Find Your Child’s Starting Swim Level
Swim Level Finder
Quick guide for parents. Age first, then a few skill checks. Front desk confirms the final fit.
This is a general starting point. When you talk with us, we may suggest a different level, and that’s normal.
Not sure which Dolphin Swim Club class fits your kid yet? The Swim Level Finder walks you through a few quick questions and gives you a clear starting level you can bring to Crystal Lake or Loves Park.
It takes about 30 seconds, and the front desk still confirms the level before lessons begin.
Already know the level? Skip the quiz and call the pool you prefer.
Start the Swim Level Finder
Answer a few questions about your swimmer’s age and skills, and you’ll get a suggested starting level from our real ladder. It takes about 30 seconds, and the front desk still confirms the level before class starts.
What happens when the starting level is a guess
When the starting level is just a guess, kids often land in water that feels too hard or too easy. Too hard and they shut down. Too easy and they stall out. Parents leave the first week still wondering if they picked right, and the next call starts from zero again.
The Swim Level Finder replaces that shrug with a clear suggestion you can bring to Crystal Lake or Loves Park.
How the Swim Level Finder works
Three simple steps get you from “not sure” to a real next step at Dolphin Swim Club.
- Answer age and skill questions (mostly Yes or Not yet).
- See a suggested starting level from our ladder.
- Claim a free trial lesson, and our front desk will confirm the level with you. Already a Dolphin family? Register for the level or call the pool you prefer.
This page is for parents placing a child in Dolphin Swim Club lessons. It is not a placement tool for another school’s level names, and it is not a final in-water assessment on its own.
What the Swim Level Finder looks at
The Swim Level Finder follows the same order our instructors teach at Crystal Lake and Loves Park: age first, then skills.
- Age (Baby Swim has a hard age window; Level A opens a little earlier than Level B and up)
- Water comfort, going underwater, and goggles
- Independent streamlines and back floats with bubbles
- Freestyle arms, side breathing, backstroke, and breaststroke
- Distance and endurance as levels climb toward Level 7 - Shark and Swim Team
The first skill your child is still working on points to the suggested level. Earlier skills stay in play as they move up.
What Dolphin Swim Club levels mean
Baby Swim
All babies ages 4-24 months and their caregivers are welcome in Baby Swim classes.
Book a free Baby Swim trial. Pick your pool:
At Dolphin Swim Club, students are enrolled into classes consistent with their skills, abilities, experience, and age. Starting at age 2, our nine-level skill set allows each student to learn the following skills.
Level A - Starfish
For very beginning swimmers, who may experience separation anxiety and are not fans of having water on their face.
Level B - Seahorse
For little swimmers who are comfortable in the water, do not mind water on their face, and are ready to learn the basic skills of swimming.
Level C - Jellyfish
For swimmers who are comfortable in the water, have learned the basic skills of swimming, and can glide out to the instructor on their own.
Level 2 - Whale
For swimmers who are swimming completely on their own and ready to learn strokes such as the backstroke, freestyle, and breaststroke.
Level 3 - Dolphin
For swimmers who are familiar with the three basic strokes, can swim a half length of the pool, and need to learn stroke refinement and breathing skills.
Level 4 - Blowfish
For swimmers who are familiar with the three basic strokes, can swim 25 yards, and need to learn flip turns and the butterfly stroke.
Level 5 - Stingray
For swimmers who are familiar with the backstroke, freestyle, breaststroke, and butterfly stroke, can swim 50 yards, and need to improve stroke mechanics and endurance.
Level 6 - Turtle
For swimmers who are familiar with backstroke, freestyle, breaststroke, and butterfly stroke, can swim 100 yards, and need to improve stroke mechanics and endurance.
Level 7 - Shark
For swimmers who are familiar with the backstroke, freestyle, breaststroke, and butterfly stroke, can swim 200 yards, and need to improve stroke mechanics and endurance. Similar to a swim team practice.
Swim Team
Swimmers need to be able to do the butterfly, breaststroke, freestyle, and the backstroke for a minimum of one full lap.
Heads up: Swim Team practices run a full hour, instead of the regular 30-minute lesson.
Skills feed forward. Even in a higher level, we still practice skills from earlier levels.
What the Swim Level Finder does not decide
The Swim Level Finder suggests a starting level. It does not replace an in-person look from our team. Front desk confirms placement, and we can adjust if day one feels too hard or too easy. You’re not locked into a bad guess if something feels off.
Ready to start lessons at Crystal Lake or Loves Park?
When you have a suggested level, the easiest next step is a free trial lesson. Our front desk will confirm the level with you and help you pick the right class. Already a Dolphin family, or want to talk it through first? Call the pool you want. That’s how a good visit ends: clear level, right pool, real next step.
Swim Level Finder FAQ
How accurate is the Swim Level Finder?
It gives a strong starting suggestion from age and skills on Dolphin Swim Club’s real ladder. Front desk at Crystal Lake or Loves Park still confirms before lessons begin, and we can adjust after the first class if needed.
Does the quiz replace an in-water look from your team?
No. The Swim Level Finder helps you arrive with a clear starting point. We still place your child in person.
What if the level feels wrong on day one?
Tell front desk. Skills build in order, and we can move a swimmer when the class is clearly too hard or too easy.
What age can my child start swim lessons at Dolphin?
Baby Swim starts at 4 months. Level A opens above 22 months. Level B and up need a swimmer older than 24 months.
Do earlier skills still matter in higher levels?
Yes. Every higher level at Dolphin Swim Club still practices skills from previous levels. That is how the ladder is built.
Should I choose Crystal Lake or Loves Park?
Choose the location where you want lessons. Both pools use the same level ladder, and you pick your pool when you claim a free trial or call. The quiz itself is not tied to one pool.
What should I do after I get a Swim Level Finder result?
Claim a free trial lesson, then mention the suggested level when our front desk reaches out so they can confirm placement. Already a Dolphin family? Register for the level at Crystal Lake or Loves Park, or give the pool a call.
Is Level 7 - Shark the same as Swim Team?
No. Level 7 - Shark is the top lesson level, and it's similar to a swim team practice. Swim Team is its own program. Swimmers need to be able to do the butterfly, breaststroke, freestyle, and backstroke for a minimum of one full lap.
Find the right starting level
Take the Swim Level Finder, get a suggested level, then claim a free trial lesson so we can confirm it and get your child in the water at the right place on the ladder!
