Preparatory exercises
Jumping jack diving
The child starts at the edge of the pool with ten jumping jacks, then jumps headfirst into the water and tries to dive as far as possible. Diving rings can also be collected as motivation. In the last part of the water safety check, the child has to dive after swimming 50 meters when the pulse is already elevated. This exercise is used to train diving with an elevated heart rate.
Practicing turns on the water surface
The child approaches the pool edge with alternating legs and arms at the sides, turns as quickly as possible at the wall and pushes off again. Specific wall turns such as the roll and tilt turn are taught in later courses — here only the introduction matters, though a strong push-off is recommended.
Holding breath
The child holds a pool noodle or kickboard on the water with one hand and joins a diving competition: at your signal, they submerge until you remove the noodle. Start with two seconds and gradually increase. This fun exercise builds small successes and the ability to stay underwater longer — important for the core exercise airplane, which requires holding the breath for at least five seconds.
Common mistakes
Turned too early
Some children struggle to accurately judge distances underwater, whether they are wearing goggles or not. This often causes them to turn too early, preventing them from effectively pushing off the wall. To address this, children are encouraged to touch the pool wall with their hands first before initiating the turn.
