 400 IM. Her remarkable performances led to 20 All-SEC selections and 18 All-American selections.

Marcin Cieslak, Florida Men's Swimming, 2011-14

Cieslak, a native of Poland, earned 23 All-SEC selections on top of 25 All-American selections.

Competing in the 200 & 400 Medley Relay, 100 fly, 200 fly, 200 IM, and 200 Free, Cieslak won nine separate SEC championships. In 2014, he won NCAA Championships in the 200 IM and 100 fly.

Genevieve LaCaze, Florida Women's Track and Field, 2008-12

Florida's school record holder in the 3000-meter Steeplechase, LeCave enjoyed an outstanding career At UF. She became the first Gator to ever break the ten-minute mark in the Steeplechase when she recorded a time of 9:50.25 at the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

LeCave was a was a three-time SEC Outdoor Champion and one time and one time NCAA Runner-Up in the Steeplechase and excelled in other events as well. As a senior, she became the first women in SEC history to sweep the 1500-meter, 3000-meter and 5000-meter events at the SEC Outdoor Championships.

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

• Take Our Level Quiz
• Baby Swim Lessons
• Toddler Swim Lessons
• Kids Swim Lessons
• Adult (13+) Swim Lessons
• Special Abilities Program
• Private Swim Lessons
• Class Schedule
• Homework Tips
• Parent Account Login
• Request Make-Up
• Request Cancellation
• Our Facility
• Why Choose Swimming Safari
• The Swimming Safari Difference
• Our Instructors
• History & Press
• We're Hiring!
• New Families
• Hope Floats Partnership

Year Round Indoor Flying Lions Swim Team

Our Team’s Mission: To share our knowledge and passion for swimming, by empowering safety, fun, and proper technique to all our team members to achieve their full potential through encouraging excellence.

Our Practices: Designed to increase our swimmers’ endurance, and improve their strokes and times through an introduction to various drills.

Click HERE for information on our outdoor competitive summer swim team.

Flat rate pricing every month

• 1x per week: $106 per month
• 2x per week: $212 per month

Registration Fee:

• 1 swimmer: $70
• 2+ swimmers: $125

Includes team t-shirt, cap, entry into swim meets awards, and ribbons. **Once the swim team registration fee is paid, families will not be required to pay additional registration for our lessons, should they have another child enrolled.***

Practice Times (45 minutes):

Several times are available throughout the week. Click here for an up-to-date list.

Age Range: 5 yrs to 14 yrs old.

Requirements to Join:

Swimmers must demonstrate proficiency with all four competitive strokes and complete the following workout prior to joining the team. If your swimmer is not yet able to meet these requirements check the Terrific Tigers and Amazing Alligators section of our classes page . These levels are designed to teach the strokes and prepare students for the swim team.

Required Workout:

• 150 yards Freestyle
• 100 yards Backstroke
• 100 yards Breaststroke
• 50 yards Butterfly

Swim Meets:

A few times a year we host swim meets so that all the members of our team can get together and show off what they have learned. Keeping with the lighthearted competitive spirit of our team, our meets are designed so that swimmers will be competing to improve their own personal best times, rather than against other teams or swimmers.

2024 Tentative Meet Schedule:

Spring Semester Meet: March 3rd and 4th

Summer Semester Meet: July 21st and 22nd

Fall Semester Meet: December 8th and 9th

* Swim Meets take place over a weekend. The specific day your swimmer will compete is based on their age group. Several announcements on a specific meets schedule starting 1 month prior to the meet.

Competition Rules (click to download)

These rules are intended to be used as a general guide. The more complicated aspects (backstroke turns, flip turns, and pull-outs) are covered by the coaches but not required during swim meets. SSSS coaches are lenient with our newer swimmers, especially during swim meets yet continue to impress the importance of competition rules.

During a swim meet and at the coach’s discretion, a 5-second penalty per 25 yards may be applied to a swimmer’s time if a significant advantage was made by the continued use of the incorrect stroke or kick. Examples: Dolphin kick used during a breaststroke race. Flutter kicks used during a breaststroke or butterfly race.

How to Sign Up:

Sign-up can be done either in person or by contacting our office (904-260-1836). For students new to our program, we may require them to complete a free evaluation class prior to signing up.

Coming from a mom, pediatric nurse, and budget conscience family, Swimming Safari lessons are fun, affordable, and empowering! I like being in the pool with my little one at this age learning techniques that I can do on my own time to reinforce the classes. It is an awesome alternative to some of the other more expensive. Cora

Enroll Today!

What is sargassum and will blobs be on Florida beaches in 2024?

While it's finally the time of year of spontaneous and relaxing beach trips for Floridians, it's also the time of year when heavy blankets of smelly seaweed coats our coasts.

Sargassum, a naturally occurring type of macroalgae, is predicted to head to our shorelines in the coming weeks, according to the University of South Florida .

What is sargassum?

According to Ocean Explorer , sargassum seaweed is a brown macroalgae that is made up of many leafy appendages, branches, and round, berry-like structures. It can be found floating on the ocean surface and consists primarily of two species, S. natans and S. fluitans.

"Floating clumps, patches, large rafts, and weedlines of sargassum can be found in the upper parts of the water column. Sometimes these rafts can stretch for miles across the ocean," the description notes. "This floating habitat can provide food, refuge, and breeding grounds for an array of animals such as fishes, sea turtles, marine birds, crabs, shrimp, and more."

Sargassum season hits its peak from April to August, during the warm months. 

Look back at the sargassum blob in 2023

Many might remember headlines this time a year ago about the 5,000-mile swath of sargassum along Florida's beaches. It weighed in at an estimated 13 million tons.

Past USA Today reports said the algal blooms are linked to human activities , such as lawn fertilizers, wastewater and agricultural runoff, that increasingly send pollutants into rivers, lakes and oceans. 

In addition to the unsightly piles of seaweed along the coast, some species produced toxins that affected the food chain and depleted the oxygen in the water when they started to decay, causing fish kills and the die-off of other marine species.

Is sargassum harmful to humans?

In the water, sargassum is considered harmless to people.

On land, sargassum begins to rot and produces  hydrogen sulfide and ammonia , which smells similar to rotten eggs. It can irritate eyes, ears, and noses. People with asthma or other breathing illnesses may have trouble breathing if they inhale too much of it. In open areas like beaches, however, moving air usually dilutes the gas to non-harmful levels.

The seaweed can also host tiny sea creatures that can cause skin rashes and blisters, according to the Florida Department of Health.

Can you swim in water with sargassum?

If you don't have any open wounds, you should be OK to swim in waters with sargassum. However, it is still recommended by FDOH to avoid touching or swimming near it.

Will there be seaweed on Florida beaches for summer 2024?

The  University of South Florida  monitors, researches and forecasts sargassum blooms to eventually be able to predict when it might pile up on beaches.

In their latest report on April , experts said there is an average abundance of sargassum expected to increase to a total of 9 million metric tons in the Atlantic. They expect continued growth over the next few months as the primary sargassum bloom in the interior Central Atlantic continues to expand.

The swath of seaweed reached a record size in December,  coming to an estimated 5 million metric tons compared to a long-term December average of about 2 million metric tons.

Florida Algal Bloom Map: Last 90 Days

To check the water quality and algae blooms near you, click here to see USA Today's database.

Will there be red tide in Florida during summer?

Karenia brevis is a naturally occurring, single-celled organism belonging to a group of algae called dinoflagellates. Large concentrations can discolor water from red to brown, causing blooms to be called "red tides."

According to USA Today's database,  red tide has not been detected in Florida  as of April 15.