SwimStage 3 of 6
Stage 3
Personal and Stroke Development Skills
What this stage is for
Entry skills such as the stride jump, plus sculling, underwater skills and putting on a personal flotation device while in the water and swimming with it. The headline goal is 50 metres of continuous swimming.
What parents should know
Stage 3 is the first stage where named strokes are required. 25m of front crawl and 25m of backstroke, back to back, without stopping. This is also where deep water enters properly — the stride entry is done where the child cannot stand.
What changed on 1 July 2025
- The hoops are now specified as at least 1.2m deep water.
If your child was taught before July 2025, check they have actually practised these. I see students arrive at assessments having never been shown them.
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 50m continuously
✓ Goggles allowedGoggles allowed.
- 25m front crawl
- 25m backstroke
Survival Sequence 3A
✕ No gogglesNo goggles.
- In at least 1.2m deep water, enter with a stride or straddle entry
- Swim 25m survival backstroke, then 25m breaststroke
- Scull head-first on the back for 5m and recover
- Scull, float or tread for a further 50 seconds
- Swim through hoops on the pool bottom for 2m, in at least 1.2m depth revised 2025
- Resurface and exit safely
Survival Sequence 3B
✕ No gogglesNo goggles. In swimwear, shorts and t-shirt.
- Swim 25m survival backstroke or survival breaststroke to a life jacket, face clear of the water
- Fit the life jacket correctly in the water, swim 50m with it, climb out
On the day
| What to wear | Swimwear, plus shorts and t-shirt for Sequence 3B. |
|---|---|
| Goggles | Allowed for the 50m swim. Not allowed for either survival sequence. |
| Pool required | 25m, at least 1.2m deep. |
| Students per assessor | 15 students per assessor. |
The one I see catch students out
Recognisable strokes. “Something like front crawl” does not pass at Stage 3 — the assessor is marking the stroke, not just the distance.
If your child learned in a condo pool, read this
This is the first stage with a deep-water entry — the stride or straddle jump is done where the child cannot stand. Students who train in a condo pool have often never entered water over their own height, and the first time should not be at an assessment.
This is the single most common reason I see condo-pool students come unstuck from Stage 3 upwards, and it gets worse the higher the stage. It is nothing to do with how well they swim on the surface. Time in genuinely deep water, before test day, is the only fix — going down, staying down, and moving while they are under.
How long does this stage take?
Most students spend 4 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.