Bay Area dive shop offering swim lessons for babies

Teaching babies to swim can be critical

FOX 13 photojournalist Jason Wright takes us to a Bay Area swim school, where the youngest students are babies.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - At Mac’s Sports in Clearwater, children as young as 6 months are learning to swim – lessons that can be lifesaving.

"You’re learning how to act around the water, how it moves you and how it feels around you," said Meroula Grindey, the head of swim at Mac’s Sports.

Kids at a younger age absorb more information, and that’s why it’s so important to teach them the proper techniques.

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"Whether it's two times a week or more, definitely after a few weeks, you'll definitely start to see that they put things together and they know what you're talking about," Grindey said.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, drowning is the leading cause of death in early childhood. Experts recommend parents get their infants used to being in the pool, something Grindey says is a primary goal at Mac's Sports.

"You're also building that strength, which is kind of crazy to think, but you're teaching them how to get out of the water. You're building that muscle, the muscle memory," Grindey said.

For more information on swim lessons for children and adults of all ages, click here.