faq
Watermelon Swim FAQs
You can find our 2025 calendar information here. You may also visit the live calendar on our homepage to learn more about upcoming special events, promotions, and more.
The best time is now! You’re never too young or too old to learn how to swim. We teach students from birth through adulthood the life-saving skills they need to thrive in the water. Our mission is to grow a community full of safer swimmers and reduce the risks while increasing confidence in and around water.
Drowning is the leading cause of death for kids ages 1-4 and the second leading cause for those aged 5-14. Hillsborough County leads the state in drowning deaths in children under 4. We believe drowning is preventable. Formal, continuous swim lessons reduce the risk of drowning by 88%. Swim lessons save lives!
We base our level placement on swimming ability and age. If your child is:
• Under 6 months old, our Water Babies lessons are right for them.
• Under 18 months old, we recommend our Parent Tot lessons.
• Over the age of 18 months and a beginner swimmer, they would start in Level 1.
• 7 years or older and a beginner swimmer, the 7&Up Group classes are for them.
If your child has had prior formal swimming lessons or other swimming experience without a flotation device, please contact our customer service team to determine the right level for your child.
Yes!
Our upper-level classes (Levels 6-9) are designed to work progressively on mastery of Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Butterfly, as well as proper competitive turns. Once all four competitive strokes are learned, we offer a non-competitive stroke development class called Swim Team Prep to get students ready to try out for swim team or keep students conditioned through the off-season.
Please call to speak to a Customer Service Representative about which level would be best for your child based on their previous swim experience. Classes for levels 7-9 and Swim Team Prep are not offered at our South Tampa location.
Absolutely!
We teach children and adults with both physical and mental disabilities the swimming, safety and survival skills they need to develop a love of the water. We get to know each student’s unique learning style to determine if group or private classes are the best fit.
We know encouraging and challenging our students appropriately is key to their success, so we work with each student (and parents or guardians if applicable) to set attainable goals and achieve extraordinary results.
Please reach out to one of our highly trained Customer Service Representatives at 813-229-7946 for more information and for a link to our Students with Disabilities application. We look forward to providing extraordinary results for your family!
We do! It’s never too late to learn the swimming, safety, and survival skills necessary to develop a love of the water.
To best serve the needs of our adult swimmers, we conduct classes one day each week. This allows adults to swim in our pools without the distractions of younger swimmers. We tailor the class to your needs and goals, whether that is working on basic swimming skills, balance, buoyancy, breath control, or more advanced techniques.
• Water Babies – 10:1 ratio with a caregiver in the pool
• Parent Tot 1 & 2 – 6:1 ratio with a caregiver in the pool
• Learn to Swim (Levels 1-6) – 4:1 ratio
• Upper Levels (Levels 7-9) – 6:1 ratio
• Swim Team Prep – 10:1 ratio
• Adult Classes – 6:1 ratio
• Private Classes – 1:1 ratio
We consider students fully potty trained once they are consistently accident-free, day and night, for 6 months. If your student is not fully potty trained, we require him/her to wear one of the reusable, Happy Nappy Duo swim diapers by SplashAbout.
These can be purchased at any Watermelon Swim location. No disposable diapers or alternate brands are permitted. We have tested multiple brands and found the SplashAbout Happy Nappy diapers have superior results and help keep our pools clean and swimmers and instructors healthy.
Our instructors are highly trained and child-approved!
They are certified in CPR, First Aid/AED, Water Safety Instruction, and Lifeguarding. Our Parent Tot instructors and instructors for our Students with Disabilities program have completed additional specialized Watermelon Swim training courses.
All instructors have continuous access to additional training resources from the United States Swim School Association.
All Watermelon Swim team members undergo a 3-step interview process and background checks. Instructors complete more than 100 hours of in and out-of-water training prior to teaching on their own and are required to attend continuous education training courses each year.
Each student develops swimming skills at their own pace. Progress depends both on what your personal goals are for your student (what swimming means to you) and what comfort level the student starts out with.
Different levels of mastery require different timelines and we don’t all start in the same place. Just as each child physically develops at different rates, they also learn to swim at their own pace. It takes time, consistency and repetition.
At Watermelon Swim, we teach swimming, safety, and survival simultaneously, starting with the most basic skills and building on each skill progressively to work toward mastery.
Yes! We offer makeup tokens for missed classes if you are actively enrolled in a tuition-paying class.
Absences must be reported before the class begins by emailing your location’s front desk to notify us of your absence. Tokens are issued within 48 hours after the missed class and cannot be scheduled until after the class is missed. Once a makeup class is scheduled, it cannot be rescheduled, made up if missed, or replaced with a new token. Makeup tokens expire 30 days from the date they are issued. There is a maximum of 12 make-up tokens per 12-month period, per enrollment.
Private lessons are available with one-on-one instruction from our highly trained instructors for ages 6 months through adulthood.
If you would like your child to swim under 18 months of age, but do not have a caregiver available to get in the water, private lessons are a great option. Private lessons are also a great option for children who have prior water trauma or are uncomfortable in group situations.
Please contact our customer service team to determine the best option for your child.
We offer Private Lessons starting at 6 months old. Private lessons are one on one with the baby and the instructor and do not require a parent/caregiver in the water. These lessons teach the same swimming, safety, and survival skills taught in the Parent Tot classes.
Children are able to enter our Level 1 group classes starting at 18 months old.
Our classes are billed monthly per the pricing chart located on our Swim Classes Page.
We offer discounts for swimming multiple times a week and for multiple swimmers per family! For our beginning swimmers, we always recommend starting with 2 classes per week—continuity and repetition are key to learning, especially for new swimmers!
Tuition is processed monthly to your card on file, and auto-debit runs on the 15th of each month for the following month.
We are not session-based; when you enroll it is a continuous monthly enrollment, and you are enrolled until you tell us that you want to stop. Read more on our Swim Classes Page.
We have lessons to accommodate almost any schedule!
Our 4 established locations, Lutz, South Tampa, Wesley Chapel, and Riverview are open for lessons:
• Monday and Thursday mornings from 8:30 am-1pm,
• Monday through Thursday evenings from 3pm-8pm,
• Saturdays from 7:15am-2pm, and Sundays from 7:30am-2pm.
Our new Brooksville location is open for lessons on Monday and Thursday from 9am – 7pm, and Saturdays from 7:15am – 1pm.
Our Brooksville location is open for tours Monday-Friday from 9am-6pm and Saturday from 8:00am-1:00pm. Our Brooksville location is currently closed on Sundays.
Please visit ourcurrent clients page, select the location you swim in and log into your parent portal or download the Watermelon Swim App, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
If you need help, you can call 813.229.7946 or email info@watermelonswim.com. Be sure to include the primary contact’s name, the swimmer’s name, location you swim in, and phone number on the account. Your client portal can also help you view billing information, policies and procedures, request make-up classes, and more.
We accept cancellations on or before the 1st of the last month that you want to swim. Example: If you no longer want to swim in February, you must notify us by January 1st. If you notify us any time after January 1st, you will be registered to swim until March 1st.
Cancellation requests are only accepted online through your parent portal account, accessible from the current client page on our website or the Watermelon Swim app. Please understand, once you place a cancellation request your swimmer forfeits his/her spot in class and when you are ready to re-enroll, a new class day and time will need to be selected. When you return, a registration fee may also be due.
If you would like to take a break rather than stopping classes, contact our Customer Service Representatives for information on how to place your account on hold and keep your student’s current class day and time.
Lutz, Wesley Chapel, Riverview and Brooksville are fully indoors and grounded and are able to remain open during thunderstorms.
Due to facility differences, South Tampa does close when lightning is in close proximity. Management monitors the weather closely and does everything possible to ensure children are able to swim safely. Any closures for weather will be communicated via text message as decisions are made.
All Watermelon Swim Schools are bright, warm, and inviting!
Our pools and surrounding environment are heated to between 88-92 degrees year-round. Our chlorinated pools are protected by a double filtration system of sand and UV, which is proven to eliminate 99.99% of bacteria in the pool water. Our facilities are professionally cleaned each evening and spot-cleaned throughout the day by our team members.
Each location has an open lobby area with two-way glass so parents/caregivers can see classes and children can see their families while they swim. Each location includes a retail area and snack bar for rewards and treats after swim class.
Our Brooksville location is now enrolling students! Locations in Brandon and Zephyrhills are slated to open in 2026.
We will continue to keep you all updated regarding new locations and opening dates.
Yes, we do! If you have more than one student in your household, we offer a 5% discount on each additional student after the first.
Each student who swims 2 or more days a week will receive a 10% discount on the total tuition; for additional swimmers in a household this is a total discount of 15% off for multi-day swimming. Beginner swimmers are encouraged to swim multiple times a week – consistency and repetition are the keys to success in swimming!
For absences of 1-4 months, you are able to place your account on hold!
To request an account hold, please speak to a Watermelon Swim Customer Service Representative and they will send you an email with details and the required form to complete. The request must be received by the 1st day of the last month of active enrollment. Fees will be charged monthly to hold the account; $50 for Group classes, per enrollment, and $100 for Private classes, per enrollment.
No discounts are offered for account hold fees.
We’re excited to have you join the Watermelon Swim family!
Please complete the Enroll Now form and a Customer Service Representative will contact you to answer any questions and complete your enrollment. You may also contact us directly by phone, 813-229-7946, or email, info@watermelonswim.com.
Consistency and repetition are the keys to success in learning a new skill. Just as a child must practice reading or math to grow their skills, swimming must be consistently practiced for mastery.
The more time in the pool, the faster your student will become a safer swimmer.
Of course! The more time in the pool, the faster your student will become a safer swimmer.
Single day enrollments are available for currently enrolled students at a cost of $40 for a group class and $80 for a private class. Please contact a Customer Service Representative at 813-229-7946 or stop by the Front Desk when you are in the location, and we will find a class the best fits your schedule.
Watermelon Swim knows that summer swimmers are made in the winter! Formal, continuous, year-round swim lessons reduce the risk of drowning by 88%.
Swimmers have more access to pools, beaches, and water parks in the summer – more access equals more practice. If you do need to take a break, we suggest taking a break in the summer when your student can continue to practice their swim skills outside of Watermelon Swim.
All students should come to class prepared to swim – with a swimsuit and towel, ready to learn and have fun! Swim caps are recommended but not required.
For the student’s safety, goggles are not permitted until the student completes the first four levels of our program, unless medically required. This is to reduce goggle dependency and ensure students can open their eyes in the water in an emergency. Nose plugs and flotation devices are not permitted. Changing rooms are available to change into dry clothes after class.
We look forward to meeting you!
We are looking forward to meeting you!
Please arrive a minimum of 10-15 minutes early on your first day. Our Customer Service Representatives will greet you, give you a tour of the facility, show you how to check in, present your welcome gift, and answer any questions you may have. If your student is not potty trained, please plan to arrive 15-20 minutes early so your student can be fitted for their swim diaper.
The first day of any new experience can be difficult, especially for our younger students (and their parents or guardians)!
We are happy to answer any of your questions and reassure you through the process. Thank you for swimming with us!
Students are ready to level up when they can consistently perform all the benchmark skills in their current level. Your student’s instructor will give you a brief overview of the class when they are dropping students off at the end of each class.
You are always welcome to leave an instructor-gram, available at the Front Desk, if you have additional questions and the instructor or another team member will contact you to further discuss progress.
Student progress is regularly monitored and recorded in the student’s skill tree by our Deck Supervisors and Managers. Your student’s skill tree can be viewed in your parent portal account, accessible through the current client page our website or the Watermelon Swim App. If you need assistance accessing the skill tree or have any questions about your student’s progress, our Customer Service Representatives are always available to assist in connecting you with a Deck Supervisor or Manager.
Don’t worry; it is normal for students to be scared, uncertain, or upset during their first few lessons.
This is a new environment with new people and many new skills to learn. Additionally, separation from caregivers and introduction to instructors may be new for some students. We ask that you give your student the gift of time. We find the average settlement period for students is between 3-6 lessons. This settlement period gives students time to bond with their instructor and warm up to the new environment.
We use gentle and fun teaching methods with a lot of praise and positive reinforcement. Your child will soon learn that this is a safe and fun environment.
We know this can be a difficult adjustment for caregivers as well. Remember, you are doing the very best thing for your child by introducing them to life-saving swimming skills and water safety education.
These first lessons will be a distant memory soon. Just hang in there!
We do! New and returning families can fully enroll online into an entry level group class (Water Babies, Parent Tot 1, Level 1, Ages 7&up, and Adult) or private lessons. Visit our classes page for more information regarding our classes. Once you’ve created your account and selected a class, you will pay a one-time new membership fee and a tuition deposit equal to one full month of tuition. Visit our pricing page for full pricing details. Ready to get started? Click “Enroll Now” anywhere on our website to be redirected to the Online Enrollment page.
Sweet Peas Gymnastics FAQs
The best time is now! Children are never too young to receive the benefits of our educational gymnastics program. We teach students from birth to six years old movement and sensory activities which strengthen and bond the essential connections between neurons, helping to forge the architecture of a child’s brain that will serve him or her for a lifetime.
Sweet Peas Educational Gymnastics perfectly complements Watermelon Swim’s mission by promoting core strength, flexibility, and body awareness—essential skills that support water safety and swimming success. Together, these programs work together to grow a community full of safer, stronger, and more confident children both in and out of the water.
We base our class placement on the age of each child.
- Wee Peas
This class is for infants 0-11 months, a parent/caregiver will need to participate in class
- One Peas
This class is for children 12-23 months, a parent/caregiver will need to participate in class
- Two Peas
This class is for children that are two years old, children will participate in this class independently
- Three Peas
This class is for children that are three years old, children will participate in this class independently
- Four Peas
This class is for children that are four years old, children will participate in this class independently
- Five Peas
This class is for children that are five years old, children will participate in this class independently
- Six Peas
This class is for children that are six years old, children will participate in this class independently
Once Six Peas graduate, they will be equipped with confidence, strength, balance, coordination, and a healthy discipline that will remain with them far beyond their Sweet Peas journey!
We do not currently offer gymnastics classes once children have celebrated their 7th birthday, however, they can utilize the skills acquired as they continue their Watermelon Swim journey.
Great question!
Structuring our classes by age provides an opportunity for students to practice alongside their peers, regardless of skill level. This develops and nurtures social connections as children encourage their peers in various stages of skill mastery, fostering cooperation and building self-esteem for all students. With smaller class size ratios, our instructors are trained to challenge students for developmental growth as it is appropriate for their cognitive and physical development.
Absolutely!
We teach children of all abilities as it is safe to do so within our group classes. Should safety concerns arise, we will work with the Site Manager to provide a fun and engaging learning experience for your child.
We know encouraging and challenging our students appropriately is key to their success, so we work with each student (and parents or guardians if applicable) to set attainable goals and achieve extraordinary results.
- Wee Peas and One Peas – 10:1 ratio with a caregiver for each child
- Two Peas, Three Peas, Four Peas, Five Peas, and Six Peas – 8:1 ratio
Our gymnastics instructors receive ongoing training by our Gym Lead focused on the highest standards regarding safety as well as skill growth related to weekly themes.
All Watermelon Swim team members, including Sweet Peas Gymnastics instructors, are certified in CPR/First Aid. They also undergo continuous education and background checks.
Each student develops skills at their own pace and based on their physical development.
Different levels of mastery require different timelines and we don’t all start in the same place. Just as each child develops at different rates, they also acquire and master gymnastics, social, and emotional skills at their own pace. It takes time, consistency, and repetition.
With Sweet Peas Gymnastics at Watermelon Swim, we start with the most basic skills and build on each skill progressively to work toward mastery.
Yes! We offer makeup tokens for missed classes if you are actively enrolled in a tuition-paying class.
Absences must be reported before the class begins by emailing your location’s front desk (sweetpeas@watermelonswim.com) to notify us of your absence. Tokens are issued within 48 hours after the missed class and cannot be scheduled until after the class is missed. Once a makeup class is scheduled, it cannot be rescheduled, made up if missed, or replaced with a new token. Makeup tokens expire 30 days from the date they are issued. There is a maximum of 12 make-up tokens per 12-month period, per enrollment. Make-up classes are limited and are not guaranteed.
Children will not be able to participate without a parent/caregiver until they have celebrated their 2nd birthday. Learning to explore and engage with their environment while a trusted caregiver is nearby for encouragement and support is essential to developing secure attachment wiring, which happens in the first 2 years of neurological development.
Children are able to enter our Two Peas classes without a parent/caregiver after celebrating their 2nd birthday.
The Sweet Peas Gymnastics curriculum is designed to be age-specific; therefore, siblings of different ages will not be able to enroll into the same class.
Multiples are so fun!
To ensure a safe and engaging class for all, we require each child in these classes to have their own caregiver with a 1:1 ratio. Older siblings must be at least 16 years old to attend as the second caregiver.
Our classes are billed monthly per the pricing chart (insert link).
We offer discounts for attending BOTH swimming lessons and gymnastics classes, as well as multiple times a week and for multiple students per family!
Tuition is processed monthly to your card on file, and auto-debit runs on the 15th of each month for the following month.
We are not session-based; when you enroll it is a continuous monthly enrollment, and you are enrolled until you tell us that you want to stop.
Please visit our current clients page, select the location you swim or gym in and log into your parent portal or download the Watermelon Swim App, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Your client portal can also help you view billing information, policies and procedures, and more.
If you need help, you can always call 813.229-7946.
We accept cancellations on or before the 1st of the last month that you want to attend class. Example: If you no longer want to attend in February, you must notify us by January 1st. If you notify us any time after January 1st, your child will be registered in their class until March 1st.
Cancellation requests are only accepted online through your parent portal account, accessible from the current client page on our website or the Watermelon Swim app. Please understand, once you place a cancellation request your swimmer forfeits his/her spot in class and when you are ready to re-enroll, a new class day and time will need to be selected. When you return, a registration fee may also be due.
The Sweet Peas Gym is bright, warm, and inviting!
The Sweet Peas Gymnastics at Watermelon Swim Brooksville has an open lobby area with two-way glass so parents/caregivers can see classes and children can see their families while they attend class. The Brooksville location also includes a retail area and snack bar for rewards and treats after class.
We also have a dry changing room for gymnasts to change, if needed.
Yes, we do! If you have more than one student in your household, we offer a 5% discount on each additional student after the first.
Each student who attends gymnastics class 2 or more days a week will receive a 10% discount on the total tuition; for additional gymnasts in a household this is a total discount of 15% off for multi-day gymnastics.
We offer discounts for attending BOTH swimming lessons and gymnastics classes. Students actively enrolled in swim and gym will receive a 10% swim/gym discount.
We’re excited to have you join the Sweet Peas Gymnastics at Watermelon Swim family!
You can enroll now through our website or give us a call at 813-229-7946.
Consistency and repetition are the keys to success in learning a new skill. Just as a child must practice reading or math to grow their skills, attending classes must be consistently practiced for mastery.
The more time in the gym, the greater the benefits that our educational gymnastics curriculum will provide for physical and cognitive development.
We do not currently offer single day enrollments for Sweet Peas Gymnastics.
All students should come to class prepared for gymnastics class – with either a leotard or T–shirt and athletic shorts. Children will be barefoot, and any accompanying parent/caregiver can either participate barefoot or with clean socks.
For the safety of the students and our instructors, shoulder-length hair must be pulled back and out of the face; jewelry should be removed; midsections should be covered by fabric. Changing rooms are available to change into gym clothes before class.
We are looking forward to meeting you!
Please arrive a minimum of 10-15 minutes early on your first day. Our Customer Service Representatives will greet you, give you a tour of the facility, show you how to check in, present your welcome gift, and answer any questions you may have.
The first day of any new experience can be difficult, especially for our younger students (and their parents or guardians)!
We are happy to answer any of your questions and reassure you throughout the process.
Your student’s instructor will give you a brief overview of the class when they are dropping students off at the end of each class.
You are always welcome to leave an instructor-gram, available at the Front Desk, if you have additional questions and the instructor or another team member will contact you to further discuss progress.
Don’t worry; it is normal for students to be scared, uncertain, or upset during their first few classes.
This is a new environment with new people and many new skills to learn. Additionally, separation from caregivers and introduction to instructors may be new for some students. We ask that you give your student the gift of time. We find the average settlement period for students is between 3-6 classes. This settlement period gives students time to bond with their instructor and warm up to the new environment.
We use gentle and fun teaching methods with a lot of praise and positive reinforcement. Your child will soon learn that this is a safe and fun environment.
These first classes will be a distant memory soon. Hang in there!
We do! New and returning families can fully enroll online into an age-appropriate gymnastics class. Once you’ve created your account and selected a class, you will pay a one-time new membership fee and a tuition deposit equal to one full month of tuition. Visit our pricing page for full pricing details.
Ready to get started? Click “Enroll Now” anywhere on our website to be redirected to the Online Enrollment page.