As Australia prepares for another hot summer, swim schools across the country are seeing a clear shift: more new families to Australia are prioritising swim education than ever before.
According to BlueFit Swimming, this momentum is driven by a growing recognition that water safety is essential to everyday life in Australia.
The new BlueFit National Water Safety Report reveals a widening gap in children’s swimming competency. More than half of surveyed six-year-olds did not meet the minimum benchmark for their age, and these numbers decline steadily through primary school. By twelve, only a small portion reach the expected national standard, with many who fall behind no longer enrolled in lessons. These findings have encouraged families settling into Australia to act early, ensuring their children build skills that are both lifesaving and culturally essential.
Adults are increasingly joining their children in this journey. Many did not grow up around beaches, rivers, and pools, and are now embracing lessons so they can participate safely in the lifestyle that surrounds them. Some arrive with fears of deep water or anxiety about starting late, while others carry childhood trauma from a past water-related incident or near-drowning experience. For many, booking that first lesson is the hardest step. Once they walk through the door, instructors guide them with patience, reassurance, and gentle progression, helping adults rebuild trust and confidence from the very first session.
Australia’s broader water-safety landscape reinforces why this shift matters. The latest Royal Life Saving Society Australia drowning report shows a rise in adult drowning rates nationwide, with adults aged 65 and over experiencing a 48 per cent increase over the past 12 months. Significant numbers of drownings also occur across other adult age groups, underscoring the importance of learning to swim at any stage of life.
BlueFit Swimming tailors adult programs with cultural sensitivity in mind, offering simplified language, visual demonstrations, flexible lesson times, and respect for personal preferences around attire, privacy, and instructor gender. The team also helps families access government-funded swim vouchers to ease financial pressure.
BlueFit Swimming’s message is simple: everyone is welcome, everyone is capable, and it is never too late to learn.
