Wix
Margo Foster | MediaLab@FAU
Oct 23, 2025
PORT ST. LUCIE- With the influx of new residents to Florida, swim classes are filling up. But if you’re envisioning little kids in water wings, think again–spots are increasingly being snapped up by adults.
Both the YMCA in Martin County and Ravenswood in Port Saint Lucie have recently reported a significant increase in the demand for adult swimming classes.
“When I first started, we had a large amount of adults taking private lessons,” said Kelly Bruneau, Aquatics Coordinator for the YMCA of the Treasure Coast for almost two years.
Although these people were taking lessons for different reasons, Bruneau noticed a commonality: Many of these adult swimmers were working through water-related fears. That was when Bruneau decided to offer adult group lessons. “And with that came a bunch of people that wanted to learn together and learn from each other,” she said.
Although there are no statistics on the number of adults currently enrolled in swim classes, numerous campaigns have attempted to get adults in the water so they can learn. More than half of Americans either do not know how to swim or have not mastered all of the necessary, basic skills, according to the Red Cross.
The results can be tragic.
Drowning deaths have been on the rise since 2020 and adults aren’t exempt from this trend. When it comes to adults, those over 65 have experienced the highest increase in drowning deaths; Black Americans of all ages are also particularly vulnerable.
For many adults, learning to swim isn’t just about mastering a physical skill; it’s about confronting fear, embarrassment, and long-held self-doubt.
Donna Carter, 60, is a retired Registered Nurse who took lessons as a child but became fearful of the water after nearly drowning in swimming pools twice.
She recently decided to start taking lessons again, along with her husband who never learned to swim.
“The lack of swimming, for me, was maybe a bit of a fear of the deep water because I have had bad experiences. But the swimming classes were helpful for me and I think they were helpful for my husband as well. I would do it again to advance to another level,” said Carter.
Some adults who already know how to swim take classes to improve their skills.
“I learned to swim as a child in Jamaica but took an advanced swimming class to improve my skills a little,” said Andre Walker, 45, air conditioning technician and Port St. Lucie resident. “I wanted to improve myself.”
The YMCA has partnered with Sunshine Health to offer both children with disabilities and their parents free swimming lessons. This community based approach is an important aspect of water safety, Kelly explained. “In the infant ages, we are teaching the parents how to keep their child safe in the water–we are teaching adult lessons within our group infant classes,” said Kelly. “So, we are really sending the education much beyond just the child being able to do a skill-- it is going to the entire family.”
The organization also has a number of different ways to help families that cannot afford to learn how to swim. They offer financial aid, Community Source funding (CSF), vouchers and monthly payments. They are trying to make it as accessible to families to learn.
The YMCA is also looking to expand to St. Lucie County and is currently looking for properties to build pools to keep up with the demand. Hours and prices vary between the YMCA and Ravenswood from $105 for half an hour and $75 for an hour, respectively. Ravenswood does not offer any discounts or financial aid.