General FAQs
What if I cannot attend my regular lesson, is there any make-up lesson?
Regular lessons are crucial in baby’s and toddler’s swimming development. We want to set a routine as much as possible, so that your child can progress effectively.
For Classes Conducted at Happy Fish Pools
1. Each term includes 4 make-up credits. Make-up credits cannot be carried forward.
2. In the case if the child is unwell, please notify the school at least 2 hours in advance if your child is on MC. Failing to meet the 2 hour’s advance notice, the lesson will be charged and no request of make-up lesson will be entertained.
3. Strictly no rescheduling of make-up lesson is allowed. If you have confirmed a make-up slot, the make-up credit is considered utilized.
For Adults / Ladies / Seniors Group Classes
There is no make-up lesson under these programs. You are entitled to 4 self-practice sessions (on weekdays) at any of our locations.
For Classes Conduct at Public Pools
There is no make-up lesson for group classes. For private lesson, you can work with your instructor to reschedule. However, you will need to complete the 4 lessons in 6 weeks.
How much are your fees?
Kindly find our rates listed here: https://www.swimminglessons.com.sg/rates.htm .
What is the wet weather plan at Happy Fish Swim School?
Weather is unpredictable and there are periods where there is more rain. Group lessons at our indoor pools will be as per normal. Lessons at Jurong East outdoor pool will be shifted into the indoor pools if there is availability on a case-by-case basis. Otherwise, land drill and theory lessons will be conducted under sheltered areas.
For private lessons, If the weather is unfavourable, please contact the coach 2 hours in advance to reschedule (subjected to coach’s availability). Failing to meet the 2 hour’s advance notice, the lesson will be charged.
How do students benefit from land drills?
Land drills reduce resistance for performing the movements and can facilitate the learning of each stroke since water is denser than air. As skills develop, learners can practice the same movements in the water, thereby increasing the likelihood of successful performance, with precision in their strokes. Land drills consist of various activities such as crunches and planks to help build strength and endurance. We also conduct resistance training to help children gain muscles and improve stamina for swimming. This is an effective way and thus multiple swim schools do and continue to carry out land drills during normal lessons as well as in wet weather plans.
Can I indicate preference over a male or female swimming instructor?
Yes you can. We also have Ladies Programme catered for ladies only. The instructor will also be female. Additional details can be found here – Lady Swimming Lessons.
What is the maximum size of your group lesson?
Our group classes under the Infant / Toddler Program host up to 6 pax per class; whereas our group classes under the Kids / Adults Program host up to 6 pax per class in Happy Fish indoor pools, or 10 pax in public swimming complexes. However, for Kids program, the class size can go up to 8-10 pax for intermediate level and above.
What do I need to bring for my swimming lesson?
You need to have your own swim gear, goggles and float board for the first lesson. Your swimming instructor may advise you to buy other equipment if needed.
What if my child cries during the swimming lesson?
What will happen after my first term?
In your first term, you can achieve the beginner’s level where you learn the fundamentals of swimming. You can choose to progress up to the advance level of each syllabus and eventually become a confident swimmer.
How long will it take for my child or myself to learn how to swim?
The process of learning how to swim varies for individuals. Everyone is unique but it usually an average of 3-4 months to gain basic swimming skills. For individual who needs extra time to be comfortable in water, the process may take longer. Enjoy the learning process with us and you will definitely master swimming and loving it.
Why is the class duration shorter for infant or young toddler class?
What if my coach is absent?
If the coach is on leave or sick, we will send a relief coach as a potential replacement for that class. In the event that no relief coach is available, the lesson will be cancelled by the school at no charge.
Can foreigners/tourists enrol in your classes?
Of course, we welcome everyone as long as you can attend our classes. Speak to our crew and we will glad to advise.
Can I have lesson twice a week?
Yes, if you sign up for a private lesson so that the progression can advance more efficiently. A private lesson is more targeted and caters to your learning pace.
Unfortunately having lessons twice a week is not possible in group classes. The progression of each class differs and most parents are not to commit. You can consider having a lesson once a week and a self-practice session to be more effective.
Do you teach Swimsafer syllabus in your lessons?
We have integrated Swimsafer 2.0 syllabus into our curriculum. Once children are able to swim comfortably for 25m, we will teach them the survival strokes and skills of the Swimsafer syllabus. We will also organise a swimsafer test at our venue once a month.
Does poop incident happen often?
We have seen a significant drop in poop accidents since we introduced only two approved brands of swim diapers.
We are thankful for the parent’s cooperation in putting on the right size and adhere to the two approved brands. For the children’s well-being, we target zero poop accidents.
Can you guarantee result?
It varies for every child, but yes your child will eventually become a confident swimmer.
How much does videography cost?
1-Minute Milestone Videography: S$195 (incl. of GST)
Featured Videography: S$595 (incl. of GST)
Cinematic Story Videography: S$3,995 (incl. of GST)
*To make it more accessible and capture the memories of your child in their swim journey, we also offer 1 min milestone as a bonus for students in the new scheme with perfect (100%) attendance in their group lessons. Private students are not eligible as they have the flexibility of re-scheduling their lessons with 2 hours advance notice and completing within 6 weeks.
You may visit this link https://happyfish.sg/mementoes.htm for more information.
How deep is the pool?
Bedok indoor pool: 0.9m
Jurong, Bukit Timah, Horsecity, WWW indoor pools: 1.2m
Jurong outdoor shaded pool: 1.4m
How do I clean my baby’s ears after swimming?
Use a soft towel to clean your child’s ears canal and dry it well. Don’t use cotton swabs in the ears. The remaining will dry up after a while.
How often do you change the pool water?
We drain part of the water every week. We also schedule for regular total drainage once in a while. Besides that, we are using high-quality filtration and sanitisation systems to treat the pool water.
Is there chlorine in the pool?
Yes, all swimming pools in Singapore is compulsory to use chlorine. Instead of using the traditional dosing method, the chlorine in our pool is generated through an electrolysis process and it is kept minimal and consistent throughout the day. We also design our pool to have a very high flow rate to keep the water fresh, filtered and sanitised by our UV system.
My child is toilet trained. Why does he have to wear swim diaper?
Children will need to hold their breath and utilise multiple muscles when they are swimming.
They may not be able to control or communicate the need to go washroom in time during the lesson.
Why do I have to wear Happy Fish T-shirt, a rashguard or short sleeve swim top?
During our lessons, we place great emphasis on independence. Instead of holding our child, we encourage the child to hold on to us. So wearing a loose t-shirt will help. We will provide you with a T-shirt (for group class only), alternatively, you can wear any short sleeve swim top or rashguard.
No other T-shirts is permitted. We seek your understanding that this is to resolve fabric discolouration and cotton fibres shedding issues.
How can I help my child to overcome learning plateau?
When the child becomes individualistic (1.5 to 3 years old), they don’t wish to be submerged forcefully. We observe that it will usually last for a few weeks to a few months. We have to be patient at this stage.
Try to target small improvements and not a huge change in progression. They can surprise you by suddenly zooming past their peers in terms of progress when they are ready.
You may want to consider doing private lessons for 1 to 2 months so that we can customise the lessons to suit the child better.
Do I need a ticket to enter Happy Fish Wild Wild Wet?
Students who registered their lesson at our Wild Wild Wet branch will enjoy a renewable complimentary season pass for 4 months. The accompanying parents will tag along with the season pass.
Trial Class: No entrance ticket is required. Customers have to sign in at the customer service counter and leave within 90 minutes upon sign-in. Failing this, a fee will be imposed.
What is a suitable age to start my child for swimming lesson?
Children can start learning swimming at any age, but the best would be when they are as young as 4 months old. This is because younger children tend to be like a clean slate and pick up new skills and techniques very fast. With the combination of swimming techniques and their growth, we noticed that these younger ones perform better as compared to their peers when exposed to early childhood swimming.
One of our key concern is the child developing fears of water when influenced by stories or social media.
What is the different age groups for your swimming lessons?
Children below 2 years old would be under our Infants’ Syllabus and children above 2 to under 5 are in our Toddlers’ Syllabus. Both the Infants’ and Toddlers’ Programmes require parent’s accompaniment. Children above 5 years old are in our Kids’ Syllabus which in non-parent accompaniment.
Can I request to have my 12 month old infant to attend lesson with my 3 year old toddler together?
As they are in different age groups, they will be in different syllabus and classes. The School will try to arrange a back to back classes to facilitate your logistics.
Does a potty trained child still need to wear swim diapers?
We only allowed Snuglyfit and iPlay brands. Please refer to https://happyfish.sg/diaper/
Swimming is an activity that utilises multiple muscles while holding their breath underwater. In the process of swimming and kicking, a child (including the older toddlers) may not have proper control over themselves with the simultaneous actions. Therefore, to prevent unnecessary accidents, children below 5 years old are required to wear the approved swim diaper. Failure which, the School reserves the right to deny entry to customers. In the event in the pool and an accident happens, the parent is required to bear the cost of cleaning.
Is there any trial class available?
Yes, we conduct group trial classes at $55 (before GST) per infant or toddler. A private trial will be at $65 (before GST) and both fees include an approved swim diaper. We understand that it is only a trial, but we seek your kind understanding that many leakages and seepages come from the child’s first swim in a new environment.
What do babies and toddlers learn during classes?
Stage 1: Water Familiarisation | Stage 2: Breath Control | Stage 3: Submersion |
Infants will learn how to explore in and around the water safely. | Infants will learn how to hold their breath when verbal and kinesthetic trigger is given. | Infants will develop confidence in submerging and gliding in the water. |
Stage 4: Free Floating | Stage 5: Propulsion | Stage 6: Independency and Safety Skills |
Infants will learn how to float without assistance to the ledge of pools or between adults. | Infants will learn basic hand pulling and leg kicking action to move around in the water. | Infants will learn how to turn and swim back to the ledge when they fall into the water and get themselves up to safety. |
Does the parent need to accompany?
Infant & Toddler
Yes, our Infants / Toddlers Programmes are parent-accompanied classes. We encourage both parents to be involved in the child’s learning. Parents are the best teachers and you will learn how to teach your child. By doing so, you can practise at your own time. *Note that only one accompanying adult this period in view of Covid-19.
Kid
There is no need for parents to be in the pool with the child. They can observe the class near the pool. *Note that no adult is allowed to observe at the pool deck at some branches in view of Covid-19.
How do you keep your pools clean?
We fully utilise a combination of salt chlorinator and UV to disinfect our pools throughout the day. In addition to manual and regular cleaning of filters, we also deploy cleaning robots to maintain the overall cleanliness of the pool every day.
Besides that, we have to submit the water to NEA for Sample Test. This monthly sampling programme is to ensure that the water quality meets the physical, chemical and bacteriological standards of NEA regulations.
Where are your classes held at?
We conduct our infants and toddlers classes at the following indoor / shaded heated swimming pools:
- 1 Pasir Ris Close (Wild Wild Wet)
- 750 Chai Chee Road (Viva Business Park)
- 2 Jurong Gateway Road (Opposite IMM)
- 100 Turf Club Road @ Horsecity (Near to Sixth Ave MRT)
- 8 Duke’s Road (Near to Botanic Garden MRT)
How close to the lesson should I not feed my child?
It is recommended to eat at least an hour before the lesson so that proper digestion can take place and will not affect your child’s swimming performance.
Are googles compulsory?
To be as prepared for real-life situations, especially emergencies, we will not encourage goggles if your child is comfortable with opening his/her eyes in the water.
But if the child is uncomfortable and refuse to open his/her eyes in water, we encourage the use of goggles to explore and be comfortable first.
My child has asthma, can he/she learn swimming?
Yes, they can definitely learn how to swim. In fact, the breathing of warm, moist air (instead of cold, dry air) may actually help reduce the risk of asthmatic attacks.
However, it is always better to get your doctor’s opinion on this.
Can you guarantee result?
We have conducted classes for more than 5000 infants and toddlers. The success rate is 100%. It is just the matter of time. Children who are not comfortable in the water will take a longer time.
I cannot find my question or answer, what can I do?
Please email your enquiries to [email protected] and we will be in touch with you soon. Alternatively, you can give us a call at 6589 8650, Mondays-Sundays, 9am-6pm. You can choose to live chat via our social media during the working hours as well.