Frequently Asked Questions
Have a question? The answer may be here! If not, please do not hesitate to reach out to us and we would be happy to help in any way that we can!
While these lessons are free to you, we ask that you please cancel or reschedule these lessons with us AT LEAST 48 hours prior to the start of the lesson so that we can try to make the space available to other interested families.
We reserve the right to disable the account registration access of those who fail to comply with this policy 2 or more times. With the limited number of spaces available, we ask that you help us to help others in the community by making these spaces available.
Lessons must be cancelled or rescheduled AT LEAST 48 hours prior to the start of the lesson. Rescheduling can be done online through your account while requests for cancellation can be directed to matt@505swimming.com. Exceptions for extenuating EMERGENCIES MAY be made on a case-by-case basis.
No show or late cancelled lessons are not eligible for rescheduling, refund, or credit.
The City of Albuquerque subsidizes the cost of exclusively the small group lessons to make learn-to-swim education available to more families in the metro without financial limitations. This funding is limited, so we have both chosen to prioritize this funding to go toward the group lessons so that we can maximize the number of students we can serve under this unique partnership!
We are offering a level 1 and level 2 class which are structured on the basis of skill, not necessarily age.
Level 1: For kids who are not comfortable in and under the water, are likely new to swimming, and starting with very little to no meaningful swimming skills. Average age is typically 3-5.
Level 2: For kids who are totally comfortable both in and under the water, but are still working on the basic swim skills. Likely can't swim independently and are working on kicking, floating, and swimming with arms. Average age is typically 5-7.
Intermediate level lessons for kids beyond the skills described in level 2 must be taken within our private lessons.
Yes, to receive lessons with us at El Gancho, you must hold an active individual or family membership. Please contact us if you have more questions! We offer a wider variety of group and private lessons at the Genoveva Chavez Center!
Lessons must be cancelled or rescheduled 2 days prior to the lesson. If you meet this criteria follow these steps:
To Reschedule or Cancel: Log in to your account, head to the "My Bookings" tab under your account tab, and click the reschedule button. To cancel, click the drop down arrow and press cancel.
Just head to our "Book Online" page, select your lesson level, choose the time that works best for you, and book the lesson. Easy as 1, 2, 3!
Lessons can be booked as soon as 2 days before the lesson and as far out as 30 days in advance
We love to meet new swimmers! But before you can register for your first lesson, you must register for an account on our website and wait for account approval. Once you sign up for an account, we will reach out with a quick phone call to get to know you/your swimmer and help you find the appropriate lesson level. This will happen within just a couple of days! Once your account is approved, head to our "Book Online" page, select the level you/your swimmer was placed in, pick a convenient time, and then you're ready for your first lesson!
You must cancel or reschedule your lesson no less than 48 hours in advance, and no refunds/exceptions will be given to late-cancelled or no-show lessons. You must call or visit the Walkup Aquatic Center to cancel or reschedule your lessons and this cannot be done by us. They can be contacted at (505) 662-8170
1. Navigate to the Los Alamos County Recreation Department's registration page linked above
2. Just below the words "Search Results" click on the drop down box next to "Display Option"
3. Select the "Calendar" option from the drop down list to get redirected to a 1 month calendar view of available group and private lessons!
4. Select a lesson from the calendar and press "Add to Cart" in the window that appears.
**Please Note: All lessons taught by us will be labeled as 505 Swim along with one of our instructor's names. View our team here! The instructor Anna Zhang is unaffiliated with 505 Swimming and not a part of our program.
5. Log in or sign up on the login page that you are directed to.
**Please Note: This website and system is separate from ours and will require a different account!
6. Complete the registration and payment process in the following page
7. Show up ready to swim!
Parent-Tot: For infants aged 1-2. One parent is required to be in the pool with the child. These lessons are primarily meant to introduce children to the water, build confidence, and start working on very basic skills like kicking and back floats. The emphasis on these lessons is fun!
Level 1: Minimum age 3 y/o. Best for kids who have little to no experience swimming and may not be comfortable in the pool or with submerging or floating. Lessons will work on establishing confidence in the water, basic skills like floating and kicking, as well as into to water safety skills.
Level 2: Minimum age 3 y/o. Best for kids with at least some experience swimming. These lessons are usually with children aged 5 or 6 or above. Children in this level should be comfortable with swimming, submerging, and floating with assistance. Lessons will work on building foundational skills like floating, swimming, and kicking independently as well as water safety skills.
Private lessons: Open to all ages above 10 months and all skill levels. Intermediate level students must enroll in private lessons.
As soon as you create an account on our website, your account will be pending. We do this to prevent spam and ensure that everyone is able to sign up for the lessons that best suit their needs. When you first signed up, an email should have been automatically sent to you with the next steps in getting started, but if for some reason you did not receive this, please email us at matt.505swimming@gmail.com and we can help get you started!
We start our lessons as young as 1 year old and have options available for all ages from there. Many lesson providers do not offer lessons to older children or adults, but we want to ensure that everyone has the chance to learn to swim regardless of their age. Whether you are looking for lessons for your 5 year old, 2 year old, 14 year old, or for a 75 year old we have lessons for you!
While our private lessons are more expensive than group lessons that may be available elsewhere, our lessons offer many benefits:
- 1-on-1 attention
- A customized learning plan
- Spend more time working on challenging skills and less time on already mastered skills
- An environment with less distraction that is more conducive to learning
- A closer relationship with the instructor that helps nervous swimmers feel more comfortable
- Greater flexibility
On top of that all of our instructors for all lessons :
- Are trained and certified
- Are certified in CPR
- Have a vast involvement in swimming and/or a history of working with children
Our private instruction program will enable you/your swimmer to learn faster and have more fun in a safer environment, ultimately leading to savings over traditional group lessons. We cannot wait for you to feel safer, more confident, and more capable in the water!
This all depends on the goals that you have for your child. Private lessons provide much more individualized attention and are best for kids who are still fearful of the water or are just getting started swimming. On top of that, they provide the time to work on specific skills that you may want them to work on that there might not be time for in the group sessions. On the other hand, our group lessons provide an affordable small-group environment that can be more fun for many kids and help them if they learn better with others! Many families choose to enroll in both options to provide the balance of both benefits for their child!