SwimStage 2 of 6
Stage 2
Fundamental Water Skills
What this stage is for
General skill development: unassisted step entry, sculling, feet-first surface dives, and water safety in different aquatic environments. The headline goal is 25 metres of continuous swimming.
What parents should know
Stage 2 is where distance arrives. The 25m swim is the part children most often are not ready for — roughly one length of a standard pool, and it must be unbroken. Style does not matter here; stopping does.
Everything the assessor marks
The assessment splits into blocks, and the goggles rule differs between them. This is the order it is worked through.
Swim
✓ Goggles allowedGoggles allowed.
- Swim 25m on the front (alternating or simultaneous arms and legs)
- Swim 15m on the back (alternating or simultaneous arms and legs)
Survival Sequence 2A
✕ No gogglesNo goggles.
- Enter the water with a step-in entry
- Front float for 10 seconds
- Swim 5m on the front, roll over
- Back float for 10 seconds
- Swim 5m on the back
- Scull, float or tread water for 30 seconds
- Recover an object in chest-deep water
- Resurface and exit safely
Survival Sequence 2B
✕ No gogglesNo goggles. In swimwear, shorts and t-shirt.
- Swim 15m using any survival stroke, face clear of the water, and exit safely
- Fit a life jacket correctly, jump into water at least 1.4m deep, swim 25m with it, climb out
On the day
| What to wear | Swimwear, plus shorts and t-shirt for Sequence 2B. |
|---|---|
| Goggles | Allowed for the swim. Not allowed for either survival sequence. |
| Pool required | 25m — 1m deep in a teaching pool, 1.4m in a competition pool. |
| Students per assessor | 15 students per assessor. |
The one I see catch students out
The 25m front swim in one piece. Goggles are allowed here, so this one is purely about stamina and pacing — children who can do 25m only with a rest halfway are not ready.
How long does this stage take?
Most students spend 2 to 6 months at this stage on standard weekly lessons of 45 to 60 minutes — roughly 12 to 16 hours of pool time.
Treat that as a range, not a schedule. Water confidence, attendance and coordination move it a long way in both directions, and there is no advantage in pushing a child into an assessment early to hit an average.