Saf-T-Swim is a swim school with 13 locations in Nassau, Suffolk and Queens.
While some parents may balk at the idea that their child should be learning to swim just a few months after birth, there is some sobering information that might make you think twice.
safe swimming is a children’s swim school with 13 locations in Nassau, Suffolk, and Queens, and according to Vinny Gerstel, Regional Manager and Head of Corporate Training, it’s never too early to get your kids used to the water.
“Our message is to reach as many swimmers as possible because drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in children under 12,” he said. “Getting as many swimmers into the water as possible – especially ahead of the upcoming spring and summer season – is even more important.”
Saf-T-Swim was originally founded by Jim Hazen in 1984; in September 2019, Hazen retired and sold the schools to Streamline Brands, which now has approximately 250 swim schools nationwide.
Under new ownership by Streamline Brands, Saf-T-Swim will expand beyond Nassau and Suffolk for the first time in 2022 with the opening of a new location in Little Neck, Queens. Further expansion is expected over time as the Saf-T-Swim brand continues to grow – including into Westchester and beyond through our sister brand Safe Splash, Gerstel said.
“Having the support of a larger entity has really helped us to reach more swimmers, more families, and teach more classes,” he said. “We’ve been able to upgrade and expand many of our existing facilities. We’ve also improved our processes and training and enhanced our curriculum. So now we have the best curriculum in the swimming industry, which will all help swimmers.”
Currently, Saf-T-Swim has locations in Riverhead, Coram, Bohemia, Smithtown, Commack, Deer Park, Melville, Levittown, Bellmore, Garden City, Oceanside, New Hyde Park and Little Neck.
One of the most exciting developments under Saf-T-Swim’s new ownership has been the introduction of group lessons – a first for the company – which Gerstel says is a way to make their service more affordable and accessible available to the general public.
“During the pandemic, we’ve offered a lot of private swim lessons so parents don’t have to worry about their swimmer being around other people,” he said. “But our biggest new addition is the introduction of group lessons, which we’re really excited about. We’re still doing a lot of private lessons, one-to-one and two-to-one lessons, but group lessons offer a four-to-one teacher-to-student ratio, so It’s more affordable, but swimmers are still being watched very closely.”
Other programs that offer Saf-T-Swim include competitive swim teams, the “ParentTot” program — which, as the name suggests, puts kids in the water with their guardians — and more.
Like many businesses, Saf-T-Swim was forced to close during the COVID-19 pandemic, and while the government-mandated shutdown caused a lot of hardship at the time, the brand has emerged from the other side and is operating at full capacity again.
“It was slow at first, but we did a really good job of making it a safe place for parents and children to go. We put masks on swimmers even though the local health agency said it wasn’t necessary,” he said. “We followed the CDC guidelines and we got through it like everyone else. Now we’ve come to the other side and there’s no lingering effects… Most of our clients are coming back and they’re okay with that. feels good.”
Ultimately, though, says Gerstel, our goal is to spread the message that having kids who can swim is absolutely critical, and there’s no better place to get that skill than at your local Saf-T-Swim location .
“Our constant message during the pandemic is that swimming is important,” he said. “During the pandemic, a lot of people have built pools in their backyards, so what we’re doing is necessary. We’re starting with 4-month-old swimmers, because it’s very important for younger kids to be able to swim. Crucial. It might save their lives one day.”
To learn more about Saf-T-Swim, call 866-723-3794, email info@saf-t-swim.com, or visit their website: https://www.saf-t-swim.com.
