Will the SWIMTRAINER "Classic" help my baby learn to swim?

The SWIMTRAINER "Classic" flotation aid is designed by a swim instructor to help your baby practice their swimming strokes. It places children in the correct, horizontal, position for learning to swim, helping you to teach baby to swim yourself, or practice what you learn in swimming lessons. It is designed to work with your swimming lessons, not against them like other baby floats that encourage incorrect positioning.

The SWIMTRAINER “Classic” is designed to put children in the same position as if you were holding them and practicing their swimming (just like you do in swimming lessons). Importantly, the SWIMTRAINER “Classic” allows baby’s to be in this position from 3 months of age, encouraging a “frog kick” reflex that is typically lost to babies around 6-9 months of age. By being in the SWIMTRAINER “Classic” before to 6-9 months of age, this “frog kick” reflex (which is actually a perfect breast stroke kick) is retained, giving your child a huge head start for learning to swim.

Is the SWIMTRAINER “Classic” safe?

The SWIMTRAINER “Classic” has been on the market for nearly 20 years and is currently sold in over 50 countries worldwide. It has a unique design with multiple inflation chambers in order to maximise its stability in the water.

The SWIMTRAINER “Classic” is independently certified against Australia’s stringent safety standards. Did you know that items purchased online and shipped from overseas do not have to be Australian standards approved? We are an Australian business and all SWIMTRAINERS are shipped from within Australia, meaning we legally have to comply with Australian safety standards and our business and our SWIMTRAINERS can be checked by authorities against this standard at any time. Whatever you buy for your baby, make sure it is shipped from within Australia: this is a good indication that a business is not trying to “cut corners” by avoiding safety regulations!

The SWIMTRAINER “Classic” is a flotation aid designed to help children practice their swimming strokes by putting them in the correct (horizontal) position for swimming. It is not a lifejacket. It does not prevent drowning. Like all swimming products (rings, arm bands, kickboards, noodles, swimming jackets etc), the SWIMTRAINER “Classic” should only be used under strict supervision. When using the SWIMTRAINER “Classic”, a carer should be supervising the child and should be within arms reach at all times.

The SWIMTRAINER “Classic” is very stable in the water when all chambers are fully inflated and when the child is in the correct position (chin over the froggy logo, arms in the water in front). If you find that the SWIMTRAINER “Classic” is unstable, or subject to flipping over it is likely that your child is not positioned correctly. Children should be lying (rather than sitting) in the SWIMTRAINER “Classic” with their chin over the frog logo and their armpits (rather than their elbows) resting directly on the SWIMTRAINER “Classic”. It can take a few tries for your baby to get used to being in this position, so it is important that you offer lots of praise and encouragement while your baby becomes used to lying horizontally in the water.

What is the difference between the red and orange sizes of SWIMTRAINER ‘’Classic’’?

The SWIMTRAINER “Classic” flotation aids by FREDS SWIM ACADEMY differ in their buoyancy and overall size. The largest SWIMTRAINER “Classic” (red) is for beginner swimmers who may not know any of their swimming strokes. It is great for babies and toddlers from 6 kg up to 18kg who are nervous in the water because it will keep their faces safely away from the water while allowing them to begin learning their swimming strokes. This is also the best SWIMTRAINER “Classic” to use for older children that are using it as a therapeutic device.

The orange SWIMTRAINER “Classic” is for ages 2 to 6 years (15kg to 30kg) who already know some swimming strokes. It is a physically smaller product for children who are confident in the water and becoming proficient at their swimming strokes. 

What size SWIMTRAINER ‘’Classic’’ should I buy for my child?

be guided by your child’s weight and confidence in water when choosing the size of your SWIMTRAINER “Classic”. The red size is for children of 6kg to 18kg (typically aged 3 months to 4 years) and the orange size is for children of 15kg to 30 kg (typically aged 2 years to 6 years).

If your child’s weight fits either of two sizes then please be guided by your child’s confidence in the water. For example, if your 2 year old is 16kg and nervous in the water the red SWIMTRAINER ‘’Classic’’ would be best because the red is the most buoyant and largest aid so your child will feel more secure and will be supported higher above the water. However, if your 2 year old is a confident water lover who is familiar with their basic swimming strokes, then the orange SWIMTRAINER ‘’Classic’’ is probably best because this will place your child lower in the water and allow them to co-ordinate their arm and leg movements.

When will my order arrive?

During spring and summer we make every effort to process your order within 24 hours. All items will be processed within 72 hours of receiving the order.

Please allow 5-10 working days for standard delivery via Australia Post. Please allow extra time for delivery during busy times such as the lead-up to Christmas. Please note, that Australia Post delivery to non-capital cities (i.e. regional areas), and to Western Australia, can sometimes take much longer than the expected 5-10 days.  

We do not offer an express post option. 

What is the exchange policy on the SWIMTRAINER “Classic”?

All SWIMTRAINER “Classic” by FREDS SWIM ACADEMY are sold with a 6 month manufacturer warranty. We will happily exchange any products if they are found to be faulty. If you are concerned that your SWIMTRAINER “Classic” may be faulty, please email our friendly sales team with a description of the fault and proof of purchase at hello@SwimtrainerAustralia.com.au.

Please choose the size of SWIMTRAINER “Classic” by FREDS SWIM ACADEMY carefully because we are unable to refund SWIMTRAINER “Classic” products if you change your mind. It is our commitment to you, our customers, that we will never sell you a second-hand item due to the associated hygiene and safety concerns. For this reason, we are unable to accept returns unless the product is faulty.

Can the SWIMTRAINER “Classic” be used as a therapeutic device for children with special needs?

The SWIMTRAINER “Classic” by FREDS SWIM ACADEMY is frequently used as a therapeutic device for children with special needs and has been shown to be very successful for some children. It supports the child in the water, giving particular support to the head, while allowing for some leg movement. There is a very moving video on you tube from a mother of a child with cerebal palsy that uses the SWIMTRAINER “Classic” as a therapeutic device (https://youtu.be/ZPCEN_ac4MU).

The physical size and buoyancy of the SWIMTRAINER “Classic” decreases as the weight range of the child increases, so our red SWIMTRAINER “Classic” is physically the largest SWIMTRAINER and will give the most support for children with special needs.

I think my SWIMTRAINER is faulty. What do I do?

All SWIMTRAINER “Classic” by FREDS SWIM ACADEMY sold in Australia come with a 6 month manufacturer warranty and we will happily exchange items that are found to be faulty. However, many initial concerns are not faults but are a result of the packaging process.

The valves of the SWIMTRAINER “Classic” can become squashed during packaging resulting in either the cap not fitting properly (or not staying closed) or the value leaking air. This is generally a temporary problem that will fix itself once the product has been inflated for a few hours, as the air pressure will force the valve back into place. You can sometimes speed this process along by giving the valve a gentle massage. If this problem does not resolve itself in a few hours, please contact us to arrange a replacement SWIMTRAINER "Classic".

Due to the small volume of air in the stomach component of the SWIMTRAINER the air can escape if the valve is open and you may feel that it is difficult to inflate this chamber. This is not a design fault but is simply due to the tiny amount of air in the chamber. You can read more about this in the instruction manual.

If you believe any of the other chambers are leaking air, or if the value issue does not resolve itself quickly, please email us at hello@SwimtrainerAustralia.com.au to arrange an exchange.

 

I have found swim rings online that are shipped from overseas. Is there any risk in buying these products from overseas.

Australia has some of the most stringent safety regulations in the world. Did you know that items purchased online and shipped from overseas to your home do not legally have to comply with Australian safety regulations. We recommend caution when purchasing these items. Whatever product you decide on for your baby, make sure it is shipped from within Australia. This is a good indication that the business is not trying to “cut corners” by avoiding safety regulations.

Genuine SWIMTRAINER “Classics” by FREDS SWIM ACADEMY are sold only in red, orange and yellow colours, representing the different sizes.

All SWIMTRAINERS sold by FREDS SWIM ACADEMY Australia have been independently certified against Australian safety standards. We are an Australian business and all SWIMTRAINERS are shipped from within Australia, meaning we legally have to comply with Australian safety standards and our business and our SWIMTRAINERS can be checked by authorities against this standard at any time.