There are several parking options around the Ritchie Center. To request a Ritchie Center parking permit, please visit www.parking.du.edu after registering for learn to swim. Your permit will be mailed to you within 7-10 days of your request. If you need a temporary parking permit for your first learn to swim session, please contact our swim lessons coordinator at 303-871-4484.

We recommend a set of goggles and a towel. If you forget either one, we have a limited supply of towels and goggles available.

Please check in at the Coors Fitness Center front desk (located on the south side of the Ritchie Center) and proceed to El Pomar Natatorium. Once in the pool, please meet on the pool bleachers while you wait for your lesson. When it's time for your lesson, your child's instructor will call him/her over to the edge of the pool near the shallow end.

Yes. Both the men's and women's locker rooms are accessible from the pool deck. If you bring a quarter, you may lock up your gear. When you put the quarter in, you get the key, and when you put the key back in, you get your quarter back.

You will also have access to showers.

We recommend that your child be at least 3 years old to fully enjoy and engage in our learn to swim program.

Each level has specific skill sets that need to be met. For more information regarding skill sets and level appropriateness, please visit our class levels page.

At the end of each series, your child will receive a progress report that indicates the level for which the instructor feels he/she is ready.

Our 7-week series include seven lessons.

We restrict our class sizes to four students. There is one instructor per class.

Our classes are arranged by ability, not age. Your child’s lesson level will be determined by his/her swimming level. Therefore, a more skilled swimmer will be in a higher level.

Group lessons involve more than one child per instructor.

A private lesson has one child and one instructor. Because private lessons provide one-on-one attention, they can more dramatically improve your child’s swimming abilities. These lessons focus on technique and skill development to build upon a swimmer’s foundation.

Unless otherwise noted on the class levels page, lessons are 30 minutes, once per week.

Priority registration begins in week five of each series.

• Week five priority registration is for those who want to keep the same class, time and day.
• Week six priority registration is for those who want to change their day, time and class.
• Week seven marks the start of general registration, which is open to the public.