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Swim Coaches and Swim Lessons in Tampa Bay
Swim coaches and swim lessons can do a lot of good not only for beginning swimmers but also help sharpen techniques for advanced swimmers as well. Swim coaches have extensive experience in swimming and coaching and could point out flaws in a swimmer's stroke and technique with ease. You will be amazed that even just a few tips from your coach can make swimming much more efficient and enjoyable. Coaches will monitor you on deck and thus have a great view on your swim strokes and techniques. Coaches offer their services in swim lessons. Some lessons could be one-on-one private lessons and some may be in groups of 3 or 4 swimmers. Swim lessons are usually 30 minutes to an hour in length and some coaches require a minimum number of lessons. Generally, for an average swimmer, it usually takes a few lessons to learn the basic techniques.
The followings are swim coaches and swimming organizations that offer lessons, camps, or workshops in the Tampa Bay area. Be sure to contact each coach for more detail.
Total Immersion (TI) is a swim coaching and education institution with service centers worldwide. Currently, TI has service centers in the United States, England, Asia, Australia, South Africa and Europe. TI teaches swimmers at all levels of ability. They have successfully in the past turned individuals who did not swim into proficient swimmers. TI offers weekend workshops, triathlon camps, and refresher courses for swimmers at all levels. They utilize underwater videotaping to observe and fine tune your stroke. A typical weekend TI Freestyle Workshop consists of 4 pool sessions with underwater videotaping, drill instructions, classroom lectures and video review and it costs approximately $500 with a 10% discount for 2 more registering together. The followings are TI Freestyle Workshops held in Florida. Please contact Total Immersion for additional details.
November 15 & 16 - Clermont, FL
December 6 & 7 - Tampa, FL
January 10 & 11- Clermont, FL
April 4 & 5 - Clermont, FL
June 13 & 14 - Clermont, FL
Natalie LaBouef
Natalie has been instructing group fitness classes, as well as personal training for approximately eight years. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and Psychology from Westfield State College, as well as a Masters in Elementary Education from the University of Phoenix. She is certified to teach a variety of classes such as spin, step, kick, sports conditioning, floor, sculpt, and aquatics. She is also available for one on one personal training with specialty populations (prenatal/post-partum, seniors, youth, & athletes and swim instruction, to name a few), W.O.W. and Piloga. Natalie coaches the masters swim team at Harbour Island Athletic Club. She offers single lessons and 12-lessons packages. If you have children, she also teaches toddlers and youth as well. You can contact Natalie at 813-202-1950 ext 136 for more details.
Jimi Kiner is in his fourth year as an assistant coach with the UT swimming program following a storied career in the pool for the Spartans. Kiner was a national champion in the 100 breaststroke for Tampa in 2001 and holds the school record in that event. During his career with the Spartans, he was a 22-time All-America, a two-time national runner-up, and a four-year letterwinner. In 2000, Kiner was an Olympic Trials Qualifier. Jimi has been the head coach of the Greater Tampa Swimming Association since 2001 and has mentored numerous top ten national swimmers and high school state finalists. He also coaches a masters swim team that practices at the University of Tampa.
North Shore Pool, St. Petersburg
North Shore Pool has one of the best swimming facilities in the Tampa Bay area. It is staffed by qualified swim coaches just about any time of the day. The pool offers the following swim lessons, prices are for St. Petersburg residents. You can contact the pool at 727-893-7727 for more details and any changes in pricing.
Triathlon swim training - Tues & Thurs 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm; Sun 11:00 am - 12:30 pm; $28 for 8 visits or $4 a class
Triathlon swim coaching - Tues & Thurs 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm; $60/mo or $9 a class
Private swim lessons - $25 for 30 minutes; please call for appointments
VESTAL
AQUATICS
Vestal Aquatics prides itself on quality swimming instruction. Currently Vestal Aquatics trains tri-athletes from all over the bay area and offers one on one or group instruction at local pools or in open water. Coach James Vestal offers the following services:
- Water Safety Instructor Certified
- CPR Cert.
- Lifeguard Cert.
- Open Water Cert.
- Over 20 years of swimming experience
- 10 Years of swim instruction experience
- NCAA Swimmer
- Participated in three Triathlons
- Have taught all ages and skill levels
He also has extensive experience with adults and teach beginners experts, and groups. For more information please contact James at vestalaquatics@gmail.com.
Swimming is one of the healthy, fun and low impact activities you can do to stay fit and lose weight. As supposed to running and cycling that work mostly muscles in your legs, swimming is a full body exercise. It exercises muscle groups that running and cycling do not work on extensively such as those on your back, shoulders and arms. When starting to swim, it is important that you not overtrain or swimming too often. Start by swimming the amount of yardage that you feel comfortable without feeling tired once or twice a week. Then slowly increase your distance but not the frequency at the same time. You are starting to swim. First, you must find a swimming pool nearby. Then get the necessary gear that you need.
Swim Gear
Swimsuit
Running needs shoes, cycling requires a bicycle and swimming requires a swim suit. We are not referring to those itzi-bitzi bikini you wear to the beach. Try wearing a bikini and push off the wall of a pool and you will see what happens next. As flattering as your figure is, swimming pool is not the place to show it. You should aim for a competitive swimsuit that has a tight fit to your body. For women, it can be a one-piece, 2-piece competitive swimsuit that covers more of your body than a bikini, or a tankini which is a 2-piece swimsuit showing the stomach area. For men, there are swim shorts that fit tight on the legs with knee length (jammers) or thigh length or you can simply wear a speedo. The key is to put on something that fits tight on your skin to avoid drag.
Goggles
Unless you enjoy swimming with your eyes closed, wearing goggles is highly suggested. In addition to the protection they provide, goggles also help block out sunlight and enhance our vision when we swim. Goggles come in all different sizes and shapes. They also are made of different materials such as foam and plastic. To determine whether a pair of goggles fit you, press the goggles onto your eyes to achieve a light suction. Then remove your hands. If the goggles stay on your eye momentarily, it indicates a good fit. Make sure you also adjust the nose piece to seal the space between the goggles and your nose tightly to avoid leakage. Some of the goggles out on the market do not have adjustable nose piece. It simply stretches based on the size of your nose. Make sure you adjust the head strap as well. Tighter is not always better as it could cause markings around the eyes. It could also give you a headache. The strap should be tight enough to hold the goggles in place but yet comfortable.
Goggles also come in different lense colors. If you do your swimming during the day, consider a pair with dark tint and mirror coating so they block out most of the sunlight and reflect glare for you. If your local pool does not have lights or if you are swimming on a cloudy day, consider clear lenses.
Swim Cap
If you have medium to long hair, a swim cap is a must. It hides all the hair and prevents them from "swimming" in your face while you swim. Swim caps are made of either latex or silicon. Latex swim caps typically cost a few dollars but they tend to tear easily. If you have long nails, consider investing in a silicon swim cap which can cost an upward of $10 or more but will last longer. After each use, you should rinse off your cap in cold water and dry the inside with a towel. Then sprinkle some baby powder inside the cap so it does not stick together.
Swim Fins
Fins are useful for several reasons. If you are a weak kicker, they help you get through a workout without
expensing a lot of energy to kick. For those with inflexible ankles, long flexible fins also help compensate for the inflexibility. If you have trouble balancing in the water, using fins will also help you "stay" in the water better. Shorter fins are great for adding speed to your workout. When purchasing fins, get a pair that fit snuggly around your feet. They should not be loose.
Pull Buoy
Pull buoy provides floatation to the lower body while you concentrate on your arm stroke. Using a pull buoy also gives your legs some rest since it is used between your legs above the knees. Local swimming pools typically have pull buoys available so no need to purchase your own unless you prefer it.
Kickboard
There are many different opinions out in the swimming world among coaches and athletes about whether using kickboard can improve your kick or whether kickboard should be used at all. Kickboard is used exactly as it is named for: kicking. It provides floatation to your upper body while you work on kicking exclusively.
Hand Paddles
Hand paddles turn your hands into larger paddles that provide larger surface area to pull more water. They
can sometimes help when working on your underwater pull. However, be careful not to over use hand paddles as they can put too much strain on your shoulders.
Fistgloves
Fistgloves turn your hands into fists. When swimming with fists, your hands lose some contact with the water and therefore you swim slower. However, when you swim normally with open hands after a couple lengths of fist swimming, you will feel distinct pressure on your forearms and this is the sensation you should feel when swimming normally. Instead of purchasing fistgloves, you can swim with fists or hold a tennis ball in both hands tightly. This will achieve the same objective as using fistgloves.
Fastskin
There are also a few types of swim skins out on the market that are made of superfast material that mimics the rough shark denticles to reduce drag in key areas. If you are a competitive swimmer, this type of swimsuit will enhance and improve your performance.
Wet Suit
A wet suit is a garment of foam neoprene that insulates a swimmer from the cold by allowing a thin film of
water to penetrate between the suit and the body. Some wet suits are specifically designed for triathlon training. Wet suits also provide additional bouyance so it is impossible to sink when swimming with a wet suit on. Wet suits are designed to insulate your body. The bubbles in the neoprene insulate you against the colder water outside the suit, by trapping a thin layer of water in the suit, which is warmed by your body, and by reducing the flow of water around your body. Suits that fit poorly under the arms and around the thighs may allow too much water to collect there, robbing you of your body heat. The colder the water, thicker the suit needs to be to keep you comfortable. The first step in finding wet suits that suit you is to determine your needs. Once you determine your needs, you can start looking for wet suits that meet your needs. Make sure you try on different sizes, brands, and models. Some features to consider:
- Style (one piece jumpsuit, two piece farmer john, long sleeve shorty, short sleeve shorty)
- Inner lining
- Thickness of outer material
- Sleeves or sleeveless
- Flexibility
- Front zipper
- Attached hood
In our triathlon gear section, there is everything you need to know about wet suit from what to look for when purchasing a wet suit, the do's and don't's on wet suit and how to put on a wet suit. It is a comprehensive guide on wet suit for advanced swimmers/triathletes as well as for beginners.
Swim Lessons
Total Immersion offers a Learn to Swim Workshop that has a proven track record. This class is for those who are non-swimmers, afraid of the water, unable to breathe while swimming, or only able to swim a short distance or in shallow water. This one day program will teach proper breathing technique, water awareness, and proper balance in water. Contact Total Immersion for more details.
In addition, most of the swim coaches in the Tampa Bay area also give lessons to beginning swimmers. Please contact the individual coach for details.
Pool Etiquette
Just as there are running and cycling etiquettes, there are also things you need to know at the pool to ensure a comfortable swim for you and your fellow swimmers. Many people are opting for more pool time rather than logging in miles in their running shoes or on their bikes simply due to the hot weather. As pools are becoming more crowded with swimmers at various levels of ability, it is important that we are aware of the every swimmer's movement and position in the lanes to avoid conflict and make everyone's swim more enjoyable.
Lane designation - usually lanes are divided into fast pace, medium pace and slow pace. You will not see signs on the pool deck indicating such designation. You simply need to observe each lane for swimmers' pace and choose a lane that is the most compatible with your speed. Never swim in a fast lane if you are a slow swimmer of vice versa. This will only impede the faster swimmer's progress and continually disrupt the slower's momentum as well.
Entering the pool - before you do so, you should inform swimmers in the lane your intent to enter the pool. You should not jump, dive or splash excessive amount of water while entering the pool. You should also wait until the swimmers have pushed off the wall before entering.
Swimming pattern - when there are only two swimmers in a lane, the two of you may decide whether you want to split a lane (each of you remains on your side of the lane the entire time) or do circle swimming (In the US and Canada, swimmer swims on the right side of the lane and swim back on the left side of the lane in a counterclockwise direction; in the UK, Australia, etc, it is done in a clockwise direction). When there are more than two swimmers in a lane, the convention is to circle swim.
Passing - slower swimmers must yield to faster swimmers in the same lane. This is accomplished by a gentle tab of the foot of the slower swimmer by the faster swimmer.
Here are the most frequently asked questions about swimming, training and interesting tidbits about swimming.
What is a fast pool?
A pool with a good gutter system that allows water to flow out easily and does not allow waves to bounce back into the pool. A deeper pool also helps minimize number of waves hitting the bottom and bounce back up to the surface. Lane lines also help control waves. When there are fewer waves in the pool, you are swimming in smoother water and hence cutting through it faster.
Should I use bilateral breathing?
Bilateral breathing refers to breathing on both sides while swimming. We all favor one side of our body over the other, breathing on the side that you are not used to can feel awkward and uncomfortable. Breathing bilaterally balances your stroke and use both sides of your swimming muscles. Breathing on one side makes your stroke lopsided. If you are a open water swimmer, bilateral breathing will loose your "blind" side, helps you with sighting, avoid chops and other swimmers splashing water into your mouth and nose. When practicing bilateral breathing at the beginning, you may feel winded since you are not getting enough air when breathing on your weaker side. Try swimming one length of the pool breathing on your normal side and swimming back using bilateral breathing. With practice and patience, you will notice a more balanced stroke.
Should I use fistgloves?
Should I use fins?
Should I draft in open water swimming?
Drafting means one swimmer following the other closely. Drafting is faster and conserves energy. The lead swimmer is doing all the work by breaking the wake while the drafter is simply trying to follow along for the ride. In addition, the drafter also conserves energy by not having to sight (swimming heads-up and therefore much less efficient). In this situation, the drafter of course has to trust that the leader is heading in the right direction.
How much should my swimming be drill work and how much should be free swimming?
Each drill is designed to work on one specific aspect of swimming, e.g. head position, hand position, balancing in the water, kicking, etc. Drills provide memories to your muscles for each technique that you work on. The more you focus on perfecting each technique, the better and more efficient you swim. Novice swimmers should spend more time doing drills rather than whole-stroke swimming. As you skills improve, gradually increase the amount of whole-stroke swimming.
Should I do flip turns when swimming in the pool?
Is it necessary? Depending on whether you compete in the pool or in open water. Every swimmer should learn flip turns. It takes you out of your comfort zone and will be a confidence boost when you finally learn how to do them. As you are approaching the wall with your arm out in front, start doing a half somersault just before your arm touches the wall. As you practice, you will judge better on just exactly how far before your hand reaches the wall you need to start the somersault. You should be in a tucked position with your knees closed to your eyes. As you flip, your hands should be by your sides pushing down hard to cause your feet going over your head. As you come out of it, you should be face up with your feet pushing off the wall. Just as your feet are leaving the wall, start twisting your body to your normal swim position. Here is a great flip turn video that breaks it down step-by-step. For beginners, this flip turn video demonstrates how to properly do a flip turn.
Why do I feel winded and out of breath when I swim?
As we inhale, oxygen enters the lungs and carbon dioxide leaves the lungs as we exhale. When you feel winded, or out of breath, it is not because you are not getting enough oxygen. On the contrary, it is a result of accumulation of carbon dioxide in the lungs. When you exhale into the water, try exhaling a little bit more forcefully than you normally do to empty out as much carbon dioxide as possible. In addition, if you try to exhale and inhale at the same time while your face is out of the water, there is simply not enough time for the inhalation of an adequate amount of oxygen. You should exhale while in the water and inhale while out of the water. It is best to practice proper inhalation and exhalation while not swimming. Lie horizontal in the water, facing down with your hands holding onto the edge of the pool, put your head in the water and start to exhale. Then turn your head sideway to inhale. Repeat this several times until you get the timing of the inhale and exhale correct.
How do I keep my goggles from fogging up?
There is nothing more annoying than having a pair of fogged up goggles just 2 minutes into your training session or race. Here are some tricks to prevent your goggles from fogging up. You can certainly spray anti-fog solution onto the lenses that you can purchase at general sporting goods stores. You can also try licking the lenses with saliva or just leave a little water inside the goggle to help keep the lenses clear.
What is swimmer's ear and what causes swimmer's ear?
Swimmer's ear is an infection of the ear canal. The ear canal is the tubular opening that carries sounds from the outside of the body to the eardrum. Too much moisture in the ear can irritate and break down the skin in the canal, allowing bacteria or fungi to penetrate. Swimmer's ear is caused by many different types of bacteria or fungi. It most often occurs in people who spend a lot of time in the water. However, it can also occur in people who don't swim often. Swimmer's ear can develop when when there is a break or tear in the skin of the ear canal. Dry skin, eczema, scratching the ear canal, vigorous ear cleaning with cotton-tipped applicators, or inserting foreign objects like bobby pins or paper clips into the ear can cause tears or breakage in the skin of the ear canal. The most common symptom is ear pain. The pain may be severe and worsens when the earlobe or other exterior part of the ear is touched or moved. Other symptoms are:
- pain when chewing
- itching in the ear canal
- swelling of the ear canal
- clear yellowish discharge from the ear canal
- fever
Some ways to avoid swimmer's ear include protecting your ear canals when swimming. Wear earplugs, and resist the urge to take a dip in any polluted waters: keep swimming pools clean, and bypass those lakes and ponds. In addition, take special care when cleaning ears. Wipe outer ear clean with a soft cloth wrapped around your finger, and avoid poking into the ear canal, especially with pointed objects. You don't want to disrupt the natural wax coating in your ear that protects against harmful bacteria.
How is open water swimming different from pool swimming?
Open water swimming is to trail running and pool swimming is to running on a track. See our discussion on open water swimming and popular places for open water swimming in the Tampa Bay area.
Understanding Open Water Swimming
With low visibility in the water, sometimes less than 2 feet, you can barely see in front of you, let alone trying to swim. You
look down, seeing unknown creatures lurking around you. You stretch your hands and find that they are being brushed against seaweed. You then try to swim but get knocked around by the waves. You try to breath but suck in water instead of sucking in air. Just why exactly do people swim in open water? Unlike a pool, open water provides an endless space to swim. There is no wall, no turning around (for those of you who don't like flip turns), you can stretch out your strokes and get in a nice pace without having to focus on staying right on top of the black line. Open water swimming can be very enjoyable if you understand what the open water can do and what you can do to react to it. After all, you didn't jump into a pool before you learned how to breath in water, right?
Practice, Practice and Practice....
When you swim in a pool, there are walls and lane ropes. When something goes wrong or you need a break, you simply hold onto the wall or grab onto the lane rope for a short break. When you need a break from open water swimming, or need to stop to cough the water out of your mouth, or your legs cramp up, there is NOTHING to grab onto. Can you stay calm then? If you need a break and there is a buoy not too far from you, try to swim towards it and grab onto it for a break. If there is nothing in sight that you can hold onto, it may then require you swim to easy or even swimming breast stroke for awhile until your regained your composure. Sometimes, even experienced open water swimmers get a little nervous when swimming in open water. Remind yourself that practice makes perfect (well, almost!!). You are already a step ahead of those who don't accept the challenge. After all, we take on a new sport or compete in a sport to challenge and better ourselves.
How do you prepare for an open water swim? Many of us do not have the luxury of living by the beach. Therefore, the best way to practice open water swimming is at your local pools. There are several things you can do to have your pool mimic closely to the open water terrain. First, go to a pool with a poor to none gutter system. A gutter system allows water to flow away from the pool and reduces the number of waves bouncing back from the walls and therefore providing a calm surface to swim in. Swimming in a lap pool, for example, will allow you to feel the waves and how your body gets knocked around as in the case of open water swimming. Some swimmers get motion sickness from choppy open water. This practice will prepare you for your open water swim and lessen the chance of motion sickness. But what if your local pool has lane ropes and a pretty darn good gutter system? You may then need to practice with a couple of friends. Swimming side-by-side will certainly turn your lane into a somewhat wavy condition. Having more than 1 swimmer in a lane also mimic the start of an open water race.
Open Water Swimming Safety
Now that you are ready, what can you do to ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable swim? First, NEVER SWIM ALONE!!! Always swim with a group of swimmers even though there may only be 4 or 5 of you. Tell your fellow swimmers about the expected time you will finish the swim so that they may act accordingly if they do not see you back on the shore beyond your expected time of arrival. If there is a lifeguard on the beach, tell the lifeguard that you will report back to him at a certain time after your swim. When swimming, do not wear jewelery, a sport watch is ok. Also wear a colorful swim cap so that you are easily spotted and visible from the shore and by fellow swimmers and hazards in the water (jet skies, leisure swimmers, etc.) Bright colors such as red, yellow, orange always work better rather than black, blue, white or silver.
Swimming with Waves or Current in Open Water
Although you swim well in the pool with good technique and breathing, once you jump into open water you complete lost control of everything you know about swimming. A lot of swimmers have really good technical skills in the pool that don't carry over to open water. One of the reasons is that they get overwhelmed with the unstable body of water produced by waves. Remember all the drills that you do about proper recovery and smooth hand entry in the pool? You can forget them in choppy water. Typically, you will need to roll your body more so you can catch the air, rather than water, when you turn to breath. You may also need to have a higher recovery with your hand in open water so that it enters the water in front of your shoulder. You should try to minimize the time your hands spend at the water surface.
Swimming in current usually is not drastically different from swimming in calm water. When swimming with current, it is effortless and even swimmers with average techniques will benefit from riding the current. However, swimming against a weak current will take you longer and use more energy. You can forget about swimming against a strong current since you will get nowhere.
Tampa Bay Beaches for Open Water Swim
Here in the sunshine state, there is no shortage of beaches to practice open water swim. A lot of the area triathlons are held at these beaches. Here are some of the area's popular beaches and a map of their locations.
Fred Howard Park
1700 Sunset Dr.
Tarpon Springs, FL 34689
727-943-4081
Honeymoon Island State Park
1 Causeway Blvd.
Dunedin, Florida 34698
727-469-5942
Clearwater Beach
10 Pier 60 Dr.
Clearwater Beach, FL 33767
Sand Key Park
1060 Gulf Blvd.
Clearwater Beach, FL 33767
727-588-4852
Madeira Beach
14400 Gulf Blvd.
Madeira Beach, FL 33708
727-549-6165
St. Pete Beach
4700 Gulf Blvd.
St. Petersburg Beach, FL 33706
727- 582-2267
Fort De Soto Park
3500 Pinellas Bayway S.
Tierra Verde, FL 33715
727-582-2267
