Many people claim they are physically unable to float but, through practice, it is possible and it’s one of the many skills we teach our swimmers here at The Aqua Life.

The airplane float is an important swim skill for a child to learn for three reasons:

1. It helps your child relax in a horizontal body position.
2. They get to practice breath control by calmly holding their breath while their face is in the water.
3. It gets them used to the proper head position – looking at your toes.

There are two versions of the airplane float: assisted and unassisted.

Here is how we break down those versions into three parts to make it easy to learn:

1. Holding the Breath:

To help your child feel more comfortable in the water and to prep them for airplane float, have them practice holding their breath. As they grow more comfortable with submersion have them increase how long they stay under longer up to ten seconds.

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2. Assisted:

Once your child is comfortable holding their breath underwater, get them into airplane float position on their tummy with their arms out and legs together. Place one hand under their tummy and the other on an extended arm. Have them take a breath, put their face in the water for a count of five, then return to start position.

3. Unassisted:

For this, you will do the same thing as the assisted but let go of your child for five seconds as they put their head under and hold airplane position, then return to supporting them.

Check out this video to see the whole process in action!

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Interestingly, we’ve found that practicing this airplane horizontal position becomes ingrained in their muscle memory, making it easier to learn front swim!

If you are ready to take the plunge, join us for lessons at The Aqua Life Swim Academy at one of our fantastic Ottawa or Hawkesbury locations! Reach out to us at support@theaqualife.ca to learn more today!

Happy swimming!