Vertical Body Wave

The child pushes off the edge and treads water vertically. On command, they switch to the body wave: legs together, movement coming only from the hips, which swing alternately forward and back while the legs follow. Arms rest at the sides and may counter slightly for stability. Hold the wave for five seconds, rest by treading water, and repeat — building up to 10 or 15 seconds. The vertical position makes the hip action intuitive and powerful, ideal for learning the body wave.